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The contrast between the tiger’s (Panthera tigris) 2-3 My age and extant tigers’ coalescence approximately 110,000 years ago suggests an ancient demographic bottleneck. Here we collected over 60 extinct specimens across mainland Asia and generated whole genome sequences from a 10,600-year-old Russian Far East (RFE) specimen (RUSA21, 8ξ coverage), 14 South China tigers (0.1-12ξ), three Caspian tigers (4-8ξ), plus 17 new mitogenomes. RUSA21 clustered within modern Northeast Asian phylogroups and partially derived from an extinct Late Pleistocene lineage. While some 8,000-10,000-year-old RFE mitogenomes are basal to all tigers, one 2,000-year-old specimen resembles present Amur tigers. The Caspian tiger likely dispersed from an ancestral Northeast Asian population and experienced gene flow from southern Bengal tigers. Lastly, genome-wide monophyly supported the South China tiger as a distinct subspecies, albeit with mitochondrial paraphyly, hence resolving its longstanding taxonomic controversy. The distribution of mitochondrial haplogroups corroborated by biogeographical modeling suggested Southwest China was a Late Pleistocene refugium for a relic basal lineage. As suitable habitat returned, Eastern China became a genetic melting pot to foster divergent lineages to merge into South China tigers and other subsequent northern subspecies to develop. Genomic information retrieved from ancient tigers hence sheds light on the species’ full evolutionary history leading to nine modern subspecies and resolves the natural history of surviving tigers.

Plant materials are used as complementary and alternative therapies all over the world for the treatment of various diseases. Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic nonspecific inflammatory bowel disease listed as one of the modern refractory diseases by the World Health Organization, has a long course, is challenging to cure, and is prone to cause cancer. Recent years have witnessed a growing trend of applying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to UC.This review presents an overview of the pathogenesis of UC and reports the therapeutic effect of TCM on UC (including TCM prescriptions, single TCM, and treatments using TCM ingredients) to provide a theoretical basis for the use of TCM in treating UC.We performed a collection and collation of relevant scientific articles from different scientific databases regarding TCM and its usefulness in treating UC. In this paper, the therapeutic effect of TCM is summarized and analyzed according to the existing experimental and clinical research.There are positive signs that TCM primarily regulates inflammatory cytokines, intestinal flora, and the immune system, and also protects the intestinal mucosa. Hence, it can play a role in treating UC.TCM has a definite curative effect in the treatment of UC. It can alleviate and treat UC in a variety of ways. We should take syndrome differentiation and treatment differentiation as the basis. With the help of modern medicine, TCM's clinical curative effects can be enhanced for the treatment of UC.

The novel structural variations were identified in cotton chloroplast tRNAs and gene loss events were more obvious than duplications in chloroplast tRNAs. Transfer RNAs (tRNA) have long been believed an evolutionary-conserved molecular family, which play the key roles in the process of protein biosynthesis in plant life activities. In this study, we detected the evolutionary characteristics and phylogeny of chloroplast tRNAs in cotton plants, an economic and fibered important taxon in the world. We firstly annotated the chloroplast tRNAs of 27 Gossypium species to analyze their genetic composition, structural characteristics and evolution. Compared with the traditional view of evolutionary conservation of tRNA, some novel tRNA structural variations were identified in cotton plants. I.g., tRNAVal-UAC and tRNAIle-GAU only contained one intron in the anti-condon loop region of tRNA secondary structure, respectively. In the variable region, some tRNAs contained a circle structure with a few nucleotides. Interestingly, the calculation result of free energy indicated that the variation of novel tRNAs contributed to the stability of tRNA structure. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that chloroplast tRNAs have evolved from multiple common ancestors, and the tRNAMet seemed to be an ancestral tRNA, which can be duplicated and diversified to produce other tRNAs. The chloroplast tRNAs contained a group I intron in cotton plants, and the evolutionary analysis of introns indicated that group I intron of chloroplast tRNA originated from cyanobacteria. Analysis of gene duplication and loss events showed that gene loss events were more obvious than duplications in Gossypium chloroplast tRNAs. Additionally, we found that the rate of transition was higher than the ones of transversion in cotton chloroplast tRNAs. This study provided new insights into the structural characteristics and evolution of chloroplast tRNAs in cotton plants.

