Surface Initiated Polymerization from Substrates of Low Initiator Density and Its Applications in Biosensors

Surface initiated polymerization (SIP) has become an attractive method for tailoring physical and chemical properties of surfaces for a broad range of applications. Most of those application relied on the merit of a high density coating. In this study we explored a long overlooked field of SIP. SIP from substrates of low initiator density. We combined ellipsometry with AFM to investigate the effect of initiatior density and polymerization time on the morphology of polymer coatings. In addition, we carefully adjusted the nanoscale separation of polymer chains to achieve a balance between nonfouling and immobilization capacities. We further tested the performance of those coating on various biosensors, such as quartz crystal microbalance, surface plasmon resonance, and protein microarrays. The optimized matrices enhanced the performance of those biosensors. This report shall encourage researches to explore new frontiers in SIP that go beyond polymer brushes.

水分亏缺和凋落物水浸液对云杉幼苗生长和种子萌发的影响

在人类活动导致全球变暖的前提下，由于全球气温的升高，地表水分加速向空中蒸发。从20世纪70年代至今，地球上严重干旱地区的面积几乎扩大了一倍。这一增长的一半可归因于气温升高而不是降雨量下降，因为实际上同期全球平均降水量还略有增长。干旱对陆地植物和农林生态系统产生深远影响，并已成为全球变化研究的一个重要方面。位于青藏高原东部的川西亚高山针叶林是研究气候变暖对陆地生态系统影响的重要森林类型。森林采伐迹地、人工林下和林窗环境作为目前该区人工造林和森林更新的重要生境，其截然不同的光环境对亚高山针叶林更新和森林动态有非常重要的影响。凋落物产生的化感物质可通过影响种子萌发和早期幼苗的定居而影响种群的建立和更新，而人工林和自然林物种以及更新速度的差异性也都受凋落物的影响。 云杉是川西亚高山针叶林群落的重要树种之一,在维持亚高山森林的景观格局和区域生态安全方面具有十分重要的作用，其自然更新能力及其影响机制一直是研究的热点问题。本试验以云杉种子和2年生幼苗为研究对象，从萌发、根尖形态、幼苗生长、光合作用、渗透调节和抗氧化能力等方面研究了不同光环境下水分亏缺和凋落物水浸液对云杉种子和幼苗生长的影响。旨在从更新的角度探讨亚高山针叶林自然更新的过程，其研究成果可在一定程度上为川西亚高山针叶林更新提供科学依据，同时也可为林业生产管理提供科学指导。主要研究结论如下： 水分亏缺在生长形态、光合作用、抗氧化能力、活性氧化对云杉幼苗都有显著影响。总体表现为，水分亏缺导致了云杉幼苗的高度、地径、单株总生物量降低，增加了地下部分的生长；水分亏缺显著降低了云杉叶片中相对含水量、光合色素、叶氮含量，净光合速率和最大量子产量(Fv/Fm)，提高了幼苗叶片中膜脂过氧化产物（MDA）的含量；水分亏缺提高了幼苗叶片中过氧化氢(H2O2)含量，超氧荫离子（O2-）生成速率以及脯氨酸和抗氧化系统的活性（ASA, SOD, CAT, POD, APX和GR）。从这些结果可知，植物在遭受水分亏缺导致的伤害时，其自身会形成防御策略，并通过改变形态和生理方面的特性以减轻害。但是，这种自我保护机制依然不能抵抗严重水分亏缺对植物的伤害。 模拟林下低光照条件显著增加单株植物的地上部分生长，尤其是其叶片的比叶面积（叶面积/叶干重），同时其光合色素含量和叶片相对含水量也显著增加，这些改变直接导致植株光合速率和生物量的增加。同时，与高光照水平相比，低光照幼苗的膜脂过氧化产物（MDA）和活性氧物质均较低，显示出低光照比高光照水平对植物的更低的氧化伤害。尽管低光照也导致大部分抗氧化酶活性降低，但这正显示出植物遭受低的氧化伤害，更印证了前面的结论。 凋落物水浸液影响了云杉种子的萌发和根系的生长，更在形态、光合作用、抗氧化能力、活性氧物质以及叶氮水平上显著影响了云杉幼苗，其中，以人工纯林凋落物的影响更有强烈。具体表现在，种子萌发速率和萌发种子幼根的长度表现为对照>自然林处理>人工纯林；凋落物水浸液抑制种子分生区和伸长区的生长，人工林处理更降低了根毛区的生长，使根吸水分和养分困难。对2年生幼苗的影响主要表现在叶绿素含量、光合速率以及叶氮含量的降低；膜脂过氧化产物、活性氧物质和抗氧化酶系统的显著增加。同样的，人工纯林处理对云杉幼苗的影响显著于自然林处理。 在自然生态系统中，由于全球变暖气温升高导致的水分亏缺和森林凋落物都存在森林的砍伐迹地，林窗和林下环境中。我们的研究表明，与迹地或林窗强光照比较，林下的低光照环境由于为植物的生长营造了较为湿润的微环境，因此水分亏缺在林下对云杉幼苗造成的影响微弱。这可以从植物的形态、光合速率以及生物量积累，过氧化伤害和抗氧化酶系统表现出来。另一方面，凋落物水浸液在模拟林下低光照环境对植物的伤害也微弱于强光照环境，这与强光照环境高的水分散失导致环境水分亏缺有关；而人工纯林处理对云杉幼苗的伤害比对照和自然林处理显示出强烈的抑制作用。 Under the pre-condition of global warming resulted from intensive human activities, water in the earth’s surface rapidly evaporates due to the increase of global air temperature. From 1970s up to now, the area of serious drought in the world is almost twice as ever. This increase might be due to the increasing air temperature and not decreasing rainfall because global average rainfall in the corresponding period slightly is incremental. Drought will have profound impacts on terrestrial and agriculture-forest system and has also become the important issue of global change research. The subalpine coniferous forests in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau provide a natural laboratory for the studying the effects of global warming on terrestrial ecosystems. The light environment significantly differs among cutting blanks, forest gap and understory, which is particularly important for plant regeneration and forest dynamics in the subalpine coniferous forests. Picea asperata is one of the keystone species of subalpine coniferouis forests in western China, and it is very important in preserving landscape structure and regional ecological security of subalpine forests. The natural regeneration capacities and influence mechanism of Picea asperata are always the hot topics. In the present study, the short-term effects of two light levels (100% of full sunlight and 15% of full sunlight), two watering regimes (100% of field capacity and 30% of field capacity), two litter aqueous extracts (primitive forest and plantation aqueous extracts) on the seed germination, early growth and physiological traits of Picea asperata were determined in the laboratory and natural