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ABSTRACT: From a pollination biology standpoint, this study compared modifications in the flowering phenology, soluble sugar and protein content of pollen, antioxidant enzyme system, and storage traits of five cultivated populations of Paeonia ostii ‘Feng dan’ at various altitudes in Luoyang. The findings indicated that the first blooming phase was delayed at greater altitudes. There was a significant difference in the soluble sugar content of pollen between sites; and there was no discernible relationship between soluble sugar content and altitude. With increasing altitude, there is a tendency for soluble protein content to decrease. The activities of antioxidant enzymes in pollen from cultivated populations at varying altitudes showed SOD and POD enzyme activities generally increasing with decreasing temperature, whereas CAT enzymes showed divergent patterns. Differences existed in the storage time of pollen across populations at different altitudes, and pollen from higher altitudes appeared to be better adapted to low-temperature storage environments. The rate of decrease in pollen viability under dry storage at -74.7 °C was significantly lower than under other storage conditions. The comprehensive analysis concludes that the variations in ‘Feng dan’ cultivation populations within the same region at different altitude zones can be leveraged for cross-pollination among proximate populations, utilizing low-temperature dry pollen storage technology, with the aim of achieving abundant oil peony production.

Abstract Thermoactive binders are the most widely used form of polymer matrix materials in modern composites. In the production of composites, thermoactive binders are the basis of the matrix structure formation process with different properties. Various thermoactive binders based on epoxy, polyester and other resins compatible with corresponding polymer matrices were examined in the article. The influence of binders on the pre-molding process, various properties of the products, including density, stability and water permeability, as well as the main characteristics of composite materials obtained by various methods, was considered. The most optimal thermoactive binder (epoxy resin) were determined. The influence of thermoactive binders was shown and the advantage of using thermoactive binders in the production of composites was proved on the example of bitumen asphalt.

ABSTRACT: Lamb diarrhea seriously restricts the development of the sheep industry. Infectious pathogens often cause diarrhea, and E. coli isolates are highly distributed in infectious diarrhea. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of pathogenic E. coli in diarrhea lambs and determine the distribution of virulence genes, antibiotic resistance genes, and antibiotic resistance. One hundred seventy-eight E. coli isolates were isolated from the feces of 204 diarrhea lambs. The virulence genes mdh, hlyF, iss, ompA, fimC, iucD, st, lt, stx1, stx2, and antibiotic resistance genes including tetA, tetB, aac (6′)-II, blaCMY-2, qnr, aadA1, sul1, blaTEM, blaCTX-M were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antibiotic resistance was determined by Kirby-Bauer Disc Diffusion method. There were 109 (61.24%, 109/178) enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), 119 (66.85%, 119/178) Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), and 95 (53.37%, 95/178) hybrid STEC/ETEC isolates. The highest prevalent virulence genes were ompA (80.90%, 144/178) and fimC (67.98%, 121/178), and the lowest was iucD (8.99%, 16/178). The most commonly detected antibiotic resistance genes were tetA/tetB (92.70%, 165/178), qnr (75.84%, 135/178), and sul1 (62.92%, 112/178), no blaTEM or blaCTX-M genes were detected. All isolates had high antibiotic resistance to lincomycin (96.63%, 172/178), tetracycline (88.76%, 158/178), and co-trimoxazole (80.34%, 143/178), and the multidrug resistant (MDR) rate reached 93.82% (167/178). The high prevalence of ETEC and STEC indicates that E. coli is one of the critical pathogenic agents leading to diarrhea in lambs in the region, and its high antibiotic resistance, especially MDR, should be brought to our attention.

ABSTRACT A March male Golden, weighing 7.6kg, presented with gradual weight loss, high body temperature, depression, poor appetite and thirst, and vomiting before consultation. The results showed that the erythrocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and platelets were lower than the reference values. The diagnosis of mixed infection with haematocrit and eosinophilic bodies was confirmed by real-time fluorescence PCR of whole blood, which was positive for haematocrit and eosinophilic bodies. The dog was treated with doxycycline and ceftriaxone, and the dog fully recovered after 2 weeks with blood transfusion, symptomatic treatment, and supportive therapy. This indicates that the disease can be treated well by a comprehensive treatment approach.

Commented Article: LIU, Fangfang. Research on the integrated training mode of higher art education for the deaf. Trans/Form/Ação: Unesp journal of philosophy, v. 46, Special Issue, p. 47- 72, 2023.

