Chinese Flower Research Articles

Evaluation system and application of plants in healing landscape for the elderly

The scientific evaluation system of plants is an important premise in the design of healing landscapes (HLs) for improving the quality of life of the elderly. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the weights of the HL evaluation indicators for the elderly were calculated, and the comprehensive values of 150 species of plants in northern China were evaluated using this model. The results showed the following: (1) The model selected 16 representative and objective indicators as the sub-criteria level; (2) The results of the relative weights of the vector of criteria level to the focus level were as follows: Psychological Rehabilitation C1 (0.5537) > Physiological Rehabilitation C2 (0.2570) > Plant Scenery C3 (0.1893); (3) The comprehensive evaluation value results showed that the values of 86 plants were higher than the standard value that was suggested to be applied in HL for older adults in northern China. Of these plants, 55 species have superior values for application while 31 species have high values. The values of a further 64 plants were lower than the standard value, among which 41 species had a general application value, while 23 species should be selectively applied. (4) Using a questionnaire survey, the elderly participants expressed high preferences for the top 55 species of plants, and the favorite characteristics of the plants for the elderly included well-known traditional Chinese flowers with large and rich colors, as well as edible flowers. Factors that require consideration in planting designs, including the climatic conditions, the physiological and psychological characteristics of the elderly, cultural aspects of the plants, the relationship between the plant and five senses, and horticultural therapy activities, are discussed. This evaluation of HL plants provides a theoretical basis for plant selection in landscape design in nursing institutions.

Data-driven storage location method for put system in Chinese flower auction centres

ABSTRACT The rapid increase in daily transactions poses severe challenges for Chinese flower auction centres, including more frequent travels for distribution workers and longer waiting times for buyers. Two distinctive features of Chinese flower auctions further complicate the studied process: buyer identities and purchased volumes of present buyers are not known in advance. Buyer identities become known only after their first bid and purchased volumes by present buyers remain uncertain until the end of the auction. To address these problems, we propose a data-driven storage location method for put systems in Chinese flower auction centres which reserves predetermined locations near the distribution I/O point to large potential buyers before their actual arrival and the remaining locations to other arriving buyers according to the closest open location policy. We use the mesh adaptive direct search algorithm to determine the size of the reserved area and release time of any unoccupied locations to later arriving buyers. The proposed method is verified via a case study, and results show that it outperforms the existing method by a fairly large margin.

Transcriptome-based identification of AP2/ERF family genes and their cold-regulated expression during the dormancy phase transition of Chinese cherry flower buds

In Chinese cherry (Prunus pseudocerasus), a typical perennial deciduous fruit tree, flower bud dormancy is a crucial process that helps avoid cold-related injury in winter. A sufficient chill accumulation is the most important factor triggering bud dormancy break. However, the molecular mechanisms of dormancy release have not yet been determined. APETAL2/Ethylene Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) is a large family of plant transcription factors that play significant roles in plant development and responses to various abiotic stresses, including low temperature. Nevertheless, little is known about the numbers, structural characteristics, molecular phylogenetics, and expression patterns of AP2/ERF genes in dormant cherry flower buds. Here, the PpcAP2/ERF gene family was investigated, and 68 genes were identified from dormant flower bud-derived transcriptome data. These PpcAP2/ERFs were divided into four subfamilies, with 16, 4, 46 and 1 members in PpcAP2, PpcRAV, PpcERF and Soloists, respectively. The amino acid composition of cherry PpcAP2/ERFs revealed common conservative residues and elements compared with Arabidopsis AP2/ERFs. High expression levels of several PpcAP2/ERF genes in dormant flower buds occurred in different dormancy stages, indicating that these genes are involved in flower bud dormancy transition. The expressed PpcAP2/ERF genes significantly enriched in gene ontology’s biological processes were involved in hormone-signaling pathways and may regulate these pathways, which influences dormancy transition. A qRT-PCR analysis showed that 15 PpcAP2/ERF genes were strongly upregulated at 4 °C, indicating that PpcAP2/ERFs could be involved in the cold-mediated dormancy transition.