greenhouse. The present study was undertaken so as to give a better understanding of the regeneration progress affected by water deficit, low light and litter aqueous extracts. Our results could provide insights into the effects of climate warming on community composition and regeneration behavior for the subalpine coniferous forest ecosystem processes, and provide scientific direction for the forest production and management. Water deficit had significant effects on growth, morphological, physiological and biochemical traits of Picea asperata seedlings. Water deficit resulted in the decrease in height, basal diameter, total biomass and increase in under-ground development; water deficit significantly reduced the needle relative water content, photosynthetic pigments, needle nitrogen concentration, net photosynthetic rate and the maximum potential quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv/Fm), and increased the degree of lipid peroxidation (MDA) in Picea asperata seedlings; water deficit also increased the rate of superoxide radical (O2-) production, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, free proline content and the activities of antioxidant systems (ASA, SOD, POD, CAT, APX and GR) in Picea asperata seedlings. These results indicated that some protective mechanism was formed when plants suffered from drought stress, but the protection could not counteract the harm resulting from the serious drought stress on them. Low light in the understory significantly increased seedling above-ground development, especially the species leaf area (SLA), and photosynthetic pigments and relative needle content. These changes resulted in the increase in net photosynthetic rate and total biomass. Moreover, the lower MDA content and active oxygen species (AOS) (H2O2 and O2-) in low light seedlings suggested that low light had weaker oxidative damage as compared to high light. Lower antioxidant enzymes activities in low light seedlings indicated the weaker oxidative damage on Picea asperata seedlings than high light seedlings, which was correlative with the changes in MDA and AOS. Litter aqueous extracts affected seed germination and root system of Picea asperata seedlings. Significant changes in growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant activities, active oxygen species and leaf nitrogen concentration were also found in Picea asperata seedlings, and plantation treatment showed the stronger effects on these traits than those in control and primitive forest treatment. The present results indicated that seed germination and radicle length parameters in control were superior to those in primitive forest treatment, and those of primitive forest treatment were superior to plantation treatment; litter aqueous extracts inhibited the meristematic and elongation zone, and plantation treatment caused a decrease in root hairs so as to be difficult in absorbing water and nutrient in root system. On the other hand, litter aqueous extracts significantly decreased chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate and leaf nitrogen concentration of Picea asperata seedlings; MDA, AOS and antioxidant system activities were significantly increased in Picea asperata seedlings. Similarly, plantation treatment had more significant effect on Picea asperata seedlings as compared to primitive forest treatment. In the nature ecosystem, water deficit resulted from elevating air temperature and litter aqueous extract may probably coexist in the cutting blank, forest gap and understory. Our present study showed that water deficit had weaker effects on low light seedlings in the understory as compared to high light seedlings in the cutting blank and forest gap. The fact was confirmed from seedlings growth, gas exchange and biomass accumulation, peroxidation and antioxidant systems. This might be due to that low light-reduced leaf and air temperatures, vapour-pressure deficit, and the oxidative stresses can aggravate the impact of drought under higher light. On the other hand, litter aqueous extracts in the low light had weaker effects on the Picea asperata seedlings than those at high light level, which might be correlative to the water evapotranspiration under high light. Moreover, plantation litter aqueous extracts showed stronger inhibition for seed germination and seedling growth than control and primitive forest treatments.