Infanticide by unrelated individuals is widely reported in the animal kingdom; however, little is known about cases perpetrated by a parent, particularly the mother. This article reports on three cases of mother-initiated infanticide in Qinling golden takins (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) recorded from video and camera images. Based on previous reports in other animals, we propose that the infanticide events observed in golden takins were related to the parental manipulation mechanism – i.e., killing an unhealthy infant to allow the mother to invest more care in potentially healthy offspring, and gain more fruitful reproductive opportunities. This appears to be an evolutionary-based selection strategy, whereby a species can prosper and succeed under the challenges of natural selection. However, further studies on both captive and wild populations are required to answer the various questions raised from our observations.

Investigations on manual laterality in non-human primates can help clarify human evolutionary origins of hand preference and cerebral cognition. Although body posture can influence primate hand preference, investigations on how posture affects hylobatid manual laterality are still in their infancy. This study focused on how spontaneous bipedal behavioral tasks affect hand preference in Hylobatidae. Ten captive northern white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys) were chosen as focal subjects. Unimanual grooming during sitting posture and supported bipedal posture were applied as behavioral tasks. The gibbons displayed a modest tendency on left-hand preference during sitting posture and right-hand preference during supported bipedal posture, although no group-level hand preference was detected for either posture. From the sitting to supported bipedal posture, 70% of individuals displayed different degrees of right-side deviation trends. The strength of manual laterality in the supported bipedal posture was higher than that in the sitting posture. We found significant sex differences in manual laterality during supported bipedal posture but not during sitting posture. Thus, to a certain degree, bipedal posture in N. leucogenys facilitates stronger hand preference, elicits a rightward trend in manual laterality, and produces sex-specific hand preference.

The genus Criorhina consists of honey-bee and bumblebee mimic flower flies with a strongly produced face. It is widespread in the Holarctic and Oriental Regions. Criorhina adults are usually found flying near white spring flowers in woodlands and shrubs. The Chinese Criorhina fauna is poorly known and includes seven species. In our flower fly collection of Henan Province, northern China, an eighth new species was discovered: Criorhina rostrata Li, Huo & Li sp. nov. This new species is here described and illustrated. The new species possess a very long proboscis, unique amongst the Criorhina species from mainland China. In addition, during the course of this study, Criorhina brevipila Loew, 1871 was also found to be present in mainland China, based on a specimen from our collection. A key to the species of Criorhina from mainland China is given.

Golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana), as typical arboreal group-living Old World monkeys, provide an appropriate animal model to research manual laterality and explore the factors affecting hand preference in nonhuman primates. This study investigated hand preference based on 63 subjects and four spontaneous manual tasks (including unimanual and bimanual feeding and grooming), and assessed the effects of age, gender and type of task on handedness in R. roxellana. A population-level left-handedness was found not only in the bimanual coordinated tasks (bimanual feeding and grooming), but also in one unimanual reaching task (unimanual feeding). There were no significant differences between the sexes in either direction or strength of hand preference among any task. However, a significant difference between adults and juveniles was found in the unimanual feeding task. This is the first report on handedness in unimanual and bimanual feeding tasks that require bipedal posture in wild R. roxellana. Furthermore, this study demonstrated spontaneous feeding tasks reported previously only in the quadrupedal posture in this species, supporting the importance of factors such as posture and task complexity in the evolution of primate manual lateralization.

Golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana), as typical arboreal group-living Old World monkeys, provide an appropriate animal model to research manual laterality and explore the factors affecting hand preference in non-human primates (NHP). This study investigated hand preference based on 63 subjects and four spontaneous manual tasks (including unimanual and bimanual feeding and grooming), and assessed the effects of age, gender and type of task on handedness in R. roxellana. A population-level left-handedness was found not only in the bimanual coordinated tasks (bimanual feeding and grooming), but also in one unimanual reaching task (unimanual feeding). There were no significant differences between the sexes in either direction or strength of hand preference among any task. However, a significant difference between adults and juveniles was found in the unimanual feeding task. This is the first report on handedness in unimanual and bimanual feeding tasks that require bipedal posture in wild R. roxellana. Furthermore, this study demonstrated spontaneous feeding tasks reported previously only in the quadrupedal posture in this species, supporting the importance of factors such as posture and task complexity in the evolution of primate manual lateralization.

