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Larch is a cold-temperate tree species native to the northern hemisphere and tolerant to low temperatures. It is one of the most significant timber species in Northeast China. This study examined growth changes in hybrid larch seedlings from five lines to explore the physiological responses of these seedlings to low-temperature stress. Using 8-month-old hybrids of larch seedlings, we subjected the plants to cold stress at 4 °C and freezing stress at −20 °C over three periods of 6, 12, and 24 h, and treatment at 25 °C was used as a control. Results showed that significant correlations were found among the growth indicators, with larch line 1306 having the lowest incremental growth indicators, the largest root-to-crown ratio, and better cold tolerance than the other larch lines. The levels of soluble sugars (SSs), soluble proteins (SPs), malondialdehyde (MDA), and relative electrolyte leakage (REC) increased significantly in all lines under low-temperature stress. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) showed variation over time. Significant correlations were found between MDA and REL, SS, SR, Pro, CAT, and SOD in most of the lines; no significant correlation was found between MDA and the other indices in lines 1301 and 1309; and significant correlations were found between most of the physiological indices in line 1306. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lily is one of the world's important ornamental flowers. Potted Asiatic lily is a further selected dwarf cultivar suitable for indoor or garden planting. However, there is a lack of relevant research on the cultivation adaptability of potted Asiatic lilies cultivars in the Chongqing region which in the southwest of China. This study selected five potted Asiatic lily cultivars, and the phenological period, stem and leaf characteristics, and flowering traits were assessed through statistical observation. The Asiatic lily 'Tiny Ghost' and 'Tiny Double You' are well-suited for both spring and autumn planting in Chongqing, while 'Sugar Love' and 'Curitiba' are best planted in the spring. The 'Tiny Diamond' is more appropriate for autumn planting due to its low tolerance to high temperature. The application of exogenous substances, including calcium chloride (CaCl2), potassium fulvic acid (PFA) and melatonin (MT), can mitigate the detrimental effects of high-temperature stress on 'Tiny Diamond' by regulating photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, and osmotic substance content. A comprehensive evaluation using the membership function showed that the effect of exogenous CaCl2 treatment is the best, followed by exogenous PFA treatment. CaCl2 acts as a positive regulator of heat stress tolerance in Asian lilies, with potential applications in Asian lily cultivation. This study provides reference for cultivation and application of Asian lily varieties in Chongqing region, and also laid the foundation for further research on the mechanism of exogenous substances alleviating heat stress in lilies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia (Camellia japonica) is a semi-shaded plant that is highly vulnerable to heat stress. To investigate the mechanisms underlying heat stress in C. japonica, two C. japonica cultivars, "Xiaotaohong" and "Zhuapolian", which exhibit significant differences in heat tolerance, were selected from four common cultivars. The selection methods included phenotypic observations and physiological index detection, including relative electric conductivity (REC), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity, relative water content (RWC), and chlorophyll content. RNA-seq analysis yielded 980 million reads and identified 68,455 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two C. japonica cultivars during heat stress compared to the control samples. Totals of 12,565 and 16,046 DEGs were differentially expressed at 16 h and 32 h, respectively, in "Xiaotaohong" during heat stress. In "Zhuapolian", 40,280 and 37,539 DEGs were found at 16 h and 32 h, respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that both cultivars were enriched in the "plant hormone signal transduction" and "circadian rhythm" pathways at two stages, indicating the critical role these pathways play in the heat stress response. The differences in the tolerance between the two cultivars are likely linked to pathways such as "plant hormone signal transduction", "photosynthesis", and "circadian rhythm". Some members of heat shock proteins (HSPs) are associated with the heat stress response. It is speculated that transcription factor families contributing to the tolerance differences include AP2/ERF, C3H, bHLH, bZIP, and MYB-related with a small number of heat shock factors (HSFs) also induced by the stress. In conclusion, these results reveal the changes in the physiological indices and molecular networks of two C. japonica cultivars under heat stress. This study lays the foundation for the breeding of superior heat-resistant C. japonica cultivars and for further molecular research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Xinyang Normal University Natural Science Edition is the property of Journal of Xinyang Normal University Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Standard roses are a widely used ornamental plant in urban landscapes, valued for their attractive flowers and adaptability to various environmental conditions. This study investigated how different substrate types affect the growth and development of standard roses and their potential to improve the ecology of urban landscapes. Nine substrate conditions (rotted corn stover, decomposed shiitake mushroom residue, perlite, and combinations) were compared with field soil as a control treatment. The physical and chemical characteristics of each substrate were analysed, and the growth and development of standard rose plants were observed over six months. The results indicated that the substrate T4 (70% rotted corn stover, 15% decomposed shiitake mushroom residue, 15% perlite) achieved the highest evaluation index, leading to superior plant growth compared to other substrates. This combination provided optimal water retention, aeration, and nutrient supply, making it the most effective substrate for cultivating standard roses. Additionally, the use of these substrates can improve soil quality and reduce environmental pollution, offering a sustainable option for urban landscape management.

