Changes of levels of glutamine synthetase isoforms in roots and leaves in response to nitrogen fertilizer application at different growth stages in irrigated rice

Nitrogen is a key element to control the growth and yield of crops. Fertilizer urea nitrogen (N) 60,45, and 30 kg/hm² was applied at three different stages, midtillering, panicle initiation, and flowering, of the growth and development of rice plants, respectively. At both midtillering and panicle initiation, the total activity of glutamine synthetase (GS) in rice roots and leaves was incrased remarkably as a result of a large amount of ammonia absorbed by roots. Native-PAGE and activity staining showed that the increase of total activity in rice roots and leaves was due to the synthesis of GSrb in roots and GS2 in leaves and that the activity of GSra in roots and GS1 in leaves remained constant. The results showed that the assimilation of external nitrogen was carried out by GSrb but not GSra in rice roots and that the activitry of GS2 was induced also by the external nitrogen, and that GSrb played main role in meeting the needs of the rapid tillering for nitrogen. At flowering, the activity of GS in rice roots and leaves did not change almost after topdressing. These rssults suggest that the change of GS activity in rice roots may use as a measure of the utilization efficiency of the fertilizer. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province, and International Rice Institute, P. O. Box 933 1099 Manila, Philippines Zhang Chufu: born in 1946, Professor, to whom Correspondence should be addressed     

Structure of aqueous sodium sulfate solutions derived from X-ray diffraction

A rapid liquid X-ray diffractometer was used to study the time-averaged and space-averaged structure of aqueous sodium sulfate solutions at 298 and 323 K. Difference radial distribution functions of the solutions were obtained from accurate diffraction data. The interaction distances of Na^＋-OH2 and S-H2O in solutions were found to be 0.235 and 0.385 nm, respectively, after deconvolution of superposition peaks by Gaussian multi-peak fitting program. The characteristic distance of the NaSO; contact ion pairs in higher concentration solutions was determined to be 0.345 nm, suggesting that the Na^＋ ions coordinated with SO4^2- ions in the mono-dentate form. Effects of concentration and temperature on the hydration structure of the solutions were discussed in the present paper. With a decrease in concentration, the contributions of the H2O to the diffraction pattern increase, the average coordination number of the Na^＋ ions hardly changes, while the hydration number of SO4^2- ions increases slightly. The formation of NaSO; contact ion pairs becomes easier at higher temperature. The structure of hydrogen bond in dilute solutions is broken to a considerable extent with rising temperature, and the peak at 0.290 nm splits into two peaks at 0.275 and 0.305 nm, respectively.     

Ammonium record over the last 96 years from the muztagata glacier in Central Asia

As a major alkaline gas in the atmosphere, ammonia （NH3） plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry. However, there is little knowledge about NH3 variations in the Central Asia. Here we analyzed the ammonium （NH4^＋） history recorded in an ice core from the East Pamir in Central Asia, which was drilled on the Mt. Muztagata at the elevation of 7010 m a.s.I, in 2003. The core was carefully dated and NH; concentration history during 1907-2002 was reconstructed. The result shows that NH; concentration remained approximately constant until the 1930s after a sudden decrease at the very beginning of the 20th century, followed by a minimum in 1940 before increasing steadily to the peak at the end of 1990s. It is found that the annual mean NH4^＋ concentration was strongly associated with the Northern Hemisphere temperature, suggesting the impact of temperature on NH3 emissions in the Central Asia. Moreover, an increase of NH4^＋ concentration after 1940 also reflects the enhancement of NH3 emissions from anthropogenic sources such as fertilizer applications and livestock wastes in the 20th century.     