The objective of the study was to assess the quality of the Shule River water for irrigational purposes. Surface water samples were collected along the course of the river in May and October 2012. The samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Surface water was generally alkaline (average pH 8.17) and water pH and total dissolved solids in May were higher than those in October. EC ranged from 0.24 to 2.15 mS cm−1. Sodium was identified as the dominant cation, sulphate was identified as the dominant anion in May for both samples of river water but, in October, the dominant anions are respectively sulphate, bicarbonate and chloride from the upper region to the lower region. The total dissolved solids, chloride and sodium were found to exceed the permissible limits for irrigation water in the lower region. According to the principal factor analysis results, among water quality parameters measured in this study, chloride is the best indicator for monitoring water quality. The results revealed a deteriorating water quality in the lower region of the river.

In primate species with social systems consisting of one-male breeding units (OMUs), resident male takeover represents a major challenge to individual reproductive success and mating strategies. The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is characterized by large multilevel societies (MLS) comprised of several OMUs and all-male units (AMUs); however, the factors and mechanisms associated with resident male takeover, which offer important insight into primate reproduction and social strategies, are still poorly understood. Based on 5-year monitoring data from a free-ranging herd of golden monkeys from the Qinling Mountains in China, we categorized three phases of an OMU, that is, a rising phase, developing phase, and declining phase. The rising and declining phases were unstable periods in which male takeover in an OMU might occur. Factors causing takeover, such as leader male rank, fighting ability, reproduction rate, and affiliation (proximity, allogrooming), were analyzed for males and females and for different OMUs. Results indicated that the new resident male’s fighting ability was lower than that of the former resident male in 23 cases. After replacement, the rank order of the new resident male significantly declined. Females involved in a takeover increased their distance from the resident male and decreased mating frequency during the three months prior to takeover. Females with infants under one-year-old had a marked effect on the specific time of takeover occurrence. These results suggested that female choice was the main factor deciding whether a takeover attempt was successful. Furthermore, rather than male conflict, females more often initiated and affected takeover and outcome, implying that the social status and competitive ability of the males played lesser roles during takeover.

Application of natural preservative agents has improved storability of aquatic products due to their antimicrobial properties. Recently, a combination of chitosan and nisin has been proven effective for preservation of Pseudosciaena crocea stored at 4 °C. However, few studies are available on the antimicrobial potential of this combination against Shewanella spp. in Pseudosciaena crocea. In this study the antimicrobial performance of 1% chitosan, 1% chitosan +0.4% nisin and 1% chitosan +0.6% nisin against two isolates Shewanella putrefaciens DHS01 and Shewanella algae DHS02 was compared. The results revealed that with the synergy of 0.6% nisin, 1% chitosan presented significant inhibitory effects on growth and biofilm formation of these two species. By inhibiting growth and biofilm formation of Shewanella putrefaciens and Shewanella algae, this combination was considered capable of reducing amino acids loss of Pseudosciaena crocea and accumulation of spoilage products like VBN, putrescine and cadaverine. Simultaneously, we proposed a new method to monitor the growth of Shewanella putrefaciens and Shewanella algae in Pseudosciaena crocea by analysis of phospholipid acids.

The air supply velocity has a direct impact on the cooling rate and energy consumption for forced air precooling of horticultural produce, which was often investigated at a constant air supply velocity throughout the whole precooling process previously. In this paper, the effects of different constant air supply velocity on cooling time, uniformity, heat load and energy consumption during different precooling stages were analyzed theoretically by numerical simulation. The simulated results are consistent with the experimental data. The analyzed results showed that the air supply velocity had less influence on the half cooling time, but it had significant impact on energy consumption whether before or after half cooling time, especially when air supply velocity exceeds 2 m/s. With the increased air supply velocity, the internal temperature gradient of individual product and cooling uniformity after half cooling time were all enhanced. Furthermore, from half cooling time to 7/8 cooling time, the proportion of fan heat load increased gradually with the precooling going on and became the main heat load (more than 50%), which means the refrigerating capacity is mainly used to remove the heat generated by ventilating fan in the later stage of precooling. Finally, a novel precooling strategy (variable supply air velocity precooling) was proposed and a method to determine optimal precooling condition from four constant and five variable supply-air velocity plans was established.

We isolated 29 polymorphic genomic microsatellite in golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) which is endemic to China. The number of alleles per locus is 5.034 ± 1.349 (mean ± SD), the observed and expected heterozygosity is 0.624 ± 0.116 and 0.614 ± 0.098, respectively. Seventeen loci were highly polymorphic (PIC > 0.5), and polymorphic information content is 0.549 ± 0.105. Suggesting a high level of genetic diversity of R. roxellana in the four locations. Four loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These markers will provide useful tools for population genetic studies of R. roxellana.