Resumo Fundamento A estratificação de risco precoce com biomarcadores simples é essencial em pacientes com infarto do miocárdio sem supradesnivelamento do segmento ST (IAMSSST). Objetivo Este estudo tem o objetivo de avaliar a associação entre nível de big endotelina-1 plasmática (ET-1) e o escore SYNTAX (SS) em pacientes com IAMSSST. Métodos Foram recrutados 766 pacientes com IAMSSST que passaram por angiografia coronária. Os pacientes foram divididos em três grupos: SS baixo (≤22), SS intermediário (23-32), e SS alto (>32). A correlação de Spearman, o ajuste de curva suave, a regressão logística, e a análise de curva característica de operação do receptor (ROC) foram realizados para avaliar a associação entre o nível de big ET-1 plasmática e o SS. Um p-valor

ABSTRACT For the synergistic improvement of soil fertility and rice yields in a cold region, we investigated the effects of plastic mulching with different straw incorporation rates on the rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency in a rice growing area of a cold region. The field experiment was conducted using the Jijing 88 rice cultivar, and set up four straw incorporated treatment: 20% (S1), 40% (S2), 60% (S3) and 100% (S4) under two conditions: mulching (M) and without mulching (NM). The results showed that under the same straw incorporation rates: (1) Plastic mulching increased the total soil nitrogen and organic matter contents while improving the grain yield; the yield increases were 2.8–14.9% in 2016 and 1.4–12.3% in 2017. (2) The mulched treatment improved the net photosynthetic rate, the maximum tiller number, the crop growth rate of the later growth stages, and the shoot dry weight. (3) The recovery efficiency, agronomic efficiency, and partial factor productivity of the nitrogen applications were all higher under the mulched treatment than under the non-mulched treatment. In a comparison of the different straw incorporation treatments, above three indicators consistently increased before they decreased, and significantly higher levels were reached under the 40% straw incorporation treatment with mulching than under the other treatments.

ABSTRACT: Based on the apple acreage and output data of 23 provinces in China, the LMDI decomposition method and the barycenter analysis model were used to systematically analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of apple production in China from 1978 to 2016. The results showed that the apple acreage and output continued to increase, and the apple production layout has moved to south-westward; Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Gansu, Hebei, Liaoning, and Xinjiang were the main contributors to the apple output increase in China; yield contributed more to apple output increase, the increase of yield was a significant contributing factor to the apple output growth in 17 provinces, whereas the expansion of apple acreage was a significant contributing factor in the other 6 provinces; the barycenter of apple acreage and output respectively moved to the southwest by 506.63 kilometers and 574.12 kilometers, and the barycenter of apple production gradually shifted to the Loess Plateau. To stabilize the effective supply of apple and maintain industrial security, the policymakers should attach importance to the fundamental role of technological progress in the development of the apple industry, and bring into play the technological progress, economic, social, and environmental effects of apple industry agglomeration by optimizing the apple production layout and strengthening policy guidance and regulatory measures.

Indole-based receptors such as biindole, carbazole, and indolocarbazole are regarded as some of the most favorable anion receptors in molecular recognition. This is because indole groups possess N–H groups as hydrogen-bonding donors. The introduction of amide groups in the indole framework can induce strong binding properties and good water solubility. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of N-(indol-3-ylglyoxylyl)benzylamine derivatives as novel and simple anion receptors. The receptors derived by aryl and aliphatic amines can selectively recognize F– based on a color change from colorless-to-yellow in DMSO. The receptors derived by hydrazine hydrate can recognize F–, AcO–, and H2PO4– by similar color changes in DMSO and can even enable the selective recognition of F– in a DMSO–H2O binary solution by the naked eye. Spectrographic data indicate that complexes are formed between receptors and anions through multiple hydrogen-bonding interactions in dual solutions.

ABSTRACT: The objective of present study was to investigate the dynamics of change in fermentation and fatty acid profiles in high moisture (DM=232g/kg FW) alfalfa silages during ensiling at 45°C, 30°C and 15°C. After ensiling for 1, 3, 7, 21, 39 and 65 days, silages was sampled and examined. Lactic fermentation changing into butyric fermentation in silage ensiled at 30°C and 45°C occurred on ensiling for 21 and 65 days, respectively, as accompanied with high ammonia-N content ( >150g/kg N), which subsequently resulted in a sudden increase of pH (P < 0.05). In contrast, the increase of lactic acid content was observed in silage ensiled at 15°C during ensiling for 65 days (P