Responses of rice growth to copper stress under free-air CO2 enrichment （FACE）

The responses of rice to the second degree contamination of copper were studied by pot experiments under free-air CO2 enrichment （FACE） with 570 μmol ·mol^-1 of CO2. The results showed that the content of copper in rice leaves was reduced with the CO2 concentration reaching 570 μmol· mol^-1 and this happened more significantly under the second degree contamination of copper. Under FACE, activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD） enzyme in rice leaves treated by copper contamination were induced, whereas the contents of glutathione （GSH） and glutathione disulfide （GSSG） had no significant difference from the control. In the presence of ambient CO2, activities of SOD enzyme treated by copper pollution were suppressed during the whole rice growth, however, the contents of GSH and GSSG were induced at tillering and jointing stages, and then restored to the control levels in later growth under the second degree contamination of copper. With the rice growing, the content of malondialdehyde （MDA） rises continuously, but there had been no significant difference between the treatments at the same growth stage. Further studies are needed on the response mechanism of rice to Cu stress under elevated CO2.     

Compression behavior and equation of state of Ni77P23 amorphous alloy

The compression behavior of Ni77P23 amorphous alloy is investigated at room temperature in a diamond-anvil cell instrument using insitu high pressure energy dispersive X-ray diffraction with a syn- chrotron radiation source. The equation of state is determined by fitting the experimental data accord- ing to Birch-Murnaghan equation: -ΔV/V0=0.08606P-3.2×10-4P2 5.7×10-6P3. It is found that the structure of Ni77P23 amorphous alloy is stable under pressures up to 30.5 GPa.     

Recent high-resolution glaciochemical record from a Dasuopu firn core of middle Himalayas

A 16.8 m firn core of middle Himalayas was recovered on the col of Dasuopu glacier in August 2006, being 7000 m above sea level. A total of 317 samples were measured for stable oxygen isotope ratios （6180） and major ion concentrations （Na＋, NH＋, K＋, Mg2＋, Ca2＋, Cl-, SO4^2-, and NO3^-. The firn core dating and seasonal partitioning were carried out based on the marked seasonal variations along the stable oxygen isotopes and crustal species （Ca2＋, Mg2＋） profiles. The multi-parameters and high-resolution glaciochemical data set of Dasuopu firn core recorded the detailed chemical characteristics of pre cipitation in high-elevation region, middle Himalayas, since 1991 A.D., which mainly originated from the crustal and anthropogenic sources, while the sea-salt contribution was minor. The seasonal variability of major ion concentrations was dominated by the seasonal alternation of the prevalent air mass, atmospheric circulation situation and precipitation regime. Linear regression analysis indicated that most of the variance in annual ionic fluxes can be explained by a linear dependence on snow accumulation rate.     

Sanitary Sewage Treatment with Jet Inner-loop Bioreactor

0　IntroductionThejetloopreactorhasthecharacteristicsofbothjetandloopflow .Ononehand ,theairsuckedinisdispersedintosmallgasbubblesbecauseoftheshearingforcecausedbythehighvelocityjet,producinganincreasedinterfacialcontactbe tweengasandliquid ,thusthemasstransferefficiencyisin creased .Ontheotherhand ,aregularloopflowisformedbecauseofmutualimpetusofbothjetandair lift,thusdramaticallyim provestheperformancesofmixture ,diffusion ,masstransferandheattransferofthematerial.Withoutmechanicdriving ,the…     

Field emission of SiCN thin films bombarded by Ar<Superscript>+</Superscript> ions

SiCN thin films were synthesized by a radio frequency chemical vapor deposition (RFCVD) system on P-type Si (1 0 0) wafers using C₂H₄, SiH₄ and N₂ as raw materials, In order to get rid of the oxygen absorbed on the surface and improve the characteristics of electron field emission, Ar⁺ ions of low energy were used to bombard the samples. The field emission characteristics of SiCN thin films before and after Ar⁺ bombardment were studied in the super vacuum environment of 10⁻⁶ Pa. It was showed that the turn-on field (defined as the point where the current-voltage curve shows a sharp increase in the current density) decreased from 38 V/μm before bombardment to 25 V/μm after bombardment. And the maximum emission current density increased from 159.2 to 267.4 μA/cm². The composition before and after Ar⁺ bombardment was compared using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Our results illustrated that the field emission characteristics were improved after the bombardment of Ar⁺. Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19975035) Biography: Ma You-peng (1978), male, Master candidate, research direction: novel functional materials film and ion beam modification of materials.     