Melatonin (MT) is a multifunctional hormone that enhances crop resilience against various abiotic stresses. However, its regulatory mechanism of osmotic tolerance in forage oats (Avena sativa) plants under water-limited scenarios is still unclear. This study aimed to delineate the impact of MT pretreatment on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical functions of oat seedlings under osmotic stress. Our findings demonstrated that exogenous treatment of MT noticeably elevated leaf area while decreasing the root/shoot ratio of oat seedlings subjected to osmotic stress. Osmotic-induced 38.22% or 48.37% decrease in relative water content could be significantly alleviated by MT pretreatment on day 7 or day 14, respectively. MT treatment also significantly mitigated osmotic-induced decreases in photosynthetic parameters including net photosynthetic rate, stomatic conductance, and intercellular CO2 concentration as well as various chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, which could contribute to enhanced accumulations of free proline and soluble sugars in seedlings after being subjected to a prolonged duration of osmotic stress. Furthermore, MT markedly improved antioxidant enzyme activities including superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and peroxidase along with the accumulation of ascorbic acid contributing to a significant reduction in reactive oxygen species under osmotic stress. In addition, the MT application induced a 978.12%, 33.54%, or 30.59% increase in endogenous MT, indole acetic acid, or gibberellic acid content under osmotic stress but did not affect the accumulation of abscisic acid. These findings suggest that an optimal concentration of MT (100 μmol·L−1) could relieve osmotic stress via improvement in osmotic adjustment, the enzymatic antioxidant defense system, and endogenous hormonal balance, thereby contributing to enhanced photosynthetic functions and growth of oat seedlings under water-limited conditions.

This study investigated the use of endophyte-assisted Tillandsia brachycaulos to enhance formaldehyde removal in indoor environments. A formaldehyde-degrading endophyte from the root of Epipremnum aureum , Pseudomonas plecoglossicida , was identified and used for inoculation. Among the inoculation methods, spraying proved to be the most effective, resulting in a significant 35 % increase in formaldehyde removal after 36 hours. The results of the light exposure experiment (3000 Lux) demonstrate that an increase in light intensity reduces the efficiency of the Tillandsia brachycaulos -microbial system in degrading formaldehyde. In a 15-day formaldehyde fumigation experiment at 2 ppm in a normal indoor environment, the inoculated Tillandsia brachycaulos exhibited removal efficiency ranging from 42.53 % to 66.13 %, while the uninoculated declined from 31.62 % to 3.17 %. The Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (referred to as PP-1) became the predominant bacteria within the Tillandsia brachycaulos after fumigation. Moreover, the endophytic inoculation effectively increased the resistance and tolerance of Tillandsia brachycaulos to formaldehyde, as evidenced by lower levels of hydroxyl radical, malondialdehyde (MDA), free protein, and peroxidase activity (POD), as well as higher chlorophyll content compared to uninoculated Tillandsia brachycaulos. These findings indicate that the combination of endophytic bacteria and Tillandsia brachycaulos has significant potential for improving indoor air quality. [Display omitted] • The colonize endophyte PP-1 was obtained from the root of Epipremnum aureum. • Endophyte-assisted Tillandsia brachycaulos could enhance indoor formaldehyde removal. • High light intensity hindered the formaldehyde removal efficiency of plants. • PP-1 augmented plant resistance and tolerance to formaldehyde toxicity. • PP-1 became the predominant bacteria within the Tillandsia brachycaulos after fumigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study took 10 potato varieties in Guangxi as the research object, and compared the agronomic characters of each potato, such as plant height, stem diameter, yield, number of tubers per plant, commercial potato rate and protein content, starch content and other variety characters under the condition of conventional fertilization and 20% reduction of fertilization. The plant height, stem diameter, fresh weight above ground and yield of all potato varieties were inhibited under the condition of 20% reduction in fertilization. Among them, Jingshu 6 and Longshu 7 reduced their yields more than 35%, Lishu 6 and 03-3-2 by about 28%, No. 12, Guinongshu 1, Yunshu 107 and Huishu 8 by about 15%, and Huishu 16 and Feiwuruita by about 10%. No. 12 and Guinongshu 1 had the higher yield under the condition of reducing fertilizer, and were more suitable for planting under the condition of reducing fertilizer in Guangxi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin (MT) is a multifunctional hormone that enhances crop resilience against various abiotic stresses. However, its regulatory mechanism of osmotic tolerance in forage oats (Avena sativa) plants under water-limited scenarios is still unclear. This study aimed to delineate the impact of MT pretreatment on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical functions of oat seedlings under osmotic stress. Our findings demonstrated that exogenous treatment of MT noticeably elevated leaf area while decreasing the root/shoot ratio of oat seedlings subjected to osmotic