Battery production is one of the main sources of heavy metals that present great harm to human health even in low concentrations. Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) were measured in edible portions of vegetables and soils around a battery production area in China, and the potential health risk of heavy metal contamination to the local population via vegetable consumption was evaluated. Their concentrations in edible portions of vegetables were 2.354 (0.078-14.878), 0.035 (0.003-0.230) and 0.039 (0.003-0.178) mg kg-1, respectively. Approximately 3 % of the Cd in the vegetable samples exceeded the maximum concentration allowable by national food safety criteria, although Pb content in all samples were within the criteria. Transfer factors (TF) from soils to vegetables were dependent on vegetable species. Leguminous vegetables were more likely to accumulate Cr, while leaf vegetables tended to show higher levels of concentration of Cd and Pb. Melon vegetables demonstrated a relatively low capacity for accumulating the heavy metals studied. TF were positively correlated with soil organic matter and negatively correlated with soil pH. The mean estimated daily intake of Cr, Cd and Pb via dietary consumption of vegetables was 0.011, 1.65 × 10-4 and 1.84 × 10-4 mg kg-1 of body weight per day, respectively, levels that were much lower than the reference doses recommended by USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives), indicating that the potential health risk of Cr, Cd and Pb exposure via vegetable consumption to the local population around this battery production area could be negligible.

Battery production is one of the main sources of heavy metals that present great harm to human health even in low concentrations. Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) were measured in edible portions of vegetables and soils around a battery production area in China, and the potential health risk of heavy metal contamination to the local population via vegetable consumption was evaluated. Their concentrations in edible portions of vegetables were 2.354 (0.078-14.878), 0.035 (0.003-0.230) and 0.039 (0.003-0.178) mg kg-1, respectively. Approximately 3 % of the Cd in the vegetable samples exceeded the maximum concentration allowable by national food safety criteria, although Pb content in all samples were within the criteria. Transfer factors (TF) from soils to vegetables were dependent on vegetable species. Leguminous vegetables were more likely to accumulate Cr, while leaf vegetables tended to show higher levels of concentration of Cd and Pb. Melon vegetables demonstrated a relatively low capacity for accumulating the heavy metals studied. TF were positively correlated with soil organic matter and negatively correlated with soil pH. The mean estimated daily intake of Cr, Cd and Pb via dietary consumption of vegetables was 0.011, 1.65 × 10-4 and 1.84 × 10-4 mg kg-1 of body weight per day, respectively, levels that were much lower than the reference doses recommended by USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives), indicating that the potential health risk of Cr, Cd and Pb exposure via vegetable consumption to the local population around this battery production area could be negligible.

The objective of this work was to investigate the relationship between changes in the plant community and changes in soil physical properties and water availability, during a succession from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to natural vegetation on the Loess Plateau, China. Data from a succession sere spanning 32 years were collated, and vegetative indexes were compared to changes related to soil bulk density and soil water storage. The alfalfa yield increased for approximately 7 years, then it declined and the alfalfa was replaced by a natural community dominated by Stipa bungeana that began to thrive about 10 years after alfalfa seeding. Soil bulk density increased over time, but the deterioration of the alfalfa was mainly ascribed to a severe reduction in soil water storage, which was lowest around the time when degradation commenced. The results indicated that water consumption by alfalfa could be reduced by reducing plant density. The analysis of the data also suggested that soil water recharge could be facilitated by rotating the alfalfa with other crops, natural vegetation, or bare soil.O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a relação entre variações em uma comunidade de plantas e variações nas propriedades físicas do solo e na disponibilidade de água, durante uma sucessão de alfafa (Medicago sativa L.) por vegetação natural, no Platô Loess, na China. Dados de uma sucessão de 32 anos foram examinados e índices vegetativos foram comparados em relação às variações de densidade do solo e do armazenamento de água no solo. A produção de alfafa aumentou aproximadamente por sete anos, e então decresceu, e a alfafa foi substituída por uma comunidade natural dominada pela Stipa bungeana, que começou a crescer vigorosamente dez anos após a semeadura da alfafa. A densidade do solo aumentou com o tempo, e a deterioração da alfafa se deu principalmente em razão da redução severa da água armazenada no solo, que atingiu o mínimo quando a degradação da alfafa começou. Os resultados indicam que o consumo de água pela alfafa poderia ser reduzido pela redução na densidade de plantas e que a recarga de água no solo poderia ser facilitada pela rotação entre a alfafa e outras culturas, vegetação natural ou solo nu.