Where and how to sample soils in highly variable tree plantations are important to soil testing and nutrient recommendation for rubber trees ( Hevea brasiliensis ). The objectives of the study were to determine optimal sampling sites representing means of key soil nutrients at micro scale and to delineate probability maps for optimal soil sampling sites for nutrient management planning for rubber trees. The study was conducted in a rubber tree plantation in the tropical island of Hainan, China in 2011. A total of 168 soil samples (0–0.2 m in the soil depth) were collected in a 1 m × 0.5 m grid in equivalent rectangles. The air-dried soil samples were then analyzed for total nitrogen (TN) and soil organic matter (SOM) variables. Using the sequential indicator simulation (SIS) we discovered that sampling sites were with high probability for both soil TN and SOM within 10% relative standard deviation above and below the means. The high probability regions of uncertainties were near the rubber rhizome neck areas and in the shrub and ruderal zone in the high locations, where were no-tillage zones and at the specific non-cultivated land between the adjacent rubber planting strips with natural vegetation growth. The spatial variability in TN and SOM variables could be attributed to the combined effects of topographic micro-features and tree management practices. It was concluded that SIS method could be useful for effective determination of optimal sites for soil sampling for spatial uncertainty and nutrient management in rubber tree plantations.

Spectral analysis techniques were applied to geochemical element analysis to provide additional environmental data about evolution of salt lakes and climate change. The elements composition of lake sediments from L07-10 in the “Great Ear” Area of Lop Nur was analyzedby using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES )and from 14 C carbon dating by using the EN accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS).This paper estimated the climate change in this region since 16.34 ka BP. Results demonstrate that the geochemical characteristics of major elements at all sediment levels can indicate environmental change sensitivity, and element composition is more sensitive to climate change. Overall, climate succession since 16.34 ka BP had been: warm-wet, warm-dry, cold-wet and warm-dry. From 8.09~6.34 ka BP，the climate obviously heated up and was warmer and drier, which is consistent with global and regional climate change estimates from other studies. By about 2 ka BP, the climate becomes warmer and drier and the water carrying capacity of this lake was reduced.

Two precocious walnut varieties, Lvling and Lvzao were used as materials in this study, the kernel fat contents and 3 related enzyme activities in different development periods after flowe-ring 50 days were analyzed. The key enzymes affecting walnut fat in different periods were illumina-ted. The results showed that the kernel fat accumulation trends of the two varieties were basically the same. The kernel began to solidify 50 days after flowering, and the increase in kernel fat content was rapid 60-90 days after flowering, slowed down 90-120 days after flowering, and stopped 120-130 days after flowering. The Logistic model was used to fit the fat accumulation (P0.01). Fat content rapid accumulation period was 57.8-85.8 days after flowering for Lvling, and 67.4-92.1 days after flowering for Lvzao. The activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), 6-phosphate dextrose dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and pyruvate kinase (PK) increased from 50 to 100 days after flowering, and then the activities of enzymes began to decrease. The kernel fat content was positively correlated with the activity of ACCase. The kernel fat accumulation rate was positively correlated with PK enzyme activity. The correlation between fat content and enzyme activity was different at different development stages. The 50-100 days after flowering was the exuberant period of walnut kernel fat synthesis, and at this time the fat content could be improved by strengthening the field cultivation management measures. At the early stage of the walnut fat synthesis, G6PDH was the major enzyme to affect fat content, and PK activity influenced the formation of pyruvic acid, so as to indirectly affect the synthesis of fat. ACCase activity affected the final fat content and ACCase played an important regulating role in every period of fat synthesis. It was speculated that ACCase might be a key enzyme to affect the fat synthesis of walnut kernel.以绿岭和绿早2个早实核桃品种为试材,对开花50 d后不同发育时期核仁的脂肪含量与3种相关的酶活性动态进行研究,分析不同发育时期影响核桃脂肪含量的关键酶.结果表明: 2个品种的核仁脂肪积累动态一致,核仁在开花后50 d开始固化,花后60～90 d核仁脂肪含量迅速增加,花后90～120 d增长幅度变缓,花后120～130 d脂肪含量停止增长.利用Logistic模型对核桃脂肪积累进程进行拟合(P0.01),绿岭脂肪积累盛期为开花后57.8～85.8 d,绿早为开花后67.4～92.1 d.乙酰辅酶A羧化酶(ACCase)、6-磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶(G6PDH)和丙酮酸激酶(PK)活性均在花后50～100 d呈上升趋势,随后酶活性呈下降趋势.核仁脂肪含量与ACCase活性呈显著正相关;脂肪积累速率与PK活性呈显著正相关;不同发育时期脂肪含量与酶活性的相关性不同.花后50～100 d是核桃核仁脂肪合成旺盛的时期,此时加强田间栽培管理可以提高脂肪含量.在核桃脂肪合成前期G6PDH是影响脂肪含量的主要酶,PK活性影响丙酮酸形成,从而间接影响脂肪的合成.ACCase活性影响了最终的脂肪含量,并在脂肪合成的各个时期均起到重要的调节作用,是影响核桃脂肪合成的关键酶.