川西亚高山两种针叶树幼苗对增温和施氮的响应

人类活动引起全球大气中温室气体（CO2、CH4、NOx）浓度不断增加，致使地球表面温度在过去的100 年中已经增长了0.74 ± 0.18℃，预计到本世纪末将会增加1.1-6.4℃。此外，氮沉降也是当今社会的重要环境问题，随着经济发展的全球化, 高氮沉降也呈现出全球化趋势。全球气候变暖和氮沉降给陆地生态系统的地上、地下生物学和生物地球化学过程所带来巨大影响越来越引起人们的关注。 本文以川西亚高山针叶林的两个重要树种云杉和油松幼苗为研究对象，采用红外辐射增温（空气增温2.1℃，土壤增温2.6℃）和根部施氮（施氮量25 g N m-2yr-1）的方法，从生长形态、光合作用、抗氧化能力和矿质营养等方面研究这两种幼苗对气候变暖和氮沉降的响应。该实验为室外控制实验，包括四个处理：(1)不增温+不施氮（UU）；(2) 不增温+施氮（UF）；(3) 增温+不施氮（WU）；(4) 增温+施氮（WF）。本研究旨在从生理生化、物质代谢 、生长及形态等不同水平上研究模拟增温和施氮对两种树苗的联合效应，提高我们对全球变化下亚高山针叶林早期更新过程的理解，同时也为森林管理提供科学依据。具体研究结果如下： 单独增温处理显著提高了云杉和油松幼苗的地茎、叶重、茎重、根重以及总生物量；单独施氮处理也增加了两种幼苗的株高和总生物量。而增温和施氮联合作用对两种幼苗生长的影响并不相同，联合作用对云杉幼苗生长指标的正效应显著低于单独施氮处理，但是联合作用比单独增温或施氮更大程度的促进了油松幼苗生物量的积累。 单独增温和施氮都有利于提高云杉和油松叶片中叶绿素含量、净光合速率(A)、最大净光合速率(Amax)、表观量子效率（Φ）、最大光能转化效率（Fv/Fm）和量子产量（Y）。与对两种幼苗生长指标的影响相似，加氮和增温共同作用下油松幼苗的以上光合指标比在单独增温或施氮处理下有更大程度的提高；而联合作用下云杉幼苗叶绿素含量、净光合速率、最大净光合速率、表观量子效率、最大光能转化效率以及量子产量比单独施氮处理明显地降低。 增温和施氮都显著地降低了云杉和油松幼苗针叶组织中活性氧和丙二醛的积累。交互作用降低了云杉幼苗叶片的抗氧化酶活性、脯氨酸和ASA 的含量，却显著提高了油松幼苗SOD、POD、APX 等抗氧化酶的活性，并且对油松幼苗脯氨酸和ASA 积累的促进作用比单一因子更加明显。因此，增温和施氮共同作用下油松幼苗叶片中O2-产生速率、H2O2 及MDA 含量明显降低，而云杉叶片中只有O2-产生速率出现降低趋势。 增温和施氮都降低了云杉体内的P、Ca、Mg 元素的含量，增加了Cu、Zn、Mn 在各器官内的积累。对油松幼苗而言，增温和加氮单独作用也显著降低了Ca 含量增加了Cu、Zn、Mn 的积累，但是不同于云杉幼苗的是P、Mg 也显著增加。增温和施氮联合作用对云杉幼苗体内元素的影响与单一施氮处理或增温处理相似，不同的是比单一因子作用更为明显降低了P、Ca、Mg 含量，增加了植株中N、Cu、Zn、Mn 的含量，但是油松矿质元素含量在联合作用下并没有产生类似于云杉幼苗的双因子叠加效应。 总之，尽管单独增温或者施氮都有利于云杉和油松幼苗生长指标、光合能力以及抗氧化能力的提高。但是，增温和施氮对云杉幼苗生长生理的促进效应非但没有在交互作用下有更大的提高，反而低于单独氮处理。与此不同的是，增温和施氮联合作用比单因子作用更有利于油松幼苗生长及生理指标的提高。 With the continued increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (CO2、CH4、NOx), the mean global surface temperature has increased by about 0.74 ± 0.18℃ over the past century and is predicted to rise by as much as 6.4℃ during this century. Besides global warming, nitrogen deposition is another serious environmental problem caused by human activities, and high nitrogen load has become globalization as a result of global economy development. Global climate warming and nitrogen deposition have induced dramatic alternations in above - and below- ground biology and biogeochemistry process in terrestrial ecosystems, and more and more attention has been invited to those problems. This experiment mainly studies two important species Picea asperata and Pinus tabulaeformis in subalpine coniferous forest of western Sichuan, China. Infared heaters are induced to increase both air and soil temperature by 2.1℃ and 2.6 ℃, respectively. Ammonium nitrate solution (for a total equivalent to 25 g N m-2 year-1) is added to soil surface. There are four treatments in this study: (1) unwarmed unfertilized (UU); (2) unwarmed fertilized (UF); (3) warmed unfertilized (WU); (4) warmed fertilized (WF). This study is conducted to determine the influences of experimental warming and nitrogen fertilization on physiolchemistry, nutrition metabolism, growth and morphology in the two coniferous species seedlings. The current study is favorable for increasing our understanding on the early phase of regeneration behavior in subalpine coniferous forest, and it also provide scientific direction for forest management under future global changes. The results are as follows: Artificial warming alone significantly increased basal diameter, leaf mass, stem mass, root mass and total biomass for Picea asperata and Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings, and single nitrogen fertilization are also favorable for growth of the two species and stimulate plant hight and total biomass. The two species seedlings respond