Overexpression of the Arabidopsis and winter squash superoxide dismutase genes enhances chilling tolerance via ABA-sensitive transcriptional regulation in transgenic Arabidopsis.

The winter squash (Cucurbita moschata, Cm) superoxide dismutase (SOD) CmSOD gene and Arabidopsis thaliana (At)SOD gene were transferred under a ubiquitin promoter into Arabidopsis via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The expression and amount of SOD and the SOD activities in the AtSOD and CmSOD transgenic lines were significantly higher than those of non-transgenic (NT) plants exposed to 23 or 4°C treatment for 6 ~ 192-h periods. Furthermore, expressions of the cold-inducible gene (AtCBF2) and desiccation-responsible transcription factors (AtRD29A/B) were also activated in all transgenic lines compared to NT plants after chilling treatments. Compared to NT plants under chilling stress, superoxide (•O2-) accumulation was significantly lower, and chlorophyll (Chl) contents were significantly higher in all transgenic lines with higher SOD activity. Moreover, Arabidopsis seedlings overexpressing AtSOD and CmSOD also displayed greater resistance to chilling and less oxidative injury than NT plants under chilled conditions, indicating that the overexpression of AtSOD and CmSOD in Arabidopsis enhanced chilling tolerance by eliminating •O2-. The expression of AtRD29A was strongly up-regulated only in AtSOD transgenic plants treated with abscisic acid (ABA), while it was repressed in other transgenic plants, indicating ABA-sensitive AtCBF2 and AtRD29A/B transcriptional regulation signaling pathways in transgenic Arabidopsis under chilling conditions.

Overexpression of the ascorbate peroxidase gene from eggplant and sponge gourd enhances flood tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Previously, we found that the flood resistance of eggplant (Solanum melongena) and sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) enhanced ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity under flooding, and consequently, both the SmAPX and LcAPX genes were cloned. In this study, the SmAPX and LcAPX genes were transferred under a ubiquitin promoter to Arabidopsis (At) via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The expression and amount of APX and APX activities of the SmAPX and LcAPX transgenic lines were significantly higher than those of non-transgenic (NT) plants under a waterlogged condition. Furthermore, the SmAPX, LcAPX, At-sucrose synthases (SUS)-1, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) genes were overexpressed in all transgenic Arabidopsis lines after flooding treatment. Compared to NT plants, the malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and H2O2 accumulation were significantly lower, but germination rates were significantly higher in all transgenic lines with higher APX activity, indicating that the overexpression of SmAPX and LcAPX in Arabidopsis could enhance flood tolerance by eliminating H2O2. Moreover, Arabidopsis seedlings overexpressing SmAPX and LcAPX also displayed greater resistance to flooding and less oxidative injury than NT plants subjected to flooding condition.

Effectiveness of an e-learning curriculum on occupational health for music performers.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the e-learning curriculum and (2) to explore the type of questions raised by students through the "Health Promotion for Music Performers" (HPMP) e-learning curriculum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was primarily a pedagogical research composed of a pre- and postintervention design coupled with a 1-month longitudinal knowledge retention measurement. The intervention, the HPMP e-learning curriculum, was implemented over 14 weeks, once a week, for a total of 14 classes. Each class consisted of a 60-min prerecorded lecture followed by a 40-min real-time interactive discussion. The interdisciplinary faculty panel consisted of experts from the field of music and medicine. The Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) was used to evaluate knowledge changes concerning (1) Practice and Performance issues and (2) Health and Life Style issues. RESULTS: Fifteen graduate-level music students participated in the study. The SAQ scores on the 1-month follow-up test for Practice and Performance issues were significantly higher than the pretest (t=2.731, p<0.05). On the other hand, no significant differences were found between the posttest and pretest or between the follow-up test and posttest. Regarding Health and Life Style issues, comparison at all three measurement points did not reveal any significant difference. Questions raised by students fell into four major categories: performance injury (45%), performance anxiety (22%), general physiology (22%), and general psychology (11%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the HPMP e-learning course enhanced student awareness of Practice and Performance issues but did not have as significant an impact on student awareness of Health and Lifestyle issues.

Effects of using relaxation breathing training to reduce music performance anxiety in 3rd to 6th graders.

The current study examined the effects of applying relaxation breathing training (RBT) as a means to reduce music performance anxiety (MPA) in young, talented musicians. A group of 59 young musicians from 3rd to 6th grade participated in this study, and all of them started RBT twice a week for 2 months prior to the examination. Four tests--2 mos, 1 mos, half an hour and 5 min before the examination--were conducted to examine the level of MPA after the application of RBT. Results show that the degree of MPA 5 min before the trial was lower than the degree of performance anxiety half an hour before the jury (t = -3.683, p < 0.01), which indicated that the RBT was associated with a decrease in MPA. Although a series of RBT exercises was applied, results indicated that when approaching the date of examination, the degree of performance anxiety still increased and reached its maximum half an hour before the jury. The recommendation for future studies is to combine the application of RBT with other methods to expand its effect in reducing MPA.

Chitosan-silica complex membranes from sulfonic acid functionalized silica nanoparticles for pervaporation dehydration of ethanol-water solutions.

Nanosized silica particles with sulfonic acid groups (ST-GPE-S) were utilized as a cross-linker for chitosan to form a chitosan-silica complex membranes, which were applied to pervaporation dehydration of ethanol-water solutions. ST-GPE-S was obtained from reacting nanoscale silica particles with glycidyl phenyl ether, and subsequent sulfonation onto the attached phenyl groups. The chemical structure of the functionalized silica was characterized with FTIR, (1)H NMR, and energy-dispersive X-ray. Homogeneous dispersion of the silica particles in chitosan was observed with electronic microscopies, and the membranes obtained were considered as nanocomposites. The silica nanoparticles in the membranes served as spacers for polymer chains to provide extra space for water permeation, so as to bring high permeation rates to the complex membranes. With addition of 5 parts per hundred of functionalized silica into chitosan, the resulting membrane exhibited a separation factor of 919 and permeation flux of 410 g/(m(2) h) in pervaporation dehydration of 90 wt % ethanol aqueous solution at 70 degrees C.