Implementasi Random Forest Untuk Klasifikasi Motif Songket Palembang Berdasarkan SIFT

Indonesia memiliki berbagai warisan budaya tak benda salah satunya adalah kain songket. Kain songket memiliki banyak ragam sesuai ciri khas dari setiap daerah, khususnya songket Palembang. Kain songket Palembang memiliki keistimewaan dibandingkan songket dari daerah lain. Selain memiliki nilai sejarah, kain songket Palembang memiliki motif, mutu dan tingkat kerumitan yang tinggi dalam proses pembuatannya. Pada penelitian ini digunakan metode Random Forest untuk klasifikasi citra motif kain songket Palembang dengan mengunakan ekstraksi fitur Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT). Proses pembentukan fitur dengan metode SIFT melalui tahap scale space extrema detection, keypoint localization, orientation assignment, dan keypoint descriptor. Fitur yang dihasilkan digunakan untuk klasifikasi Random Forest. Citra motif songket yang digunakan pada penelitian ini sebanyak 115 citra dari setiap jenis motif, yaitu Bunga cina, Cantik Manis, dan Pulir. Pemilihan citra diambil dari 5 warna setiap motif songket Palembang. Data latih dan data uji yang digunakan masing-masing sebanyak 100 dan 15 untuk setiap motif Songket Palembang. Hasil pengujian menunjukkan bahwa metode SIFT dan Random Forest untuk klasifikasi citra motif kain Songket Palembang dapat memberikan akurasi yang cukup baik, dimana metode SIFT dan Random Forest mampu menghasilkan rata-rata overall accuracy 92,98%, per class accuracy 94,07%, presision 92,98%, dan recall 89,74%.

Genome-wide identification, characterization, expression and enzyme activity analysis of coniferyl alcohol acetyltransferase genes involved in eugenol biosynthesis in Prunus mume.

Prunus mume, a traditional Chinese flower, is the only species of Prunus known to produce a strong floral fragrance, of which eugenol is one of the principal components. To explore the molecular mechanism of eugenol biosynthesis in P. mume, patterns of dynamic, spatial and temporal variation in eugenol were analysed using GC-MS. Coniferyl alcohol acetyltransferase (CFAT), a member of the BAHD acyltransferase family, catalyses the substrate of coniferyl alcohol to coniferyl acetate, which is an important substrate for synthesizing eugenol. In a genome-wide analysis, we found 90 PmBAHD genes that were phylogenetically clustered into five major groups with motif compositions relatively conserved in each cluster. The phylogenetic tree showed that the PmBAHD67-70 proteins were close to the functional CFATs identified in other species, indicating that these four proteins might function as CFATs. In this work, 2 PmCFAT genes, named PmCFAT1 and PmCFAT2, were cloned from P. mume ‘Sanlunyudie’, which has a strong fragrance. Multiple sequences indicated that PmCFAT1 contained two conserved domains, HxxxD and DFGWG, whereas DFGWG in PmCFAT2 was changed to DFGFG. The expression levels of PmCFAT1 and PmCFAT2 were examined in different flower organs and during the flowering stages of P. mume ‘Sanlunyudie’. The results showed that PmCFAT1 was highly expressed in petals and stamens, and this expression increased from the budding stage to the full bloom stage and decreased in the withering stage, consistent with the patterns of eugenol synthesis and emission. However, the peak of gene expression appeared earlier than those of eugenol synthesis and emission. In addition, the expression level of PmCFAT2 was higher in pistils and sepals than in other organs and decreased from the budding stage to the blooming stage and then increased in the withering stage, which was not consistent with eugenol synthesis. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that PmCFAT1 and PmCFAT2 were located in the cytoplasm and nucleus, while enzyme activity assays showed that PmCFAT1 is involved in eugenol biosynthesis in vitro. Overall, the results suggested that PmCFAT1, but not PmCFAT2, contributed to eugenol synthesis in P. mume.