differently to the combination of elevated temperature and nitrogen addition. Warming combined with nitrogen fertilization weakens the positive effects of nitrogen addition for growth of Picea asperata seedlings. However, the combination of elevated temperature and nitrogen fertilization further increase biomass accumulation of Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings. Both elevated temperature alone and nitrogen fertilization alone can increase photosynthetic pigments contents, net photosynthetic rate (A), maximum net photosynthetic rate (Amax), apparent quantity yield (Φ), maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and effective quantum yield (Y). Similarly with growth parameters, the combination of warming and nitrogen addition induced more increment of these above photosynthetic parameters for Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings. However, these photosynthetic parameters of Picea asperata seedlings under the combination of warming and nitrogen addition are lower than those under nitrogen fertilization alone. The levels of active oxygen species (AOS) and malodiadehyde (MDA) in needles of the two coniferous species seedling are obviously decreased by experimental warming or additional nitrogen. Warming combined with nitrogen fertilizer reduces the activities of SOD, CAT and APX, and the contents of proline and ASA of Picea asperata seedlings, but the combination significantly increases activities of these antioxidant enzymes in needlels of Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings and further improves the accumulation of proline and ASA compared to either artificial warming or nitrogen addition. Therefore, the rate of O2 - production, the contents of H2O2 and MDA in needles of Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings are remarkably reduced by the combination of warming and nitrogen addition, but the combination only significantly decreased the rate of O2 - production of Picea asperata seedlings. Elevated temperature or nitrogen fertilization decrease the contents of P, Ca, Mg but increase Cu, Zn, Mn contents for Picea asperata seedlings. For Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings, elevated temperature alone and nitrogen fertilization alone decreased Ca, but increased P, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn contents. The effects of the combination of warming and nitrogen addition on these element contents in needles of Picea asperata seedlings are added or multiplied the effects of warming and nitrogen addition alone, resulting in less contens of P, Ca, Mg and more contents of Cu, Zn, Mn than either elevated temperature or nitrogen fertilization. Howere, these adding or multipluing single-factor effects on contents of these elements are not observed in the case of Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings. In conclusion, growth parameters, photosynthetic capacities and antioxidant abilities of Picea tasperata and Pinus abulaeformis seedlings are improved by experimental warming or nitrogen fertilization. Interestingly, the positive effects of warming and nitrogen addition on growth and physiological performances are not multiplied by the combination of elevated temperature and nitrogen fertilization, even dempened for Picea asperata seedlings. However, for Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings, growth and physiological performances are further improved by the combination.