Objective: The prognostic significance of Aurora kinase A expression in cancer patients is currently under debate. Here, we conducted the first comprehensive meta-analysis of the prognostic relevance of Aurora kinase A associated with survival in solid tumors. Methods: Pubmed was searched for studies evaluating the Aurora kinase A expression and survival in solid tumors through 10 October 2014. The main outcome analyzed was overall survival and secondary outcomes were progression-free survival, disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival. Pooled hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess the association. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. Results: Thirty-nine eligible studies enrolling 5523 patients were identified. The high Aurora kinase A expression level was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.81–2.95). Further subgroup analyses showed that our results were stable irrespective of the disease sites, stages and methods of Aurora kinase A expression. The high Aurora kinase A expression level was also associated with progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.96–3.69), disease-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.45–2.51) and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio = 2.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.38–3.29). Conclusions: Our present meta-analysis indicates that the Aurora kinase A is an effective prognosticator in solid tumors patients. Further studies are required to explore the clinical utility of Aurora kinase A in solid tumor.

The North China Plain (NCP) is one of major breadbaskets in China. Crop growth and grain yield differ significantly with spatial variations of soil properties. This study aims to identify the key soil properties in relation to the grain yield for the winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)-maize ( Zea mays L.) cropping system in a high-productivity farmland of the NCP. The field trials were conducted in three fields with different grain yield levels in Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China, during the 2009–2012 period. Consistent field management strategies were applied in the three fields. Fifty-one physical and chemical indicators of the soil profile as related to grain yield were evaluated. An approximate maximum of 17.8% annual average grain yield difference was observed in the fields during the period of 2009–2012. The soil indicators were classified into three clusters with specific functions using cluster analysis, and three key indicators were extracted from each cluster to characterize the different soil properties of three fields. The first cluster represented soil water retention capacity, and the key indicator was available soil water (ASW), which ranged from 153 to 187 mm in the 1.2 m profile and was correlated positively with grain yield. The second cluster represented soil water conductivity, as measured by saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s ). The higher yield field had a greater capacity to retain topsoil water for its lower K s (1.9 cm d −1 ) in the 30–70 cm soil layer as compared to the lower yield field. The third cluster represented nutrient storage and supply, as indicated by the ratio of nutrient content to silt+clay content of the top soil layer. The ratio of soil organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), available P, exchangeable K + to silt+clay content in the 0–20 cm soil layer were 19.0 g kg −1 , 1.6 g kg −1 , 94.7 mg kg −1 , 174.3 mg kg −1 in the higher yield field, respectively, and correlated positively with the grain yield. By characterizing the differences in soil properties among fields with different yield levels, this study offers the scientific basis for increasing grain yield potential by improving the soil conditions in the NCP.