stress. Osmotic-induced 38.22% or 48.37% decrease in relative water content could be significantly alleviated by MT pretreatment on day 7 or day 14, respectively. MT treatment also significantly mitigated osmotic-induced decreases in photosynthetic parameters including net photosynthetic rate, stomatic conductance, and intercellular CO2 concentration as well as various chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, which could contribute to enhanced accumulations of free proline and soluble sugars in seedlings after being subjected to a prolonged duration of osmotic stress. Furthermore, MT markedly improved antioxidant enzyme activities including superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and peroxidase along with the accumulation of ascorbic acid contributing to a significant reduction in reactive oxygen species under osmotic stress. In addition, the MT application induced a 978.12%, 33.54%, or 30.59% increase in endogenous MT, indole acetic acid, or gibberellic acid content under osmotic stress but did not affect the accumulation of abscisic acid. These findings suggest that an optimal concentration of MT (100 μmol·L−1) could relieve osmotic stress via improvement in osmotic adjustment, the enzymatic antioxidant defense system, and endogenous hormonal balance, thereby contributing to enhanced photosynthetic functions and growth of oat seedlings under water-limited conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] In order to study the physiological response of desert Chlorella to drought stress, we isolated and cultured Chlorella with strong drought resistance, laying a foundation for the development and production of desert microalgae resources. [Method] Two strains of Chlorella vulgaris isolated from Taklimakan Desert and Gurbantunggut Desert in Xinjiang and one strain of C. vulgaris purchased from Chinese Academy of Sciences Freshwater Algae Seed Bank were used as materials, and Bold's Basal Medium (BBM) as the culture medium. The growth rate and physiological and biochemical indicators of three strains of C. vulgaris under drought stress were measured by polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) to simulate different degrees of drought stress, and the drought resistance capacity of three strains of C. vulgaris was evaluated by principal component analysis, membership function, comprehensive drought resistance measurement value and other methods. [Result] Under drought stress, the cell density (OD680) and biomass (dry weight) decreased, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content decreased, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased. However, soluble sugar, protein, proline (Pro) content, and catalase (CAT) activity varied with the degree and time of stress. The principal component analysis table showed that the sugars, Pro, SOD, CAT, and chlorophyll b played important roles in the drought resistance process of C. vulgaris. According to the analysis of drought resistance coefficient, the soluble sugars, proteins, Pro, SOD, and CAT of desert Chlorella had stronger effects than ordinary ones during severe drought. [Conclusion] The comprehensive evaluation shows that the drought resistance of the three strains of Chlorella is in the following order: Desert Chlorella TLD 6B > Desert Chlorella GTD 8A1 > Common Chlorella FACHB-2338, and desert Chlorella has advantages in growth rate, sugar content, and protein content compared to common Chlorella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginseng is widely used in traditional herbal formulations in Korea, Japan, China, and Western countries. High-quality seedlings are the key to ginseng with high quality and high yield. Although tray seeding can yield large quantities of ginseng seedlings, issues such as dense planting and inadequate ventilation may result in excessive stem elongation. This elongation can lead to slender stems unable to support the weight of the leaves, resulting in seedling lodging. To inhibit the overgrowth of aboveground parts of ginseng seedlings, chlormequat chloride (CCC) was selected for foliar spraying at 0, 100, 200, and 300 mg·L−1 to study the effects of plant growth regulators on the growth and development of ginseng seedlings. When the leaves of ginseng seedlings are fully expanded, we sprayed once with 200 mg·L−1 of CCC. After 28 days, index measurements indicated that the height of ginseng seedlings decreased by 17.4%, stem thickness increased by 7.4%, leaf area decreased by 4.5%, root length increased by 6.2%, root-to-crown ratio increased by 29.8%, chlorophyll a content increased by 10.3%, chlorophyll b content increased by 12.6%, the actual chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of photosystem II under light quantum yield increased by 50.9%, electron transfer rate increased by 52.8%, photochemical quenching increased by 21.7%, nonphotochemical quenching decreased by 31.4%, antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase activity increased by 12.2%, catalase activity increased by 17.0%, peroxidase activity increased by 38.7%, and malondialdehyde content decreased by 18.1%. The number of intracellular starch grains increased significantly, the number of stromal lamellae in chloroplasts increased, the arrangement was more compact, and the cell wall thickness increased significantly. In conclusion, it is recommended to apply 200 mg·L−1 CCC as a foliar spray during production to inhibit seedling growth and enhance plant resistance to stem collapse and stress.