Surface soil moisture exhibits an important variability in terms of spatial and temporal domains, which may result in critical uncertainties for agricultural water management. The purposes of this study were (i) to characterize the temporal dynamics and stability of the spatial variability of the surface 0-6 cm soil water content θon a hill-slope; (ii) to investigate issues related to soil moisture conditions including dominating factors on soil moisture and to the estimation of the mean θ. During a period of more than one month θwas measured on thirteen days by Frequency Domain Reflectometry using a 10 x 10 m grid of measurement points covering a 60 x 280 m domain within a hill-slope of the Loess Plateau in China. Soil water content exhibited a moderate variability for each measurement date, and the correlation length (l) for θranged from 8.4 to 27.7 m. With the soil becoming drier, l decreased, the CV% and the sampling number for accurate mean θestimation increased. Aspect, elevation, organic matter content, clay content, and bulk density were the main influencing factors, whose extent of influence weakened with decreasing θ. Based on time stability analysis and on the correlation of mean relative difference of θwith the relative difference of dominating factors, mean q values were well estimated, with a better accuracy under wetter conditions.A umidade da camada superficial do solo apresenta uma variabilidade importante nos domínios espacial e temporal, que pode levar a incertezas críticas para o manejo agrícola da água. Os objetivos deste estudo incluíram: (i) a caracterização da dinâmica temporal e da estabilidade da variabilidade espacial da umidade θda camada 0-6 cm em uma encosta em declive; (ii) investigação de parâmetros ligados às condições de umidade, incluindo fatores dominantes da umidade na estimativa de um valor médio de q. Durante um período de mais de um mês, q foi medida em 13 dias com auxílio da técnica da Refletometria do Domínio da Frequência, em uma grade de 10 x 10 cm, cobrindo uma área de 60 x 280 m, situada em uma encosta do "Loess Plateau" da China. A umidade do solo apresentou variabilidade moderada em cada data de medida e o alcance da correlação (l) para q variou de 8,4 a 27,7 m. Com o solo mais seco, l decresceu, o CV% e o número de amostras necessário para obter uma média precisa, aumentaram. O aspecto, a elevação, o conteúdo de matéria orgânica e a densidade do solo foram os principais fatores interferentes na umidade, cuja intensidade de influência diminuiu com a umidade. Baseado na análise de estabilidade temporal e na correlação da diferença relativa média de θcom a diferença relativa média dos fatores dominantes, valores médios de q puderam ser mais bem estimados, com maior precisão sobre condições mais úmidas.

The understanding of the structure of the spatial variability of soil surface hydraulic properties on steep slopes is important for modeling infiltration and runoff processes. The objective of this study was to investigate the spatial variability of these properties on a steep slope of the Loess Plateau in northwest China. A 9600 m² area was systematically sampled in a grid of 106 points spaced 10 m x 10 m. Hydraulic properties were determined with a disc infiltrometer under multiple pressure heads (-15, -9, -6, -3, 0 cm) at each sample point. Classical and geo-statistical methods were used for data analysis. The results indicated that the variation of Gardner's a and hydraulic conductivities at all applied pressure heads was moderate and the heterogeneity for hydraulic conductivities increased as the applied pressure head increased. Along the slope, hydraulic conductivities generally decreased downwards, while the Gardner's a fluctuated slightly. The Gardner's a of the shaded aspect of the slope was greater than that of the sunny aspect. The hydraulic conductivities of the shaded aspect were greater at higher pressure heads as compared to the sunny aspect, but lower than those of the sunny aspect at lower pressure heads. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between hydraulic conductivity and soil organic matter and clay (A compreensão da estrutura da variabilidade especial das propriedades hidráulicas do solo de encostas íngremes é importante na modelagem dos processos de infiltração e de escoamento superficial da água. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a variabilidade destas propriedades em uma encosta íngreme do "Loess Plateau" do noroeste da China. Uma área de 9600 m² foi sistematicamente amostrada em um grid de 106 pontos espaçados de 10 m x 10 m. As propriedades hídricas foram determinadas com um infiltrômetro de disco operando sob múltiplas cargas hidráulicas (-15, -9, -6, -3, 0 cm) em cada ponto de observação. Métodos clássicos e geoestatísticos foram empregados na análise dos dados. Os resultados mostraram que a variação do índice a de Gardner e das condutividades hidráulicas em todas as cargas aplicadas foi moderada e que a heterogeneidade das condutividades hidráulicas aumentou à medida que a carga hidráulica aumentava. Na direção do declive, as condutividades geralmente decresceram a jusante, enquanto os a de Gardner flutuavam moderadamente. Os a de Gardner das encostas sombreadas foram maiores do que os das encostas ensolaradas. As condutividades hidráulicas das encostas sombreadas foram maiores para cargas hidráulicas maiores em comparação com as encostas ensolaradas, mas menores que as das encostas ensolaradas para cargas hidráulicas menores. A análise de correlação mostrou uma correlação negativa entre a condutividade hidráulica e os teores de matéria orgânica e argila (