Cloning and Characterization of the fecC Gene Necessary for Optimal Growth under Iron-Deficiency Conditions in the Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

The fecC gene encoding a putative iron (Ⅲ) dicitrate transporte rwas cloned from nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, and inactivated. The mutant grows normally in medium with NO3^- , NH1^- or without combined nitrogen. But in iron-deficient medium, the mutant grows slowly. Photosynthetic properties were compared between the mutant and the wildtype strain, the content of photosynthetic pigments in the mutant is lower than that of the wild-type. The results of RT-PCR experiments show that the fecC gene is expressed under iron-deficient conditions, but is not expressed under iron-replete conditions. These results revealed that fecC gene product is required for optimal growth under iron-deficient conditions in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> at a carbon paste electrode modified with a nickel (II)-5, 11, 17, 23-tetra-tert-butyl-25, 27-bis(Diethylcarbamoylmethoxy) calix[4] arene complex and its application

Electrochemical behavior of a carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with nickel(II)-5, 11, 17, 23-tetra-tert-butyl-25, 27-bis(diethylcarbamoylmethoxy) calix[4]arene (Ni (II)-L) complex and its electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide were investigated by cyclic voltammetric technique in a 5.0×10⁻² mol/L NaClO₄+1.0×10⁻³ mol/L NaOH solution. It was found that Ni(II)-L acts as an effective catalyst for the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide. The modified electrode exhibited a linear response over a hydrogen peroxide concentrations in the range of 2.0×10⁻⁵−1.0×10⁻⁴ mol/L with a detection limit as low as 1.0×10⁻⁶ mol/L. The relative standard deviation was 3.5% for 5 successive determinations of H₂O₂ at 1.0×10⁻⁵ mol/L. The modified electrode was used successfully in rainwater analysis. Foundation item: Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (98J040). Biography: Li Chun ya(1972-), Ph. D. candidate, research direction: electroanalysis and electrosynthesis.     

Novel trichromatic phosphor Co-doped with Eu, Tb in SiO2 gel matrix

The Eu, Tb co-doped SiO2 matrix tricolor fluorescence system was prepared by sol-gel technique. Red emission at 618 nm, green emission at 543 nm and blue emission at 350-500 nm were observed in the PL spectra of the sample, indicating that Eu^3＋, Eu^2＋ and Tb^3＋ ions coexisted in the matrix. In the co-doped sample, the blue emission of Eu^2＋ was much stronger than that of the sample single doped with Eu, which implied that the electron transfer between Eu^3＋ and Tb^3＋ maybe happened in the SiO2 matrix. The influences of the annealing temperature and Tb concentration on the PL spectra of the samples were investigated. The optimal doped concentration of Tb was determined to be 0.2% and the optimal annealing temperature 850℃. Annealed at 600℃, Tb^3＋ had a sensitizing effect on Eu^3＋ in the SiO2 matrix, and the emission intensity of Eu^3＋ in the Eu, Tb co-doped sample was more than four times that of the single doped sample, which could be attributed to the energy transfer from Tb^3＋ to Eu^3＋.     

The discharge and charge behavior of the Pb-Birnessite in LiOH aqueous solution

0　IntroductionManganeseoxideshavebeenwidelystudiedasbatterycathodesbecauseofitslowcostandlowtoxicity .Muchefforthasbeenfocusedonthespinelphase ,γ MnO2 andse verallayeredmanganeseoxidesinaqueousandnon aqueous .Sothereismuchinterestinmanganeseoxidesforuseascathodematerialsforadvancedlithiumbatteriestoreplacetheexpensivelithiumcobaltornickelsystem .ButthespinelLixMn2 O4hasthelowerratecapabilityandlowertheoreti calcapacityandγ MnO2 hasunsatisfactoryreversibilityinaqueous,thereby ,theiradvant…     

Effect of Cl- on photosynthetic bicarbonate uptake in two cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa and Synechocystis PCC6803