A dining table without food: the floral experience at ethnic fine dining restaurants

PurposeA high-end ethnic restaurant is a tourism experience that can increase the attractiveness and brand recognition of a tourism destination. The restaurant environment is a key element that affects consumer visits. The purpose of this paper is to adopt Schmitt’s experience module to analyse tourist preferences and experiences with respect to floral styles in ethnic fine dining restaurants. The results of this study are intended to serve as a reference for operators of fine dining establishments in designing flower arrangements.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative research method. A sample was developed using tablet computers to simulate flower arrangements in restaurants. The research tools included a floral style preference scale and a tourist floral experience scale.FindingsBased on the results, the test subjects preferred European floral design styles in restaurants. Restaurant environments with floral arrangements were best at relaxing the test subjects. A restaurant’s floral style was positively correlated with various aspects of the tourist experience. Gender, age, Chinese flower styles, Japanese flower styles, European flower styles and other variables enabled forecasting the degree of the tourist experience.Originality/valueWhen a consumer exhibits higher preference for a restaurant’s floral style, the level of the tourist experience increases. This study investigates the aesthetic experience of restaurants and restaurant atmosphere as a marketing tool. Sensory stimulation within the restaurant atmosphere can be based on the five senses such that tourists may, through the design of the restaurant environment, have specific emotional reactions that improve their tourist experience and reinforce the restaurant’s brand image.

Genome-wide analysis of the callose enzyme families of fertile and sterile flower buds of the Chinese cabbage (Brassicarapa L. ssp. pekinensis).

Callose is a β‐1,3‐glucan commonly found in higher plants that plays an important role in regulating plant pollen development. It is synthesized by glucan synthase‐like (GSL) and is degraded by the enzyme endo‐1,3‐β‐glucosidase. However, genome‐wide analyses of callose GSL and endo‐1,3‐β‐glucosidase enzymes in fertile and sterile flower buds of Chinese cabbage have not yet been reported. Here, we show that delayed callose degradation at the tetrad stage may be the main cause of microspore abortion in Chinese cabbage with nuclear sterility near‐isogenic line ‘10L03’. Fifteen callose GSLs and 77 endo‐1,3‐β‐glucosidase enzymes were identified in Chinese cabbage. Phylogenetic, gene structural and chromosomal analyses revealed that the expansion occurred due to three polyploidization events of these two gene families. Expression pattern analysis showed that the GSL and endo‐1,3‐β‐glucosidase enzymes are involved in the development of various tissues and that the genes functionally diverged during long‐term evolution. Relative gene expression analysis of Chinese cabbage flowers at different developmental stages showed that high expression of the synthetic enzyme BraA01g041620 and low expression of AtA6‐homologous genes (BraA04g008040, BraA07g009320, BraA01g030220 and BraA03g040850) and two other genes (BraA10g020080 and BraA05g038340) for degrading enzymes in the meiosis and tetrad stages may cause nuclear sterility in the near‐isogenic line ‘10L03’. Overall, our data provide an important foundation for comprehending the potential roles of the callose GSL and endo‐1,3‐β‐glucosidase enzymes in regulating pollen development in Chinese cabbage.

Isolation and in-vitro probiotic characterization of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria from Chinese fruits and flowers

This study was undertaken to focus on the isolation and probiotic characterization of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) isolated from various flowers and fruits belonging to China. Seventy-three FLAB isolates exhibiting fructose fermentation were grown in 30% fructose media, and only eight isolates showed the capability to grow under such high osmotic pressure. From the above isolates, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed two strains as Fructobacillus fructosus, three strains as Lactobacillus kunkeei, two strains as F. pseudoficulneus, and one strain as F. durionis. These strains were characterized subsequently for their carbohydrate metabolism and probiotic potential. In comparison to other isolated FLAB strains, L. kunkeei strains showed the maximum capacity to tolerate various low pH levels and bile acid concentrations together with maximal effects on cholesterol assimilation, antipathogenic activity, and hydrophobicity. The fructophilic strains preferred d-fructose over d-glucose and so these strains have potential for use in cereal fermentation to ameliorate fructose-mediated irritable bowel syndromes.