ABSTRACT: Ensilage is a simple and low-cost strategy to enable long term preservation and environmentally friendly utilization of agricultural by-products, such as straws and distiller's grains (DG) for ruminants. Effect of mixing different proportions of DG and rice straw (i.e. 0, 10, 20 or 30% of DG) with or without 5% molasses addition on fermentation and chemical variables of silages was evaluated. The study was conducted as a randomized blocks design in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, with three replications, using laboratory silos of 1L capacity (n=24). Despite a significant interaction (P

ABSTRACT This study was designed to find the effect of vitamin E supplementation on growth, serum antioxidant enzymes, and some trace elements in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) under low ambient temperature. A total of 180 day-old Japanese quails were randomly divided into four groups and provided with 0 (group A), 50 (group B), 100 (group C), and 150 IU/kg (group D) vitamin E (dl-α-tocopherol acetate) under an average temperature of 9±0.5 °C for an experimental period of 42 days. The result showed that feed intake per day, body weight, weight gain per day, and feed conversion ratio did not differ significantly between the groups. Serum concentrations of superoxide and glutathione peroxidase were significantly high in birds supplemented with 150 mg/kg of vitamin E. The concentration of aspartate aminotransferase was not significantly affected between the control and treated groups; however, alanine transaminase concentration significantly reduced in group D. Zinc concentration in the blood increased significantly in group D, with no significant effect on copper and manganese between the control and treated groups. Vitamin E at the level of 150 IU/kg of feed improves the blood antioxidant status and zinc concentration, with no effect on the performance traits of quail reared under low ambient temperature.

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of additives on the fermentation characteristics, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of tetraploid black locust (TBL). The TBL leaves silage was either untreated (control) or treated with 1 × 106 cfu/g FM Lactobacillus plantarum (L), 1% glucose (G), 3% molasses (M), a combination of 1% glucose and Lactobacillus plantarum (L+G), or a combination of 3% molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum (L+M). Fermentation quality, chemical composition and nutrient digestibility were then analyzed. Ethanol and acetic acid concentrations were the dominant fermentation products in all silages except L+M silage. The L, G and L+G treatments failed to influence the fermentation. The M treatment increased (P

Abstract Background: Elevated plasma levels of Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are recognized as a significant risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. However, there are limited data regarding association between Lp(a) and recurrent heart failure (HF) in patients with chronic HF caused by coronary heart disease (CHD). Objective: Elevated levels of Lp(a) might have a prognostic impact on recurrent HF in patients with chronic HF caused by CHD. Methods: A total of 309 patients with chronic HF caused by CHD were consecutively enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether Lp(a) levels were above or below the median level for the entire cohort (20.6 mg/dL): the high Lp(a) group (n = 155) and the low Lp(a) group (n = 154). A 2-sided p < 0.05 was statistically considered significant. Results: During the median follow-up period of 186 days, 31 cases out of a total of 309 patients (10.03%) could not be reached during follow-up. A Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with higher Lp(a) levels had a higher incidence of recurrent HF than those with lower Lp(a) levels (log-rank < 0.0001). A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that Lp(a) levels were independently correlated with the incidence of recurrent HF after adjustment of potential confounders (hazard ratio: 2.720, 95 % confidence interval: 1.730-4.277, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: In Chinese patients with chronic HF caused by CHD, elevated levels of Lp(a) are independently associated with recurrent HF.

ABSTRACT In areas where the supply of water for irrigation is limited, tomato production is often subject to drought stress. In order to investigate the drought sensitivity of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) yield and quality during different growth stages, field and pot experiments were conducted in a high tunnel in southern China during the 2013 and 2016 growing seasons. The experiments consisted of four treatments. Crops were drip-irrigated to 100 % of field capacity at all growth stages divided into treatment T1 (control) and the treatment group T2, T3 and T4 receiving half the amount of irrigation as T1 when the soil water content reached 70 % of field capacity, the vegetative phase (stage I) T2, the flowering and fruit development phase (stage II) T3, and the fruit ripening phase (stage III) T4. Compared to the control treatment, drought stress at stages II and III caused a decrease in yield of 13 % and 26 %, respectively. Fruit firmness and color index were positively affected by drought stress, while fruit water content and shape index did not show any differences between treatments. Taste and nutritional quality parameters, such as total soluble solids, soluble sugar, organic acids and vitamin C improved in response to limited water supply (p ≤ 0.05). Despite having a negative effect on fruit yield, drought stress applied at stage III tended to enhance fruit quality traits. This study found that applying drought stress at stage I can be a positive management approach as it saves water and has fewer negative effects compared to applying drought stress at the other critical growth stages, thereby minimizing the adverse effects of drought stress.