Background Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been demonstrated to play crucial role in tumor growth and metastasis for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). LncRNA FAL1 has been indicated to promote the progression of various cancers. However, the role of lncRNA FAL1 in HCC was poorly understood. Methods The expression levels of lncRNA FAL1 in HCC tissues and cells were determined by RT-qPCR. The roles of lncRNA FAL1 on HCC cells were investigated by MTT, colony formation, transwell, RT-qPCR, and Western blotting. The miRNA binding sites of lncRNA FAL1 was predicted using RegRNA 2.0 and miR-1236 was validated to target lncRNA FAL1 by luciferase reporter assays and RT-qPCR. Finally, the expression levels of lncRNA FAL1 in serum exosome of HCC patients was also investigated and the role of exosome-mediated lncRNA FAL1 was further investigated by co-culturing with HCC cells. Results This study first showed that lncRNA FAL1 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and functioned as an oncogene in HCC. LncRNA FAL1 could accelerate cell proliferation and metastasis as a ceRNA mechanism by competitively binding to miR-1236. Moreover, lncRNA FAL1 was also up-regulated in serum exosome of HCC patients and could transfer lncRNA FAL1 to HCC cells to increase their abilities of cell proliferation and migration. Conclusions Taken together, this study indicated that lncRNA FAL1 functions as an oncogenic in HCC and may be a novel diagnostic biomarker or a novel target for the treatment of HCC in future.

Purpose An often under-recognized late manifestation of prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) is the development of treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). The aim of this study is to identify the risk factors related to survival after NEPC diagnosis (NEPCS) and time from initial diagnosis of PCa to development of NEPC (TTNEPC). Patients and Methods A literature search on NEPC was performed using databases such as MEDLINE and EMBASE. Studies were eligible if outcomes data (NEPCS and/or TTNEPC) were reported in patients with a prior history of PCa and histopathologically confirmed NEPC. NEPCS and TTNEPC were evaluated using the Cox regression model with the robust sandwich estimates of the covariance matrix. Results There were 54 eligible publications, contributing 123 patients. The median TTNEPC was 20 months. In multivariable analyses, the Gleason score was significantly associated with shorter TTNEPC (hazard ratio [HR], 1.66; P = .032). The median NEPCS was 7 months. In multivariable analyses, the number of organs with metastatic disease at NEPC was significantly associated with shorter NEPCS (HR, 3.31; P = .001). Type of treatment after NEPC was significantly associated with longer NEPCS, with HRs of 0.66 (radiotherapy v palliative therapy; P = .034), 0.38 (chemotherapy v palliative therapy; P = .018), and 0.29 (chemoradiotherapy v palliative therapy; P = .012), respectively. Conclusion Treatment-related NEPC is an often under-recognized late manifestation of PCa with poor prognosis. Our study found that Gleason score was the only independent factor contributing to TTNEPC. Once NEPC is diagnosed, type of treatment and the number of organs with metastatic disease were the most important factors related to survival.

Objective : To provide scientific guidance for water management of precocious walnuts. Method: With 8 years old ‘Lvling’ walnut trees as samples, 5 irrigation quantity treatments were designed, including 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg of water per plant for each time, respectively and the routine irrigation amount (CK) was 600 kg of water per plant for each time. During the draught stage in growing season, 3 times of irrigation were carried out, and the effects of different treatments on sap flow, water use efficiency, yield and fruit quality were compared. Results: The daily instantaneous maximum average sap flow rates were found with 60 kg of water and control; the daily highest average water use efficiency was 1.54 mmol/mol with the treatment of 30 kg water; the daily highest average leaf water potential was-1.23 MPa with control; the highest yield per plant (1.48 kg) was found with the control, and the yield of 45 kg and 60 kg water per plant one time accounted for 98.65% and 99.32% of that of control, respectively. with T1 the yield was the lowest, only accounting for 70.65% of the control. Conclusion: As the soil water contents increased, the diurnal variation curve of sap flow rates changed from unimodal to bimodal patterns in sunny days, the main peak was narrowed; the curve of diurnal variation of leaf water potential changed from "V" to "W" type; the leaf water use efficiency increased initially and then decreased later; and the nut quality was improved and the yield increased. The optimal soil water content (SWC) of 'Lvling' precocious walnuts ranged from 20.01% ~ 21.96%.

In halophytic plants, the high-affinity potassium transporter HKT gene family can selectively uptake K+ in the presence of toxic concentrations of Na+. This has so far not been well examined in glycophytic crops. Here, we report the characterization of SbHKT1;4, a member of the HKT gene family from Sorghum bicolor. Upon Na+ stress, SbHKT1;4 expression was more strongly upregulated in salt-tolerant sorghum accession, correlating with a better balanced Na+/K+ ratio and enhanced plant growth. Heterogeneous expression analyses in mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis thaliana indicated that overexpressing SbHKT1;4 resulted in hypersensitivity to Na+ stress, and such hypersensitivity could be alleviated with the supply of elevated levels of K+, implicating that SbHKT1;4 may mediate K+ uptake in the presence of excessive Na+. Further electrophysiological evidence demonstrated that SbHKT1;4 could transport Na+ and K+ when expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The relevance of the finding that SbHKT1;4 functions to maintain optimal Na+/K+ balance under Na+ stress to the breeding of salt-tolerant glycophytic crops is discussed.