Photosynthetic inorganic carbon utilization was investigated in two cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa and Synechocystis PCC6803 grown in standing culture. Photosynthetic rates for the two algae reached about 10 times the theoretical CO₂ supply rate at low dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of 100 μmol/L, and the rates were unaffected by the addition of 20 mmol/L Na⁺, indicating that the two algae possessed Na+-independent HCO^-₃ utilization for photosynthesis under low DIC. Their photo- synthetic rates at low DIC were inhibited by higher Cl^- and the degrees of inhibition were increased with the rise of CI^- concentration, and in the presence of Diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC), a reported Cl^- channel inhibitor, the rates decreased by 74%－82%, implying that putative DPC-sensitive Cl^- channels participate in Na+-independent HCO₃^- uptake for photosynthesis. The experiment of intracellular 14C-DIC accumulation for photosynthesis showed that internal DIC pools decreased by about 80% with 200 μmol/L DPC and by 64%－70% with 100 mmol/L Cl^-. The experiment of chlorophyll a fluorescence quenching showed that initial rates and extents of fluorescence quenching obviously decreased with 200 μmol/L DPC or 100 mmol/L Cl^-. The two experiments gave further evidence that putative DPC-sen- sitive Cl^- channels participate in Na+-independent HCO^-₃ uptake for photosynthesis in the two algae grown in standing culture.     

Theoretical study of partial oxidation of ethylene by vanadium trioxide cluster cation

Density functional theory （DFT） study of reaction between vanadium trioxide cluster cation （VO3^＋） and ethylene （C2H4） to yield VO2^＋ ＋ CH3CHO （acetaldehyde） and VO2CH2^＋ ＋ HCHO （formaldehyde） is carried out. Structures of all reactants, products, intermediates, and transition state in the reaction have been optimized and characterized. The results show unexpected barriers in the reaction due to the existence of a η^2-O2 moiety in the ground state structure of VO3^＋. The initial reaction steps combining ethylene adsorption, C=C activation and O-O cleavage are proposed as rate limiting processes. Comparison of reactions of VO3^＋ ＋ C2H4 with VO3 ＋ C2H4 and VO2^＋ ＋ C2H4 in the previous studies is made in detail. The results of this work may shed light on the understanding of C=C bond cleavage in related heterogeneous catalysis.     

高氧对新生小鼠视网膜谷氨酸释放的影响

为研究新生小鼠高氧状态下视网膜谷氨酸摩尔质量浓度的变化及其机制,探讨谷氨酸在高氧视网膜损伤中的作用,实验组将新生小鼠置于体积分数为95%的高氧环境中造成视网膜损伤,对照组将新生小鼠置于正常空气中,HE染色观察视网膜损伤情况,多功能酶标仪检测视网膜谷氨酸(Glu)摩尔质量浓度变化,逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)检测视网膜谷氨酸转运体(GLAST)与谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)mRNA表达情况.结果发现,与空气对照组比较,高氧处理组视网膜受损,视网膜Glu摩尔质量浓度增加,GLAST和GS mRNA表达下降（P<0.05）.高氧可导致新生小鼠视网膜的谷氨酸增高,其机制与GLAST和GS mRNA表达下降有关.谷氨酸增加可能是高氧导致视网膜损伤的原因之一.     

Myoglobin as Mimetic Enzyme and Its Analytical Application in Determination of H2O2

0 IntroductionSltougdiiceasl csoynstceermnsin gharveeac btieveen o txhyeg ei nm psopretcaienst ( oRbjOecSt) iinn bbiioo--medicine and analytical chemistry in recent years[1-4]. Manyi mportant life phenomena and diseases are relatedtotheinter-mediates of ROS[5-7].ROS have beeni mplicated as ani mpor-tant causative factor in cell damage,including apoptosis andnecrosis . Their proposed actions comprise lipid peroxidation,DNAdamage,the mitochondrial respiratory chain destructionand protein mo…     

Icariin suppresses bone resorption activity of rabbit osteoclasts in vitro

The effect of icariin on the bone resorption activity of rabbit osteoclasts is assessed in vitro. Osteoclasts were isolated from Japanese white rabbits and cultured on plates with a sterilized bone slice in each well. After treatment with icariin at various concentrations, the bone resorption activity of osteoclasts was evaluated by examining pit areas, superoxide anion (·O2-) generation, size and number of actin rings and intracellular calcium concentration [Ca2 ]i. As revealed by these data, icariin elicited continuous decline of [Ca2 ]i, making actin ring constricted and ·O2- generation decreased. These events resulted in smaller and fewer pits which indicate suppressed bone resorption activity of rabbit osteoclasts by icariin.     

