Purpose: The study determines the consent rates for storage of biologic samples for future research with and without genetic studies and describes trends in sociodemographic factors associated with consent. Methods: We performed an analysis of the characteristics of consenting individuals participating in three data cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population. these race/gender differences were no longer observed. Conclusion: Females and non-Hispanic blacks consistently had lower consent rates during the survey years when genetic studies were mentioned in the consent, but once DNA collection was discontinued these differences disappeared. These findings demonstrate wide acceptance among survey participants for allowing storage of specimens for future studies but indicate the need to explore race/gender issues with the collection and storage of DNA for genetic research. Genet Med 2006:8(6):354-360.

There is no information on the effects of elevated [CO 2 ] on whole-plant photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) and other sorbitol-translocating plants. Experiments were conducted in controlled growth chambers to evaluate how increases in [CO 2 ] affect plant photosynthesis and carbon partitioning into soluble sugars and starch in apple leaves. Apple plants (cv. Gala), 1-year-old, were exposed to [CO 2 ] of 200, 360, 700, 1000, and 1600 µL L Ð1 up to 8 d. Whole-plant net photosynthetic rates were analysed daily after [CO 2 ] treatments. Newly expanded mature leaves were sampled at 1, 2, 4, and 8 d after [CO 2 ] treatments for sorbitol, sucrose, glucose, fructose, and starch analysis. Midday whole-plant net photosynthetic rates increased linearly with increasing [CO 2 ], but the differences in whole-plant photosynthesis between CO 2 -enrichment and ambient [CO 2 ] treatments were less significant as apple plants acclimated to high atmospheric [CO 2 ] for 8 d. Increases in [CO 2 ] significantly increased sorbitol and starch, but did not affect sucrose concentrations. As a result, the ratios of starch to sorbitol and starch to sucrose at 8 d after [CO 2 ] treatments were increased from 0.05 and 0.06 to 0.8 and 1.6 as [CO 2 ] increased from ambient [CO 2 ] (360 µL L Ð1 ) to 1000 µL L Ð1 [CO 2 ], respectively. The sorbitol to sucrose ratio also increased from 1.3 to 2.2 as [CO 2 ] increased from 360 to 1000 µL L Ð1 . Elevated [CO 2 ] enhanced the photosynthesis of apple plants and altered carbohydrate accumulation in mature leaves in favour of starch and sorbitol over sucrose.

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Vavilov (1935) described China as the earliest and largest independent centre of origin of cultivated plants. Gansu Province occupies the geographic centre of China. With an area of 454,000 km2, latitudes ranging from 32°3′N to 42°57′N and elevations varying from 500 to 6200 m, the province has an extremely diverse climate and topography. Stretching 1653 km along the ancient Silk Road, Gansu also has a long history of agriculture (6000 years) and for centuries was exposed to dynamic cultural exchanges between the East and the West. The unique combination of these conditions allowed rapeseed to be introduced from Europe and the Middle East, to evolve over a long time of cultivation and to diversify to adapt to many types of ecological conditions and cropping systems in Gansu. Currently, rich genetic resources exist in Gansu for Brassica rapa, B. juncea, B. chinensis and Eruca sativa. Eight landraces are described to demonstrate the diversity of rapeseed genetic resources in Gansu. It is generally recognized that B. chinensis originated in China. Information provided in this paper suggests that Gansu and its adjacent regions could also be a centre of diversity for B. rapa and B. juncea.