Comprehensive transcriptome and proteome analyses reveal a novel sodium chloride responsive gene network in maize seed tissues during germination.

Germination is a plant developmental process by which radicle of mature seeds start to penetrate surrounding barriers for seedling establishment and multiple environmental factors have been shown to affect it. Little is known how high salinity affects seed germination of C4 plant, Zea mays. Preliminary germination assay suggested that isolated embryo alone was able to germinate under 200 mM NaCl treatment, whereas the intact seeds were highly repressed. We hypothesized that maize endosperm may function in perception and transduction of salt signal to surrounding tissues such as embryo, showing a completely different response to that in Arabidopsis. Since salt response involves ABA, we analysed in vivo ABA distribution and quantity and the result demonstrated that ABA level in isolated embryo under NaCl treatment failed to increase in comparison with the water control, suggesting that the elevation of ABA level is an endosperm dependent process. Subsequently, by using advanced profiling techniques such as RNA sequencing and SWATH-MS-based quantitative proteomics, we found substantial differences in post-transcriptional and translational changes between salt-treated embryo and endosperm. In summary, our results indicate that these regulatory mechanisms, such as alternative splicing, are likely to mediate early responses to salt stress during maize seed germination.

Enhanced electron field emission from carbon nanotubes irradiated by energetic C ions.

The field emission performance and structure of the vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays irradiated by energetic C ion with average energy of 40 keV have been investigated. During energetic C ion irradiation, the curves of emission current density versus the applied field of samples shift firstly to low applied fields when the irradiation doses are less than 9.6 x 10(16) cm(-2), and further increase of dose makes the curves reversing to a high applied field, which shows that high dose irradiation in carbon nanotube arrays makes their field emission performance worse. After energetic ion irradiation with a dose of 9.6 x 1016 cm(-2), the turn-on electric field and the threshold electric field of samples decreased from 0.80 and 1.13 V/microm to 0.67 and 0.98 V/microm respectively. Structural analysis of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy indicates that the amorphous carbon nanowire/carbon nanotube hetero nano-structures have been fabricated in the C ion irradiated carbon nanotubes. The enhancement of electron field emission is due to the formation of amorphous carbon nanowires at the tip of carbon nanotube arrays, which is an electron emitting material with low work function.

Preliminary enrichment and separation of chlorogenic acid from Helianthus tuberosus L. leaves extract by macroporous resins.

In the present study, a simple and efficient method for the preparative separation of 3-CQA from the extract of Helianthus tuberosus leaves with macroporous resins was studied. ADS-21 showed much higher adsorption capacity and better adsorption/desorption properties for 3-CQA among the tested resins. The adsorption of 3-CQA on ADS-21 resin at 25°C was fitted best to the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Dynamic adsorption/desorption experiments were carried out in a glass column packed with ADS-21 to optimise the separation process of 3-CQA from H. tuberosus leaves extract. After one treatment with ADS-21, the content of 3-CQA in the product was increased 5.42-fold, from 12.0% to 65.2%, with a recovery yield of 89.4%. The results demonstrated that the method was suitable for large-scale separation and manufacture of 3-CQA from H. tuberosus leaves.

[Preliminary investigation on emission of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs through flue gas from coke plants in China].

According to the Stockholm Convention, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) are classified into unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants (UP-POPs), and named dioxins. Coke production as a thermal process contains organic matters, metal and chlorine, is considered to be a potential source of dioxins. Intensive studies on the emission of dioxins from coking industry are still very scarce. In order to estimate the emission properties of dioxins through coke production, isotope dilution HRGC/HRMS technique was used to determine the concentration of dioxins through flue gas during heating of coal. Three results were obtained. First, total toxic equivalents at each stationary emission source were in the range of 3.9-30.0 pg x m(-3) (at WHO-TEQ) for dioxins which was lower than other thermal processes such as municipal solid waste incineration. Second, higher chlorinated PCDD/Fs were the dominant congeners. Third, emissions of dioxins were dependent on coking pattern. Stamping coking and higher coking chamber may lead to lower emission.

[Risk assessment of river water quality under accidental pollution based on Bayesian networks].

Risk assessment for accidental pollution plays an important role in river water quality management. Bayesian networks can be applied to represent the relationship between pollution sources and river water quality intuitively. A time sequential Monte Carlo algorithm, integrated with pollution sources model, water quality model and Bayesian reasoning, is developed to quantify river water quality risk under the collective influence of multiple pollution sources. A case study shows that multiple pollution sources have obvious effect on water quality risk of the receiving water body, which means that integrated management should be developed for multiple risk sources. The model could also support the decision-making process of river basin management through identification of critical pollution sources.

[Framework of regional environmental monitoring and early-warning system].

Environmental monitoring and early-warning system should be built to enhance the capacity of environmental monitor and management. Risk knowledge, monitoring and early-warning service, dissemination and communication, and response capacity are functional modules to achieve the management object. When constructing a regional environmental monitor and early-warning system, institution for monitor and management, laws and regulations, equipments, persons with ability, information system, consultation capacity and service system for public participation should be contained to build the monitor and early system.