Synthesis, Characterization and Properties of LiFePO4/C Cathode Material

Lithium iron phosphate coated with carbon (LiFePO₄/C) was synthesized by improved solid-state reaction using comparatively lower temperature and fewer sintering time. The carbon came from citric acid, which acted as a new carbon source. It was characterized by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), X ray diffractometer (XRD), Element Analysis (EA) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). We also studied the electrochemical properties of the material. The first discharge capacity of the LiFePO₄/C is 121 mAh·g⁻¹ at 10 mA·g⁻¹, at room temperature. When the current density increased to 100 mA·g⁻¹, the first discharge capacity decreased to 110 mAh·g⁻¹ and retained 95% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles. The LiFePO₄/C obtained shows a good electrochemical capacity and cycle ability at a large current density. Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (20071026) Biography: ZHOU Xin-wen (1980-), male, Master, research direction: inorganic material chemistry.     

Nitric oxide suppresses stomatal opening by inhibiting inward-rectifying K<Stack><Subscript>in</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> channels in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis> guard cells

We explore nitric oxide （NO） effect on K^＋in, channels in Arabidopsis guard cells. We observed NO inhibited K^＋in, currents when Ca^2＋ chelator EGTA （Ethylene glycol-bis（2-aminoethylether）-N,N,N′,N;tetraacetic acid） was not added in the pipette solution; K^＋in currents were not sensitive to NO when cytosolic Ca^2＋ was chelated by EGTA. NO inhibited the Arabidopsis stomatal opening, but when EGTA was added in the bath solution, inhibition effect of NO on stomatal opening vanished. Thus, it implies that NO elevates cytosolic Ca^2＋ by activating plasma membrane Ca^2＋ channels firstly, then inactivates K^＋in, chartnels, resulting in stomatal opening suppressed subsequently.     

Specific anti-tumor effect induced by attenuated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella typhimurium</Emphasis> vaccine expressing extracellular region of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2

The purposes of this research were to study the stable expression of exogenous gene encoding therapeutic protein in attenuated Salmonella typhimurium, observe the metabolism of oral gene vaccine carried by attenuated Salmonella typhimurium in BALB/c mouse, and investigate the feasibility of prevention and treatment of tumors by the recombinant bacteria. Recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1＋ VEGFR2（n1-7） was transformed into competent attenuated Salmonella typhimuriurn SL3261 to develop oral DNA vaccine SL3261-pcDNA3.1＋VEGFR2（n1-7）. To observe whether the exogenous gene can be expressed in the recombinant bacteria, PCR was performed to amplify the CMV promoter of the eukaryotic expression vector as the proof of stable expression of exogenous protein; transmission elec- tron microscopy （TEM） was applied to observe the morphology of the recombinant bacteria to confirm that the exogenous gene has no impact on the growth of the bacteria, and then BALB/c mice were immunized with the gene vaccine. After inoculation of the gene vaccine, the recombinant bacteria SL3261 could be detected in the tissues such as small intestine, colon, liver and spleen. And then, mice in each group were challenged with tumor cells. The results of animal experiment showed that tumor growth of the mice in experimental group was inhibited and survival time of immunized mice was prolonged compared with control groups. A higher lymphocyte infiltration in tumors from animals treated with DNA vaccine was observed. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor samples revealed an enhanced accumulation of CD8^＋ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, as well as an increase in CD4^＋ cells in the tumore of animals treated with the oral gene vaccine compared to tumors from control group mice. UI- trestructure of the tumor tissue showed that tumor cells in the samples of the immunized mice were well-differentiated. Our research confirmed that the exogenous gene can be stably expressed in the attenuated Salmonella typhimurium and has no impact on the growth of the r