水稻同源四倍体三系法杂种优势利用研究

水稻是重要的粮食作物，其产量的增加和品质的改良都是关系国计民生的大事。就我国现阶段的国情而言，水稻产量在现有水平上稳步提升仍是未来十几年甚至几十年农业生产最重要的目标之一。尽管根据“超级杂交水稻育种”的战略设想和水稻育种实践，通过不断地改进育种技术可望在更高的产量水平上进行水稻杂种优势利用，在稻属植物内还具有很大的产量潜力可以挖掘。然而，仅仅从现有的种质基础出发，要更大幅度提高水稻单产，实现“超级杂交稻”的目标也存在一些困难：现有的推广品种是二倍体，尽管种类众多，但是其基因组的来源相对单一；同时，水稻基因组DNA含量也是作物中最少的，基因组内寻求开发潜力有一定困难；水稻作为C3植物，光合利用效率不高也是制约水稻产量提高的因素之一。因此，寻求常规手段以外的技术突破或者方法创新，是实现“超级杂交稻”的目标的迫切需求。本研究利用秋水仙素能抑制细胞分裂中纺锤丝的收缩、使细胞染色体加倍的作用，对水稻幼穗诱导的愈伤组织细胞进行加倍，并分化出再生植株；创制出水稻同源四倍体新的种质材料，在此基础上选育水稻同源四倍体雄性不育三系材料，并实现水稻同源四倍体的三系配套，开展水稻同源四倍体杂种优势利用和四倍体杂交水稻选育研究，建立水稻同源四倍体杂种优势利用的新技术体系。这不仅有助于倍性水平杂种优势的开拓和利用，同时也将为我国新世纪“超级稻”育种研究开辟一条新的技术途径。 水稻幼穗诱导愈伤组织并分化成苗是一项成熟、简单的组织培养技术。本研究以普通二倍体水稻亲本为材料，用秋水仙素进行水稻的多倍体化诱导，创制同源四倍体水稻三系亲本材料并对其进行鉴定。多倍体化以秋水仙素诱导的愈伤组织培养为基础，研究不同秋水仙素浓度梯度和愈伤组织诱导培养基组合对诱导四倍体植株的影响。结果表明在MS+2,4 D 1.0mg/L+ KT0.2mg/L+ IAA0.2mg/L 和500mg/L的秋水仙素处理下，水稻愈伤组织染色体加倍（有最高的效率）效果较好，平均加倍频率可达25.26%，其中，材料CDR22和IR26诱导较易成功，加倍频率分别达到75%和26.5%；相对材料94109 1.3%加倍频率和冈46B 10.8%加倍频率，诱导率差异极显著。 对水稻四倍体材料进行了形态学鉴定结果表明，与二倍体水稻对照相比其株高、穗长、花粉育性等主要农艺性状，确定四倍体材料在穗长和千粒重两方面极显著提高，种子的长度和宽度也显著增长。对花粉育性鉴定，确认水稻四倍体不育系材料仍为不育，保持系材料自交和杂交可育，恢复系材料自交和杂交可育。对四倍体材料进行细胞形态、染色体数目等方面进行细胞学鉴定，经核型分析表明水稻四倍体材料具有48条染色体，是二倍体水稻的两倍。水稻四倍体材料根尖分生组织细胞与二倍体的根尖分生组织细胞相比，细胞体积、细胞核和核仁显著增大。四倍体三系材料在细胞有丝分裂中期均可规则排列在赤道板，并能均等地移向两极；后期观察中没有发现染色体分离滞后现象，分裂末期细胞能够形成大小相对均一的子细胞。水稻同源四倍体三系材料细胞分裂未见异常，植株生长发育正常。 从1996年至2006年，针对结实率、有效分蘖、着粒数和穗长等主要农艺性状，通过系谱选育的方法，对培育的同源四倍体水稻亲本材料进行了连续选择和改良，取得较好成效。表现为结实率的改良效果极佳，所有改良材料的平均结实率均呈上升趋势，如D237（29.70％→72.70％）、DTB（19.55％→53.21％）等。有效分蘖总体呈现上升趋势，但在不同的年份，如1998和2002存在较大的负向波动。部分材料改良效果明显，如D19B（5.87→13.50）、D什香 (7.00→12.00)等；同时一些材料如DTB和D明恢63虽然总体略有提高，但在不同的年份波动很大，因此存在较大改良阻力，原因还有待进一步研究。着粒数的改良上升趋势比较显著，除保持系的DTB之外，其余材料的平均着粒数有显著提高。穗长的改良阻力较大，虽然不同材料总体上有所提高，但效果并不显著，并且不同年份有较大负向波动（2001）。此外还对株高、剑叶长等性状也进行了选择，但效果不显著，原因有待进一步提高。同源四倍体材料产量相关性状遗传改良幅度不一致，保持系和恢复系间的遗传改良效果也存在差异。这为同源四倍体水稻的进一步利用打下了良好的基础。 籼稻和粳稻亚种间杂交及杂种优势利用的主要障碍就是其低的结实率。而同源四倍体杂交水稻的研究为提高杂交水稻的杂种优势利用创造了新的途径。本研究通过随机区组设计方案，挑选性状优良的二倍体水稻材料，包括雄性不育系，保持系和恢复系进行秋水仙素诱导加倍，从而获得同源四倍体水稻对应的三系材料。利用选育的优良水稻同源四倍体三系材料，配制7个杂交组合，杂交F1代与其恢复系亲本进行比较，用于计算超亲优势（HB）；而杂交F1代与生产上大面积推广的二倍体杂交品种汕优63进行比较，用于计算杂种优势。结果显示，同源四倍体杂交水稻的超亲优势表现为：每株有效穗变化幅度为1.4%至105.9%，总粒数为0.5%至74.3%，每穗实粒数为17.6%至255.7%，结实率为9.6%至130.4%。这些农艺性状的改良使得这7个杂种F1的理论产量的超亲优势高达64.8%至672.7%。小区试验中四倍体杂交水稻组合T461A/T4002和T461A/T4193分别比二倍体对照汕优63提高46.3%和38.3%以上，除一个品种以外所有品种产量均接近或高于汕优63的产量。同源四倍体水稻强大的杂种优势表明，亚种间杂交育性低的问题可通过四倍体化及强化选择来解决。此外，同源四倍体杂交水稻器官的巨大性也是其产量提高的有利因素，水稻同源四倍体三系杂种优势利用研究具有一定的理论价值和商业生产潜力。 Rice is one of the major food crops, the improvement of the production and quality of it is an important thing related to the people's livelihood. On China's current national conditions, steadily increase of the rice yield based on the current level is still one of the most important goals in the next decade or even decades of agricultural production. According to the "super hybrid rice breeding" the strategic and rice breeding practice, improvement of the use of hybrid rice heterosis through continuous improvements in breeding technology is expected to get a higher level of rice yield, there are also a great yield potential can be exploited. However, there are also some difficulties to increase rice yield obviously and implement the goal of "super hybrid rice" based on the existing germplasm: Rice varieties in promotion are diploid, although there are many varieties, but their genome are from a comparatively single source; Meanwhile, the rice genome DNA are the least among the crops, it is difficult to exploit the development potential within the genome; Rice as C3 plants, photosynthetic efficiency is not high, it is one of the factors constraint rice yield. Therefore, seeking technological breakthroughs or innovative methods different from conventional means is the urgent needs to reach the target of "super hybrid rice". Using colchicine inhibit spindle contraction during cell division, double the cell chromosome, we induced callus cells from rice panicle to be doubled, and differentiated regeneration; we created a new autotetraploid rice germplasm material, and on that basis we bred male sterility three line autotetraploid rice materials, and the achieved the three line rice autotetraploid matchmaking, researched in autotetraploid rice heterosis usage and tetraploid hybrid rice breeding, constituted a new technology system of autotetraploid hybrid rice heterosis utilization. This not only helps the tetraploid rice heterosis exploration and use, but also inaugurates a new technical means for China in the new century "super rice" breeding research. We chose ordinary diploid rice as materials, using colchicine to induce the polyploidization, created the autotetraploid rice three-line materials and identified them. The polyploidization was based on the colchicine-induced callus tissue culture, and