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The decrease in the photoactivity of TiO 2 pigment (polycrystalline rutile powder) on doping with transition metals was investigated. Polycrystalline TiO 2 thin films doped with various elements to determine the best dopants were prepared by thermal decomposition of dopant nitrates on pure titanium substrates and their photoactivities were measured using surface photovoltage (SPV) spectra. Molybdenum and vanadium reduced the photoactivity. TiO 2 powder (rutile) doped with molybdenum, vanadium or binary dopants was prepared by hydrolysis of TiCl 4 . Compared with commercial samples, the photoactivity of TiO 2 powder doped with 1.5 mol.% Mo, 1 mol.% V, 0.1 mol.% V plus 1 mol.% Al or 0.1 mol.% V plus 1 mol.% Pb was decreased on the basis of both SPV spectra and photochemical measurements. It may be that the d electrons of molybdenum (4d) and vanadium (3d), as majority carriers in TiO 2 , can effectively quench the high energy photogenerated holes at the impurity levels introduced by doping within the band gap of TiO 2 .

The maize genome remains abundant in molecular diversity, and the rich genetic diversity of maize starch-synthesis genes is crucial for controlling various grain traits. To explore the unique mechanism controlling the advantageous waxy trait and characterize the molecular feature of genes relevant to starch composition in two elite waxy inbreds, expression profiling combined with gene organization analysis was performed in them as compared to one normal inbred. Genotype-specific expression patterns were observed for most genes studied. The waxy inbreds were shown to contain mutations in multiple starch-synthesis genes, namely gbssI (wx), gbssIIb and isa2 (potentially isa3 too).The mis-splicing events directly accounted for wx loss of function. Contrarily, disruption of 5′ and 3′ transcript sequence may contribute to the absence of GbssIIb and Isa2 transcripts in waxy inbreds, respectively. Besides, the splicing of Sugary1 transcript was developmentally regulated in the normal inbred, and DNA polymorphisms were detected within SSIIIb-1 gene in waxy inbreds.

In order to elucidate the mechanism underlying the attenuation of streptomycin ototoxicity by tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), the present study investigated the effect of TMP on the outward K(+) current in the outer hair cells of guinea pig cochlea. Sixty guinea pigs were divided into 6 groups randomly. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was used to observe the change in thresholds and to evaluate ototoxicity induced by streptomycin. Whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to observe the effect of TMP on outward K(+) current in isolated outer hair cells. The results showed that TMP attenuated the threshold shift caused by streptomycin and increased the amplitudes of Ca(2+)-sensitive K(+) current [I(K(Ca))] in the outer hair cells. The present data suggest that TMP displays anti-ototoxicity induced by streptomycin. The augmented amplitudes of I(K(Ca)) of the outer hair cells induced by TMP may be one of the mechanisms underlying its ototoxicity-attenuating effect.

Thirteen microsatellite markers, including Sat2,Sat3,Sat4,Sat5,Sat7,Sat8,Sat12, Sat13, Sat16,Sol08,Sol28,Sol30 and Sol03, were studied for their parentage-testing application in a group of 30 JIRONG Rabbits in the present report. The 13 microsatellite loci were successfully amplified with specific primers designed according to known sequences. The PCR products amplified from the microsatellite loci were analyzed by 8% denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results demonstrated that the average alleles and the mean heterozygosity (Hs) and the polymorphism information content (PIC) and the combined exclusion probability (PE2) of the 13 microsatellite loci were 3.46, 0.578, 0.531, and 0.999329, respectively. The exclusion probability (PE1) of the 13 loci was 0.935226, and the confidence of the parentage testing was less than 80% when data of both parents were unknown, while the exclusion probability (PE1) and the confidence were 0.999329 and 95% respectively with known data of a single parent. Since the data of the rabbit maternal lines studied were known, the paternal lines of the group were successfully identified using the 13 microsatellite loci with high confidence.

To investigate the effect of ceramide monohexoside (CMH) on resistance to cisplatin and apoptosis in ovarian cell line COC1/DDP, and to provide new ideals and clues to seek new effective methods for studying the mechanism and reversing the resistance in ovarian cell line as well.COC1 cells and COC1/DDP cells (before and after the treatment of mifepristone) were collected and neutral glycosphingolipids (N-GSLs) of the cells was isolated and purified, changes of CMH content were analyzed by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The COC1/DDP cells were divided into three groups, one treated by cisplatin, one treated by mifepristone, the other treated by cisplatin and mifepristone. The survival rate of cells in three groups were evaluated by the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, DNA ladders were presented by DNA gel electrophoresis, the forms of cells were observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM).The levels of CMH were (37.1 +/- 3.3)% in COC1/DDP, higher than that in COC1 (14.1 +/- 1.4)% (P0.001). After treating by 1.25, 5 micro mol/L mifepristone, the CMH were (26.6 +/- 2.6)% (P0.05) and (17.5 +/- 0.7)% (P0.001), respectively. Mifepristone had no effect on the viability of COC1/DDP cell below a concentration of 5 micro mol/L. But when mifepristone of 1.25 or 5 micro mol/L combined with cisplatin at a concentration of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1.25, 2.5 micro g/ml, the inhibition rate of COC1/DDP cell is higher than that of COC1/DDP cells only treated by cisplatin at the concentration of 0.1 to 2.5 micro g/ml (P0.001). The combined treatment elicited DNA fragmentation, however, neither cisplatin of 1.25 micro g/ml nor mifepristone of 5 micro mol/L alone could potentiate DNA fragmentation. After the combined treatment, the COC1/DDP cells produced apoptosis body.CMH is related with resistance to cisplantin in ovarian cell line COC1/DDP. When CMH of COC1/DDP cells was inhibited by mifepristone, the cells were sensitive to cisplatin and apoptosis was elicited.

Myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase (MIPS) is a pivotal enzyme that initiates the first step of phytic acid synthesis. In the present study the MIPS-1s gene isolated was from an inbred line of maize Qi319 containing low contents of phytic acid (lpa). Its sequence and expression patterns were also characterized. Results showed that the full-length genomic DNA sequence of the MIPS-1s gene is comprised of ten exons and nine introns, with a length of 3596 bp, and an open reading frame of 1533 bp that encodes a protein with 510 amino acids. A single amino acid substitution was found, compared to the sequence of the inbred maize line B73. In silico promoter analysis revealed various ciselements that might contribute to the differential regulation of MIPS-1s. The expression patterns of MIPS-1s proteins in leaves, roots, flowers and developing seeds of maize were also investigated using western blot. It showed similar patterns compared to the control line (Chang 7–2), suggesting that the MIPS-1s protein plays similar roles in the process of maize development and growth. Notably, it was found that the control line had a dramatically higher abundance of MIPS-1s protein than did Qi319, in the developing seeds and especially during the early period. This strongly indicates that higher levels of MIPS expression should precede and/or accompany synthesis and accumulation of phytate.

‘Shenmei #3’ is a new strawberry (Fragaria ·ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier) cultivar from the Forestry & Fruit Research Institute of the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The fruit ripen in the early to midseason and are large and firm with a sweet and aromatic flavor. The fruit are well adapted for processing and fresh markets. The plants and fruits are resistant to powdery mildew [Podosphaera macularis (Wallr.) U. Braun & S. Takam]. ‘Shenmei #3’ does well near Shanghai and is recommended for trial in other regions with mild winter and spring weather such as Florida and Louisiana in the southern United States and in southern Japan.