Easy Drawing: Generation of Artistic Chinese Flower Painting by Stroke-Based Stylization

We propose a new photo-guided drawing tool for the easy generation of artistic strokes in the style of flower painting, which is the most representative one in Chinese paintings, through stylizing rough sketch lines over a photoimage. While existing style migration methods aim at processing the entire image, we depict that a stroke-based stylization framework better performs detailed style features and catches the user’s intent. The steps in our technique are first to correct user inaccurate strokes that mark candidates of style patterns on a painting and skeletal paths to be stylized over a photograph, then to select the optimal pattern for every skeletal stroke, and finally, to map the pattern onto skeletal stroke by shape calculation and texture synthesis. This tool can tolerate errors from user inputs and work well for touch devices. Our experiments prove that the paintings our technique helped to generate show close to the specified style and are aesthetically satisfied by normal users.

Implicit Association Test as an Analogical Learning Task.

. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is a popular tool for measuring attitudes. We suggest that performing an IAT could, however, also change attitudes via analogical learning. For instance, when performing an IAT in which participants categorize (previously unknown) Chinese characters, flowers, positive words, and negative words, participants could infer that Chinese characters relate to flowers as negative words relate to positive words. This analogy would imply that Chinese characters are opposite to flowers in terms of valence and thus that they are negative. Results from three studies (N = 602) confirmed that evaluative learning can occur when completing an IAT, and suggest that this effect can be described as analogical. We discuss the implications of our findings for research on analogy and research on the IAT as a measure of attitudes.

Research on application of interactive forestry science popularisation based on enhanced experience

In the information era of new media, augmented reality (AR) technology has been favoured by every field, however, the application of AR technology in the popularisation of forest science are relatively behindhand. The traditional Chinese flower arrangement art in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List has been chosen as the research subject of this paper. The research focuses on the inheritance of flower arrangement art in the digitised popularisation and develops an AR application (APP). This research aims to achieve scientific popularisation, enjoyment and immersion of flower arrangement art. Meanwhile, users can produce new vertical flower arrangements through 'interesting transformation' to form an effective approach to scientific popularisation from passive reception to initiative practice. The results have expanded the dimension of displaying traditional Chinese flower arrangement artworks, extended the vitality of the artworks and greatly enhanced users' experience of reality, art and practice through use of scientific popularisation products.

Potent Odorants of Characteristic Floral/Sweet Odor in Chinese Chrysanthemum Flower Tea Infusion.

An investigation using the aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) technique applied to the aroma concentrates prepared from the tea infusions of two different types of Chinese chrysanthemum flowers (flower buds, blooming flowers) revealed that 29 aroma peaks were detected in the aroma concentrates, and 17 compounds were newly identified or tentatively identified in the chrysanthemum flower tea. AEDA also revealed that the aroma peaks having high flavor dilution factors mainly consisted of a floral/sweet note in addition to metallic and phenol-like/spicy notes. Among them, four aroma peaks having a floral/sweet were identified as verbenone, ethyl 3-phenylpropanoate, propyl 3-phenylpropanoate, and ethyl cinnamate, and a semiquantitative analysis revealed that the flower buds were rich in these compounds. Furthermore, a chiral analysis revealed that (-)-verbenone existed in both flowers at a 3 times higher concentration than (+)-verbenone. Additionally, because the detection threshold of (-)-verbenone was lower than that of the (+)-verbenone, it is concluded that the (-)-isomer was a main contributor of the aroma peak of verbenone in the chrysanthemum flower tea.

