Spencermartinsia and Vestergrenia were examined and fresh specimens of Botryosphaeriales were collected from Thailand. This material is used to provide a systematic treatment of Botryosphaeriales based on morphology and phylogeny. Two new genera, Botryobambusa and Cophinforma are introduced and compared with existing genera. Four species new to science, Auerswaldia dothiorella, A. lignicola, Botryosphaeria fusispora and Phaeobotryosphaeria eucalypti, are also described and justified. We accept 29 genera in Botryosphaeriales, with Macrovalsaria being newly placed. In the phylogenetic tree, the 114 strains of Botyrosphaeriales included in the analysis cluster into two major clades with 80 %, 96 % and 1.00 (MP, ML and BY) support, with Clade A containing the family type of Botryosphaeriaceae, and Clade B containing Phyllosticta, Saccharata and Melanops species. This group may represent Phyllostictaceae. In Clade A the taxa analyzed cluster in eight sub-clades (Clades A1-8). Clade A1 comprises three distinct subclusters corresponding to the genera Diplodia (Diplodia Clade), Neodeightonia (Neodeightonia Clade) and Lasiodiplodia (Lasiodiplodia Clade

A series of ∼5 nm sized carbon dots (CDs) with different oxygen contents were fabricated and employed as a model material with which to explore the impacts of carbon nanoparticles on rice-plant growth. We show that CDs can penetrate into all parts of rice plants, including the cell nuclei. Systematic investigations provide insight into the different processes by which seed germination, root elongation, seedling length, enzyme (RuBisCO) activity, and carbohydrate generation are increased. CDs are capable of entering the cell, reaching the nucleus, loosening the DNA structure, and increasing the thionin (Os06g32600) gene expression, which finally enhanced the rice-plant disease-resistance ability. CDs can be degraded by plant to form plant-hormone analogues and CO 2 , and then the hormone analogues promote the rice-plant growth, while the CO 2 is converted into carbohydrates through the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis. The outcome of these processes is a 14.8% enhancement of the total rice yield and an increase of the rice-plant resistance to diseases.

Summary In plants, the chilling response involves decreased photosynthetic capacity and increased starch accumulation in chloroplasts. However, the mechanisms that modulate these processes remain unclear. We found that the SlWHY1 gene is significantly induced by chilling stress (4°C) in tomato. Three SlWHY1 overexpression (OE) lines grew better than the wild type (WT) under chilling stress; the OE plants retained intact photosynthetic grana lamellae and showed enhanced hydrolysis of starch. By contrast, RNAi lines that inhibited SlWHY1 were more affected than the corresponding WT cultivar. Their grana lamellae were damaged and starch content increased. The psbA gene encodes the key photosystem II (PSII) protein D1. We show that SlWHY1 binds to the upstream region (A/GTTACCCT/A) of SlpsbA and enhances the de novo synthesis of D1 in chloroplasts. Additionally, SlWHY1 regulates the expression of the starch‐degrading enzyme α‐amylase (SlAMY3‐L) and the starch synthesis‐related enzyme isoamylase gene (SlISA2) in the nucleus, thus modulating the starch content in chloroplasts. We demonstrate that SlWHY1 enhances the resistance of tomato to chilling stress by maintaining the function of PSII and degrading starch. Thus, overexpression of WHY1 may be an effective strategy for enhancing resistance to chilling stress of chilling‐sensitive crops in agricultural production.

A growth trial was conducted to feed juvenile tilapia (initial weight,9.1 AE 0.1g), Oreochromis niloticus  O. aureus, isonitrogenous diets for 8 weeks. Six diets were formulated containing 29% crude protein from casein and gelatin, 10% crude fat from soybean oil and re¢ned soybean lecithin and varying levels of corn starch ranging from 6% to 46% at increments of 8%, with corresponding energy to protein (E/P) ratios of 35.6, 37.9, 40.2, 42.5, 44.8 and 47.1kJ g À1 . Weight gain (WG), speci¢c growth rate, feed e⁄ciency ratio and protein e⁄ciency ratio were signi¢cantly higher in ¢sh fed diets with starch ! 22% (or E/P ratio ! 40.2 kJ g À1 ) than in ¢sh fed diets with 6% or 14% starch (or E/P ratio of 35.6 or 37.9 kJ g À1 ).No further improvement was measured when dietary starch content increased beyond 22%. Body protein retention showed the same general pattern as WG, and was highest in ¢sh fed the 22% starch diet. Body composition was signi¢cantly a¡ected by dietary starch level. Fish fed diets with starch ! 30% had signi¢cantly higher lipid content than ¢sh fed diets with 6% or 14% starch. Ash content was negatively correlated with starch inclusion level, but moisture and protein contents did not show discernible trends among treatments. Results indicate that hybrid tilapia can utilize 46% dietary starch without growth retardation, while 22% starch in feed for juvenile tilapia containing 29% protein and 10% lipid, or an E/P ratio of 37.9 kJ g À1 is optimal. à Di¡erent superscripts within each column indicate signi¢cant (Po0.05) di¡erences between ¢sh fed di¡erent diets.Aquaculture Research, 2005 Dietary carbohydrate level in juvenile tilapia Y Wang et al.

Summary• Distyly is a sexual polymorphism in which plant populations contain two floral morphs differing in morphology and physiology. The dimorphism serves to promote animal-mediated cross-pollination between the floral morphs. Clonal propagation can interfere with the functioning of distyly by compromising intermorph pollinations, resulting in reduced fertility.• Here, we investigate the relations between clonal growth and sexual reproduction in the aquatic macrophyte Nymphoides peltata (Menyanthaceae). Surveys of morph representation in 30 populations from five regions of China revealed that most populations exhibited strongly biased morph ratios and 30% contained a single floral morph.• Experimental pollinations indicate that N. peltata possesses a strong dimorphic incompatibility system preventing self and intramorph fertilizations. An experiment involving the manipulation of morph ratios in an experimental population and an investigation in a natural population with strong morph substructure both provided evidence that compatible pollen dilution limits fertility.• Despite constraints on the functioning of distyly in N. peltata we found no evidence for evolutionary changes to the heterostylous syndrome, as reported in Nymphoides , including populations of N. peltata in other parts of its geographical range.