Farming management practices related to nutrient recommendation for rubber tree plantations have been a challenge for scientists, farm managers and local producers. Specific caves and building contour ledges to prevent nutrient losses through soil erosion often cause spatial variation of topsoil nutrients in such plantations of rubber trees ( Hevea brasiliensis ). The design of soil-sampling schemes to test chemical properties of the soil is critical for successful nutrient recommendation for rubber trees. Our objectives were to characterize the spatia variability of soil pH, macronutrient NPK and organic matter in rubber plantations and to evaluate the rationality of soil sampling schemes in rubber plantations for tree nutrient management. The study was conducted in an area of 84 m 2 consistent of nine rubber trees and soil samples (0–0.2 m depth) were taken from 168 grid points with a dimension of 1 m × 0.5 m. Concentrations of total nitrogen, organic matter, available phosphorus, available potassium and pH levels were determined for each soil sample. Based on their spatial variability patterns, the analyzed variables were divided into several homogeneous zones through fuzzy cluster algorithm. The number of subzones was determined using fuzzy performance index and normalized classification entropy to optimize the classification algorithm. The classification results showed that there were three optimal sampling zones for the soil chemical properties. The analysis of variance indicated that chemical properties were significantly different between the delineated zones. The delineated management zones could be used as a reference for making soil-sampling scheme in the rubber plantation. The results of this study have the implication in optimization of soil sampling planning for soil testing for nutrient recommendation. Fuzzy cluster algorithms could classify soil chemical properties into three practical zones by reducing intrazone variability, which would provide with useful information for making effective soil-sampling schemes in rubber tree plantations.

In order to study the corrosion characteristics of 16Mn and X42 steel in natural seawater, the indoor contrast corrosion experiments are carried out in seawater by electrochemical method. Tafel polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques are employed to investigate the corrosion electrochemical behavior of 16Mn and X42 steel, which are acquired by electrochemical workstation. The results of polarization curves and EIS reveal the respective corrosion rules of 16Mn and X42 steel in natural seawater. At last, the different influence of corrosion scale on the corrosion process of 16Mn and X42 steel is analyzed contrastively.

Background Risperidone is the first new-generation antipsychotic drug made available in the market in its generic form. Objectives To determine the clinical effects, safety and cost-effectiveness of risperidone compared with placebo for treating schizophrenia. Search methods On 19th October 2015, we searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register, which is based on regular searches of CINAHL, BIOSIS, AMED, EMBASE, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and registries of clinical trials. We checked the references of all included studies and contacted industry and authors of included studies for relevant studies and data. Selection criteria Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) comparing oral risperidone with placebo treatments for people with schizophrenia and/or schizophrenia-like psychoses. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently screened studies, assessed the risk of bias of included studies and extracted data. For dichotomous data, we calculated the risk ratio (RR), and the 95% confidence interval (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis. For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD) and the 95% CI. We created a 'Summary of findings table' using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Main results The review includes 15 studies (N = 2428). Risk of selection bias is unclear in most of the studies, especially concerning allocation concealment. Other areas of risk such as missing data and selective reporting also caused some concern, although not affected on the direction of effect of our primary outcome, as demonstrated by sensitivity analysis. Many of the included trials have industry sponsorship of involvement. Nonetheless, generally people in the risperidone group are more likely to achieve a significant clinical improvement in mental state (6 RCTs, N = 864, RR 0.64, CI 0.52 to 0.78, very low-quality evidence). The effect withstood, even when three studies with >50% attrition rate were removed from the analysis (3 RCTs, N = 589, RR 0.77, CI 0.67 to 0.88). Participants receiving placebo were less likely to have a clinically significant improvement on Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI) than those receiving risperidone (4 RCTs, N = 594, RR 0.69, CI 0.57 to 0.83, very low-quality evidence). Overall, the risperidone group was 31% less likely to leave early compared to placebo group (12 RCTs, N = 2261, RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.78, low-quality evidence), but Incidence of significant extrapyramidal side effect was more likely to occur in the risperidone group (7 RCTs, N = 1511, RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.15, very low-quality evidence). When risperidone and placebo were augmented with clozapine, there is no significant differences between groups for clinical response as defined by a less than 20% reduction in PANSS/BPRS scores (2 RCTs, N = 98, RR 1.15, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.42, low-quality evidence) and attrition (leaving the study early for any reason) (3 RCTs, N = 167, RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.53 to 2.42, low quality evidence). One study measured clinically significant responses using the CGI, no effect was evident (1 RCT, N = 68, RR 1.12 95% CI 0.87 to 1.44, low quality evidence). No data were available for extrapyramidal adverse effects. Authors' conclusions Based on low quality evidence, risperidone appears to be benefitial in improving mental state compared with placebo, but it also causes more adverse events. Eight out of the 15 included trials were funded by pharmaceutical companies. The currently available evidence isvery low to low quality.