Sophoridine from Sophora Flower Attenuates Ovariectomy Induced Osteoporosis through the RANKL-ERK-NFAT Pathway

An imbalance in osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis is a crucial pathological factor in the development of osteoporosis. Osteoclasts (OCs) play a pivotal role in osteoporosis, whose new therapy exploration has been focused on the suppression of OC formation. Sophoridine is found from the Chinese traditional food sophora flower to exhibit anti-osteoporosis capacity by screening. This study is focused on its anti-osteoporosis mechanism evaluation. The anti-osteoporosis effect of sophoridine, (15 mg kg-1 body), was evaluated in ovariectomized (OVX) mice by monitoring changes in bone histomorphometry index, formation of osteoclasts from blood-derived mononuclear cells, and changes in the synthesis of pro-osteoclastogenic cytokines. Signal pathways were investigated by QPCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence. Sophoridine has a significant anti-osteoporosis effect in vivo, which can inhibit RANKL-induced OC formation, the appearance of OC-specific marker genes, and OC marker protein in vitro. Mechanistically, sophoridine dose- and time-dependently blocks the RANKL-induced OC formation and the activation of ERK and c-Fos as well as the induction and nucleus translocation of NFATc1. Sophora flower might be a useful alternative functional food in preventing or treating osteoporosis.

Chemical Constituents of Essential Oils from Chestnut Flowers

Chestnut flower is the male inflorescence of chestnut, which has sweet smell and contains a variety of bioactive and fragrant compounds. The essential oils from four cultivars of Chinese chestnut flowers (Yankui, Yanlong, Zaofeng and Zipo) were extracted and the chemical constituents were qualitatively and quantitatively determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and GC-FID. A total of 28 compounds were identified, among which benzyl alcohol, nerol, 3-hexen-1-ol, acetophenone, nonanal, linalool and α-terpineol were the main constituents. The physicochemical properties including relative density, refractive index and solubility were also measured.

Monoecious Mutant Reveals New Insights into Male and Female Inflorescence Development in the Chinese Bayberry (Morella rubra)

To identify the dynamic differences in transcriptome and gene expression in chinese bayberry flowers of different sex types, the female ‘Fugong-1’ (WT) and its monoecious mutant (MT) were used as experimental materials. Using Illumina HiSeq™ 2500, flowers at the inflorescence germination, inflorescence elongation, and initial flowering stages were sequenced by RNA-seq technology and 6 libraries were obtained. After sequence assemble, 84,945 unigenes greater than 200 bp were found and the total length was 71.66 Mb. Transcriptomic expression analysis of the six libraries indicated that there was only 297 genes showed different expression at the inflorescence germination stage between MT and WT, the difference of which was the minimum. At the elongation stage and the initial flowering stage, such numbers increased to 787 and 2722, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis revealed that the enriched differentially expressed genes (DEGs) included those related with transcription in DNA-templated (GO: 0006355), pollen exine formation (GO: 0010584), plasma membrane (GO: 0005886), sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor activity (GO: 0003700), and 2-alkenal reductase [NAD(P)] activity (GO: 0032440) GO categories, etc. Among these processes, pollen exine formation plays an important role in pollen cell wall synthesis and sporopollen participates in the biosynthesis of sporopollenin. High expression levels of these related genes were closely related to the MT’s male flower traits during the initial flowering stage, which resulted in the male characteristics in MT flower. This study provides important foundation for further mining important genes and regulating factors controlling the sex differentiation of flowers in chinese bayberry.

Geographical origin identification and quality control of Chinese chrysanthemum flower teas using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and olfactometry and electronic nose combined with principal component analysis

SummaryAroma profiles and volatile profiles were established based on volatile and aroma‐active components identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and olfactometry (GC–MS–O) and electronic nose (E‐nose). The two profiles were used for quality control and origin identification of chrysanthemum flower teas. Results showed that 86 volatile components were identified in five chrysanthemum flower teas, including terpenes, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters and others. Of them, 33 aroma‐active components were recognised, including 10 aroma categories. The aroma profiles and volatile profiles were established by 10 aroma categories and E‐nose. Chrysanthemum flower teas were divided into five groups on PCA score plots based on their aroma profiles and volatile profiles, and the key volatile (aroma‐active) components resulting in the tea sample differences were determined. The quality of chrysanthemum flower teas could be evaluated according to aroma‐active components and aroma profiles and origins could be discriminated by PCA combined with GC–MS–O and E‐nose.