we experimented different colchicine concentrations and culture mediums to induce tetraploid plants, confirmed that the optimal concentration for inducement was 500 mg/L, the average induce rate was 25.26 %. Among all the materials, CDR22 and IR26 had higher induced rate; in contrary, 94109 and GANG46B had lower induced rate, the difference was significant. Autotetraploid materials was identified of both morphological and cytological, compared plant height, length of pollen sterility, and other major agronomic traits with a diploid rice as the control plant, identified that the autotetraploid materials had very significant advantages in ear length and thousand-grain weight, as well as the size of the seeds. Cytology identification included observation of the cell morphology, the number of chromosomes, and karyotype analysis on the autotetraploid materials confirmed that their chromosome number was 48, twice of the diploid rice. Mitoses in the three lines were common: chromosomes arrayed normally in metaphase and separated balanced into the two poles, chromosome moved without lagging in anaphase and daughter cells normally formed in telophase except one. It has been proved that tetraploid rice has normal meiosis as their diploid relatives, which usually including series of sub-phases as interphase, prophase I (five sub-phases), prophase II, metaphase I, II, anaphase I, II and telophase I, II. However, abnormal phenomena, such as formation of tetravalent, trivalent and univalent, chromosome lagging and so on, which would finally block meiosis. Configurations of chromosome in metaphaseⅠwere versatile in structure and form accept the bivalent. That condition varied in different strain, suggesting more complex paring configurations and more versatile genetic characters in tetraploid rice. All these abnormalities in meiosis contributed to low fertility of gamete and might consequently resulted in low seed setting. Successive selection and improvement on seed set, productive tiller per plant, total grains per panicle, panicle length and so on had been carried out from 1996 to 2006. The raise of seed sets was significant in both restorers and maintainers. Seed sets of some strains were improved more significantly than others, for example D237（29.70％→72.70％）、DTB（19.55％→53.21％）and et al.. Productive tiller per plant was improved to some extant. The tendency of improvement was rising on the whole but changed in some years such as 1998 and 2002. Part of the stains increased greatly, such as D19B（5.87→13.50）、Dshixiang (7.00→12.00) and so on, but some strains including DTB and Dminghui63 only increased little and decreased in some years by unknown reason. Total grains per panicle increased significantly and all strains except DTB increased. Improvement of panicle length termed to be hard. Different strains showed different capacities for improvement and floating existed in different years for example 2001. It has been proved that other agronomical traits including plant length, flag leaf length and so on could be improved but not significantly by selection also. In a word, agronomical traits could be raised by successive selection that is prerequisite for further utility of autotetraploid rice. Poor fertility is the main barrier for utilizing heterosis between the two rice (Oryza stiva L.) sub-species, indica and japonica. Recently, the development of autotetraploid hybrids (2n=4x=48) has been suggested as a new method for increasing heterosis in hybrid rice. Using standard experimental protocols, the elite diploid rice male sterile, maintainer, and restorer lines were colchine-doubled and autotetraploid counterparts were obtained. Seven resulting hybrids were analyzed for heterobeltiosis (HB), where the F1 was compared to the male parent, and the degree of heterosis, where the F1 was compared to the diploid commercial hybrid, Shanyou 63. The HB among the autotetraploid hybrids ranged from 1.4 to 105.9% for the productive panicles per plant, 0.5 to 74.3% for total kernels per panicle, 17.6 to 255.7% for filled kernels per panicle, and 9.6 to 130.4% for seed set. Improvements in these yield components resulted in the HB for kernel yield ranging from 64.8 to 672.7% among the seven hybrids. Hybrids T461A/T4002 and T461A/T4193 yielded 46.3 and 38.3% more, respectively than Shanyou 63, and all other hybrids but one yielded the same or more than Shanyou 63. The high heterosis for yield suggests that hybrid sterility between two rice sub-species may be overcome by using tetraploid lines followed by intensive selection. Also, the gigantic features of the autotetraploid hybrids may establish a plant structure able to support the higher yield.

