Abstract: The present invention discloses a specific primer ZMEH_1 for identifying or assisting in identifying the heading date of rice materials and use thereof, and a breeding method of rice cultivars with early-heading without yield drag. The ZMEH_1 is a pair of PCR primers corresponding to the upstream and downstream of the fragment with sequence variation 1 of the rice Os03g0122600 gene between the late- heading parent MH63 and the early-heading parent DEH229. ZMEH_1 can explain about 86.0% of the phenotypic variation of the progeny from the MH63/DEH229 population, which meets the needs of industrial applications. DEH229 has the characteristic of early-heading without yield drag, and its progenies derived from various rice cultivars all continue to have the characteristic of early-heading without yield drag.

Abstract: This invention describes a work including both genetic analysis and development of a marker set for a photo-sensitivity module underlying transgressive photo-sensitivity (TPS) phenomenon found in the breeding improvement of rice blast resistance by the introduction of Pigm gene, belonging to the field of rice molecular genetics and biotechnology breeding. By using bi-parental RIL populations derived from TPS crosses with a Pigm donor as one parent, genetic analysis has been carried out to map the photo-sensitivity module [qHd6+qHd7] under both long-day (LD) and short-day (SD) conditions. With the aid of the molecular marker set proposed by this invention for this module, breeders can predict the degree of TPS in northern early Geng/japonica rice progenies derived from crosses with Pigm donor as one parent when they are doing parental selection or screening progenies carrying Pigm without strong TPS in blast-resistant biotechnology breeding schemes.

Abstract: Methods for grading carcinomas are provided as well as kits therefor. A method is provided for grading a carcinoma, or suspected carcinoma, comprising obtaining a sample of the carcinoma or suspected carcinoma and contacting the sample with one or more reagents so as to identify LacNAc or Gal.beta.1,4GlcNAc expression on cell surfaces thereof, quantifying the identified LacNAc or Gal.beta.1,4GlcNAc expression, and comparing quantified LacNAc or Gal.beta.1,4GlcNAc expression to one or more predetermined control values, and assigning a grade to the suspected carcinoma based on the quantified LacNAc or Gal.beta.1,4GlcNAc expression being in excess of, or less than, the one or more predetermined control values. Also provided is a method for identifying a sample from a subject as a carcinoma sample. Also provided is a kit for grading carcinoma samples comprising a LacNAc-specific or Gal-1,4GlcNAc-specific glycosylation enzyme and a synthetically-labeled sugar molecule and written instructions for use thereof.