Antioxidant activities of aqueous extracts from 12 Chinese edible flowers in vitro and in vivo

ABSTRACTThe antioxidant function of edible flowers have attracted increasing interest. However, information is lacking on the impact of edible flowers on oxidative injury including hypoxia-re-oxygenation and hyperlipidemia. The antioxidant activities of aqueous extracts from 12 Chinese edible flowers were assessed in four different antioxidant models, including total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), scavenging hydroxyl radical capacity (SHRC) and scavenging superoxide anion radical capacity (SSARC). Subsequently, the potential antioxidant effects on rat cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (rCMEC) treated with hypoxia-re-oxygenation and hyperlipidemia rats induced by high-fat diet were also evaluated. The highest TAC, ORAC, SHRC and SSARC were Lonicera japonica Thunb., Rosa rugosa Thunb., Chrysanthemum indicum L. and Rosa rugosa Thunb., respectively. Most aqueous extracts of edible flowers exhibited good antioxidant effects on injury of rCMEC induced by hypoxia-re-oxygenation. In addition, the aqueous extracts of Lonicera japonica Thunb., Carthamus tinctorius L., Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. could suppress the build-up of oxidative stress by increasing serum superoxide dismutase, glutathion peroxidase, and reducing malonaldehyde concentration in hyperlipidemia rats. These findings provided scientific support for screening edible flowers as natural antioxidants and preventative treatments for oxidative stress-related diseases.

Sketch-based stroke generation in Chinese flower painting

Sketch-based stroke generation in Chinese flower painting

Identification and Validation of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Analysis in Non-Heading Chinese Cabbage Flowers.

Non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis Makino) is an important vegetable member of Brassica rapa crops. It exhibits a typical sporophytic self-incompatibility (SI) system and is an ideal model plant to explore the mechanism of SI. Gene expression research are frequently used to unravel the complex genetic mechanism and in such studies appropriate reference selection is vital. Validation of reference genes have neither been conducted in Brassica rapa flowers nor in SI trait. In this study, 13 candidate reference genes were selected and examined systematically in 96 non-heading Chinese cabbage flower samples that represent four strategic groups in compatible and self-incompatible lines of non-heading Chinese cabbage. Two RT-qPCR analysis software, geNorm and NormFinder, were used to evaluate the expression stability of these genes systematically. Results revealed that best-ranked references genes should be selected according to specific sample subsets. DNAJ, UKN1, and PP2A were identified as the most stable reference genes among all samples. Moreover, our research further revealed that the widely used reference genes, CYP and ACP, were the least suitable reference genes in most non-heading Chinese cabbage flower sample sets. To further validate the suitability of the reference genes identified in this study, the expression level of SRK and Exo70A1 genes which play important roles in regulating interaction between pollen and stigma were studied. Our study presented the first systematic study of reference gene(s) selection for SI study and provided guidelines to obtain more accurate RT-qPCR results in non-heading Chinese cabbage.

Chinese Flowers and the Idea of Cultivation in Early-Nineteenth-Century British Word and Image

ABSTRACTThis essay uses the example of the Chinese tree peony, a flower much desired by British gardeners at the start of the nineteenth century as well as a flower much reproduced in horticultural periodicals and on consumer commodities, to explain the era's interconnected understanding of the process of cultivation. Organic cultivations, foreign and domestic, were not separated from social and personal cultivations in verbal and visual discourse but rather mutually reinforced each other. Following these connections helps explain the ever-growing estrangement between nineteenth-century subjects and the nature that surrounded them in terms that connect environmental, aesthetic, and literary history.