Background Fluphenazine is a typical antipsychotic drug from the phenothiazine group of antipsychotics. It has been commonly used in the treatment of schizophrenia, however, with the advent of atypical antipsychotic medications, use has declined over the years. Objectives To measure the outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) of the clinical effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of oral fluphenazine versus atypical antipsychotics for schizophrenia. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Studies (25 April 2013). For the economic search, we searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Health Economic Database (CSzGHED) on 31 January 2014 Selection criteria All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing fluphenazine (oral) with any other oral atypical antipsychotics. Data collection and analysis Review authors worked independently to inspect citations and assess the quality of the studies and to extract data. For homogeneous dichotomous data we calculated the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), and calculated the mean differences (MDs) for continuous data. We assessed risk of bias for included studies and used GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) to rate the quality of the evidence. Main results Four studies randomising a total of 202 people with schizophrenia are included. Oral fluphenazine was compared with oral amisulpride, risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine. Comparing oral fluphenazine with amisulpride, there was no difference between groups for mental state using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) (1 RCT, n = 57, MD 5.10 95% CI -2.35 to 12.55, very low-quality evidence), nor was there any difference in numbers leaving the study early for any reason (2 RCTs, n = 98, RR 1.19 95% CI 0.63 to 2.28, very low-quality evidence). More people required concomitant anticholinergic medication in the fluphenazine group compared to amisulpride (1 RCT, n = 36, RR 7.82 95% CI 1.07 to 57.26, very low-quality evidence). No data were reported for important outcomes including relapse, changes in life skills, quality of life or cost-effectiveness. Comparing oral fluphenazine with risperidone, data showed no difference between groups for 'clinically important response' (1 RCT, n = 26, RR 0.67 95% CI 0.13 to 3.35, very low-quality evidence) nor leaving the study early due to inefficacy (1 RCT, n = 25, RR 1.08 95% CI 0.08 to 15.46, very low-quality evidence). No data were reported data for relapse; change in life skills; quality of life; extrapyramidal adverse effects; or cost-effectiveness. Once again there was no difference when oral fluphenazine was compared with quetiapine for clinically important response (1 RCT, n = 25, RR 0.62 95% CI 0.12 to 3.07, very low-quality evidence), nor leaving the study early for any reason (1 RCT, n = 25, RR 0.46 95% CI 0.05 to 4.46, very low-quality evidence). No data were reported for relapse; clinically important change in life skills; quality of life; extrapyramidal adverse effects; or cost-effectiveness. Compared to olanzapine, fluphenazine showed no superiority for clinically important response (1 RCT, n = 60, RR 1.33 95% CI 0.86 to 2.07, very low-quality evidence), in incidence of akathisia (1 RCT, n = 60, RR 3.00 95% CI 0.90 to 10.01, very low-quality evidence) or in people leaving the study early (1 RCT, n = 60, RR 3.00 95% CI 0.33 to 27.23, very low-quality evidence). No data were reported for relapse; change in life skills; quality of life; or cost-effectiveness. Authors' conclusions Measures of clinical response and mental state do not highlight differences between fluphenazine and amisulpride, risperidone, quetiapine or olanzapine. Largely measures of adverse effects are also unconvincing for substantive differences between fluphenazine and the newer drugs. All included trials carry a substantial risk of bias regarding reporting of adverse effects and this bias would have favoured the newer drugs. The four small short included studies do not provide much clear information about the relative merits or disadvantages of oral fluphenazine compared with newer atypical antipsychotics.