BackgroundThe impact of a protein-rich diet and protein supplements on athletic performance remains a topic of debate. Does protein intake offer benefits for athletes? If so, which specific aspects of athletic performance are most influenced by protein?MethodsThis study aimed to explore the relationship between protein intake and athletic performance. A systematic database search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of protein intake on athletes’ performance. The databases searched included PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Ovid. The meta-analysis included a total of 28 studies involving 373 athletes. The meta-analysis employed both the fixed-effects model and the random-effects model to investigate the impact of protein intake on sports performance. Subgroup analyses were conducted to provide solid evidence to explain the results of the meta-analysis. Sensitive analysis and funnel plots were used to assess the risk of bias and data robustness.ResultsOverall, protein intake did not show a statistically significant improvement in athletic performance (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.01 to 0.25). However, in subgroup analysis, the protein group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in endurance performance, as indicated by the forest plot of final values (SMD = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.32). Additionally, the change value in the forest plot for endurance performance showed even greater statistical significance than the final value (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.46). In the subgroup analysis based on physiological indices, muscle glycogen showed a statistically significant improvement in the protein group (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02 to 0.32). Furthermore, subgroup analyses based on protein supplementation strategies revealed that co-ingestion of protein and carbohydrates (CHO) demonstrated statistically significant improvements in endurance performance (SMD = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.61), whereas high protein intake alone did not.ConclusionProtein intake appears to provide modest benefits to athletes in improving their performance, particularly by enhancing endurance. Subgroup analysis suggests that protein intake improves muscle glycogen levels and that the co-ingestion of protein with CHO is more effective for endurance athletes than high protein intake alone.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, Identifier CRD42024508021.

Drought (water shortage) can substantially limit the yield and economic value of rose plants (Rosa spp.). Here, we characterized the effect of exogenous calcium (Ca2+) on the antioxidant system and photosynthesis-related properties of rose under polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000)-induced drought stress. Chlorophyll levels, as well as leaf and root biomass, were significantly reduced by drought; drought also had a major effect on the enzymatic antioxidant system and increased concentrations of reactive oxygen species. Application of exogenous Ca2+ increased the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of leaves, enhanced water-use efficiency, and increased the length and width of stomata following exposure to drought. Organ-specific physiological responses were observed under different concentrations of Ca2+. Application of 5 mmol · L−1 Ca2+ promoted photosynthesis and antioxidant activity in the leaves, and application of 10 mmol · L−1 Ca2+ promoted antioxidant activity in the roots. Application of exogenous Ca2+ greatly enhanced the phenotype and photosynthetic capacity of potted rose plants following exposure to drought stress. Overall, our findings indicate that the application of exogenous Ca2+ enhances the drought resistance of roses by promoting physiological adaptation and that it could be used to aid the cultivation of rose plants.