Capability verification of the beam delivery system in the superficially-placed tumor therapy terminal at HIRFL

The passive beam delivery system in the superficially-placed tumor therapy terminal at Heavy Ion Researc h Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL), which includes two orthogonal dipole magnets as scanning system, a motor-driven energy degrader as range-shifter, series of ridge filters as range modulator and a multileaf collimator, is introduced in detail. The capacities of its important components and the whole system have been verified experimentally. The tests of the ridge filter for extending Bragg peak and the range shifter for energy adjustment show both work well. To examine the passive beam delivery system, a beam shaping experiment were carried out, simulating a three-dimensional (3D) conformal irradiation to a tumor. The encouraging experimental result confirms that 3D layer-stacking conformal irradiation can be performed by means of the passive system. The validation of the beam delivery system establishes a substantial basis for upcoming clinical trial for superficially-placed tumors with heavy ions in the therapy terminal at HIRFL.

Preparation and performance of cellulose acetate/polyethyleneimine blend microfiltration membranes and their applications

A modified microfiltration membrane has been prepared by blending a matrix polymer with a functional polymer. Cellulose acetate (CA) was blended with polyethyleneimine (PEI), which was then crosslinked by polyisocyanate, in a mixture of solvents. In the membrane, PEI can supply coupling sites for ligands in affinity separation or be used as ligands for metal chelating, removal of endotoxin or ion exchange. The effects of the time of phase inversion induced by water vapor, blended amount of PEI and amount of crosslinking agent on membrane performance were investigated. The prepared blend membranes have specific surface area of 12.04-24.11 m(2)/g and pure water flux (PWF) of 10-50 ml/cm(2) min with porosity of 63-75%. The membranes, made of 0.15 50 wt.% PEI/CA ratio and 0.5 crosslinking agent/PEI ratio, were applied to adsorbing Cu2+ and bovine serum albumin (BSA) individually. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cu2+ ion on the blend membrane is 7.42 mg/g dry membrane. The maximum adsorption capacities of BSA on the membranes with and without chelating Cu2+ ion are 86.6 and 43.8 mg/g dry membrane, respectively. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NOx storage-reduction over Pt/Mg-Al-O catalysts with different Mg/Al atomic ratios

A series of Pt/Mg-Al-O catalysts with different Mg/Al atomic ratios were prepared. The NOx storage capacities of these catalysts were measured by isothermal storage at 350 degreesC. It was found that the NOx storage capacity increased with increasing Mg/Al atomic ratios. The catalytic behaviors of Pt/Mg-Al-O and Pt/MgO were studied with storage-reduction cycles at 400 degreesC. Under oxidizing conditions, NOx concentration in the outlet gas gradually increased with time, which indicated the catalysts could store NOx effectively. After a switch from oxidizing conditions to reducing conditions, NOx desorption peak emerged immediately due to the incomplete reduction of stored NOx, which lowered the total NOx conversion. With increasing Mg/Al atomic ratio in the catalysts, NOx conversion increases. Pt/MgO has the highest NOx conversion because of its best activity in the reduction of NOx by C3H6. It seems that with an increasing amount of MgO in the catalysts, the self-poisoning of Pt-sites by adsorbed species during the reaction of NOx with C3H6 may be inhibited effectively.

Synthesis and characterization of carbon black supported Pt-Ru alloy as a model catalyst for fuel cells

A set of bimetallic Pt-Ru catalysts prepared by co-impregnation of carbon black with ruthenium(III) chloride hydrate and hydrogen hexachloroplatinate(IV) hydrate were investigated by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), chemisorption of hydrogen, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), microcalorimetry of adsorbed CO and a structure-sensitive reaction (n-hexane conversion). The results showed that the volumetric capacities for CO and H-2 adsorption is influenced in the bimetallic Pt-Ru catalysts by the formation of a Pt-Ru alloy. The n-hexane reaction revealed that the reaction mechanism for the pure Pt catalyst mainly occurs via cyclic isomerization and aromatization due to the presence of bigger Pt surface ensembles, whereas the Pt-Ru catalysts exhibited predominantly bond-shift isomerization by the diluting effect of Ru metal addition. The differential heats of CO chemisorption on Pt-Ru catalysts fell between the two monometallic Pt and Ru catalysts extremes. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Calorimetric study on two biphenyl liquid crystals

The molar heat capacities of the two biphenyl liquid crystals, 3BmFF and 3BmFFXF3, with a purity of 99.7 mol% have been precisely measured by a fully automated precision adiabatic calorimeter in the temperature range between T = 80 and 350 K. Nematic phase-liquid phase transitions were found between T = 297 K and 300 K with a peak temperature of T-peak = (298.071 +/- 0.089) K for 3BmFF, and between T = 316 and 319 K with a peak temperature of T-peak = (315.543 +/- 0.043) K for 3BmFFXF3. The molar enthalpy (Delta(trs)H(m)) and entropy (Delta(trs)S(m)) corresponding to these phase transitions have been determined by means of the analysis of the heat capacity curves, which are (15.261 +/- 0.023) U mol(-1) and (51.202 +/- 0.076) J K-1 mol(-1) for 3BmFF, (31.624 +/- 0.066) kJ mol(-1) and (100.249 +/- 0.212) J K-1 mol(-1) for 3BmFFXF3, respectively. The real melting points (TI) and the ideal melting points (TO) with no impurities of the two compounds have been obtained from the fractional melting method to be (298.056 +/- 0.018) K and (298.165 +/- 0.038) K for 3BmFF, (315.585 +/- 0.043) K and (315.661 +/- 0.044) K for 3BmFFXF3, respectively. In addition, the transitions of these two biphenyl liquid crystals from nematic phase to liquid phase have further been investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) technique; the repeatability and reliability for these phase transitions were verified. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermochemical and thermal analysis on N-(p-methylphenyl)-N '-(2-pyridyl)urea

Low temperature heat capacities of N-(p-methylphenyl)-N'-(2-pyridyl)urea were determined by adiabatic calorimetry method in the temperature range from 80 to 370 K. It was found that there was not any heat anomaly in this temperature region. Based on the experimental data, some thermodynamic function results were obtained. Thermal stability and decomposition characteristics analysis of N-(p-methylphenyl)-N'-(2-pyridyl)urea were carried out by DSC and TG. The results indicated that N-(p-methylphenyl)-N'-(2-pyridyl)urea started to melt at ca. 426 K (153degreesC) and the melting peak located at 447.01 K (173.86degreesC). The melting enthalpy was 204.445 kJ mol(-1) (899.6 J g(-1)). The decomposition peak of N-(p-methylphenyl)-N'-(2-pyridyl)urea was found at 499.26 K (226.11degreesC) from DSC curve. This result was similar with that from TG and DTG experiment, in which the mass loss peak was determined as 500.4 K (227.2degreesC).

Thermodynamic investigation on properties of gasohol

The heat capacities (C-p) of three types of gasohol (which consisted of 20 wt % ethanol and 80 wt % unleaded gasoline 93(#) (system S1), 30 wt % ethanol and 70 wt % unleaded gasoline 931 (system S2), 40 wt % ethanol and 60 wt % unleaded gasoline 930 (system S3), where "93(#)" denotes the octane number) were measured by adiabatic calorimetry in the temperature range of 80320 K. A glass transition was observed at 94.24, 95.15, and 95.44 K for system S1, S2, and S3, respectively. A solid-solid phase transition and solid-liquid phase transition were observed at 135.18 and 151.30 K for system S1, 131.82 and 152.10 K for system S2, and 121.29 and 155.09 K for S3, respectively. The polynomial equations for C, with respect to the thermodynamic temperature (T), and with respect to the content of ethanol (x), were established through the least-squares fitting. The thermodynamic functions and the excess thermodynamic functions of the three samples were derived using these thermodynamic relationships and equations.

Heat capacity and thermodynamic properties of pyrimethanil myristic salt (C26H41N3O2)

Pyrimethanil myristic salt was synthesized and its heat capacities were measured with an automated adiabatic calorimeter over the temperature range from T = (79 to 360) K. The melting point, molar enthalpy, Delta(fus)H(m) and entropy, Delta(fus)S(m), of fusion of this compound were determined to be (321.84 +/- 0.05) K, (56.53 +/- 0.03) kJ . mol(-1) and (175.64 +/- 0.05) J . mol(-1) . K-1, respectively. The purity of the compound was calculated to be 98.99 mol% by using the fractional melting technique. The thermodynamic functions relative to the reference temperature, T = 298.15 K, were calculated based on the heat capacity measurements in the temperature ranges from T = (80 to 360) K. The TG-DTG results demonstrate that the mass loss of the sample takes place in one step with the maximum rate at T = 500 K, which was caused by evaporation of the sample. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heat capacity and thermodynamic properties of crystalline ornidazole (C7H10ClN3O3)

The molar heat capacities of 1-(2-hydroxy-3-chloropropyl)-2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole (Ornidazole) (C7H10CIN3O3) with purity of 99.72mol% were measured with an adiabatic calorimeter in the temperature range between 79 and 380K. The melting-point temperature, molar enthalpy Delta(fus)H(m), and entropy, Delta(fus)S(m), of fusion of this compound were determined to be 358.59 +/- 0.04K, 21.38 +/- 0.02 kJ mol(-1) and 59.61 +/- 0.05 J K-1 mol(-1), respectively, from fractional melting experiments. The thermodynamic function data relative to the reference temperature (298.15 K) were calculated based on the heat capacities measurements in the temperature range from 80 to 380 K. The thermal stability of the compound was further investigated by DSC and TG. From the DSC curve an intensive exothermic peak assigned to the thermal decomposition of the compound was observed in the range of 445-590 K with the peak temperature of 505 K. Subsequently, a slow exothermic effect appears when the temperature is higher than 590 K, which is probably due to the further decomposition of the compound. The TG curve indicates the mass loss of the sample starts at about 440K, which corresponds to the decomposition of the sample. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic studies of monuron

Monuron (C9H11ClN2O; N,N-dimethyl-N'-(4-chlorophenyl) urea, CAS 150-68-5) was synthesized and the heat capacities of the compound were measured in the temperature range from 79 to 385 K with a high precision automated adiabatic calorimeter. No phase transition or thermal anomaly was observed in this range. The enthalpy and entropy data of the compound relative to the reference temperature 298.15 K were derived based on the heat capacity data. The thermodynamic properties of the compound were further investigated through DSC and TG analysis. The melting point, the molar enthalpy, and entropy of fusion were determined to be 447.6 +/- 0.1 K, 29.3 +/- 0.2 kJ mol(-1), and 65.4 J K-1 mol(-1), respectively. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heat capacity and enthalpy of fusion of penconazole (C13H15C12N3)

Low-temperature heat capacities of penconazole (C13H15Cl2N3) were precisely measured with an automated adiabatic calorimeter over the temperature rang from 78 to 364 K. The sample was observed to melt at 332.38 +/- 0.06 K. The molar enthalpy and entropy of fusion of the compound were determined to be 33580 +/- 11 J mol(-1), 101.03 +/- 0.02 J mol(-1) K-1, respectively. Further research of the melting process for this compound was carried out by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. The result was in agreement with that obtained from the measurements of heat capacities. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.