Tea plant is an acidophilic plant, and soil pH has an important effect on the absorption and enrichment of elements, tea plant growth and quality. In this study, rhizosphere soils and leaves of tea plants from 30 tea plantations were collected to determine soil pH and multi-element content of soil and leaves of tea plants, to obtain and validate key elements that are enriched by pH affecting tea plants, and to analyze the effects of pH on the growth and quality of tea plants. The results showed that soil pH significantly affected the enrichment of 15 elements by tea plants, and the enrichment coefficients of 11 elements (C, Mg, Si, N, P, Mn, Sr, Cd, S, Ca and Sb) tended to increase significantly with the increase of soil pH, while the opposite was true for the other four elements (Cu, Rb, Ba and Al). TOPSIS analysis showed that soil pH had the greatest effect on tea plant enrichment of seven elements, namely N (100%), Mn (43.32%), C (39.22%), P (27.66%), Sr (15.30%), Mg (13.41%) and Ba (10.47%). Pot experiments with tea seedlings also verified that soil pH significantly affected the enrichment of tea leaves for seven key elements. Moreover, with the increase of soil pH, the growth indexes, photosynthesis indexes and quality indexes of tea seedlings showed a significant upward trend. Interaction analysis showed that the enhanced enrichment of N, Mn, C, P, Sr and Mg by tea plants was beneficial to increase the photosynthetic capacity of tea plants, promote the growth of tea plants and improve the quality of tea leaves. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the cultivation and management of tea plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clarias gariepinus is an important freshwater fish with high economic value and breeding potential in China. It is a fast-growing and adaptable catfish, but the main problems facing the current market are its low price and poor taste, although starvation is a good solution to these problems. In this study, the effects of starvation on the physiology, biochemistry, and muscle quality of C. gariepinus were investigated. The results showed that compared with the control group, the weight gain rate and specific growth rate of the starvation group were significantly different. Body weight, visceral weight, condition factor, viscerosomatic index, hepatosomatic index, and viscera fat index all decreased, while visceral weight and hepatosomatic index decreased significantly after starvation for 30 days. The hardness and crude protein of muscle increased significantly and crude lipid decreased significantly. Taste-enhancing amino acids increased slightly, and fatty acids increased significantly. Compared with the control group, starvation led to changes in antioxidant defense parameters. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver increased significantly; the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased in serum after 30 days; the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) increased considerably in the serum and liver after 15 days; the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increased considerably in the serum and liver after 30 days. The in-depth study of changes in physiological, biochemical, and nutritional components of fish under starvation is helpful to understand the ecological strategy of fish to adapt to starvation and of great guiding significance for fishery resource management and aquaculture production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene glycol(PEG) solution was used to simulate drought conditions for the identification and evaluation of drought resistance of foxtail millet germplasm resources during the indoor germination stage. This process aimed to screen for high-quality cultivars with drought resistance. In this experiment, two drought-resistant foxtail millet cultivars, Jigu 37 and Jigu 38, were utilized as the tested materials, and Yugu 18, a widely adaptable cultivar in the north China summer foxtail millet region, was taken as the control. Different concentrations of PEG were used to impose drought stress, and after 7 days of stress, the contents of chlorophyll(Chl), betaine, free proline(Pro), malondialdehyde(MDA), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase(POD) in the young leaves were measured. The results indicated that, compared to the control cultivar Yugu 18, Jigu 37 and Jigu 38 exhibited significantly reduced malondialdehyde content under moderate and severe drought stress (12% and 18% PEG), Jigu 38 had significant increase in osmotic regulation substance, free proline, content under moderate and severe drought stress, both Jigu 37 and Jigu 38 had significant increase in betaine content. Jigu 38 possessed significantly enhanced SOD activity, but the SOD activity of Jigu 37 was only significantly higher than that of Yugu 18 under mild and severe drought stress(6% and 18% PEG). The POD activity of Jigu 37 and Jigu 38 was significantly reduced under severe drought stress. Jigu 38 exhibited significantly enhanced chlorophyll content, while, Jigu 37 only exhibited significantly enhanced chlorophyll content under mild and moderate drought stress(6% and 12% PEG). Comprehensive analysis of multiple physiological indexes showed that Jigu 37 and Jigu 38 had stronger drought resistance at the seedling stage, they were superior to Yugu 18 on drought resistance, and the drought resistance of Jigu 38 was better than that of Jigu 37. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

：Mango belongs to the family Anacardiaceae and the genus Mango. It prefers warmth and is one of the five tropical fruits in the world. China is a major producer of mangoes in the world, and in recent years, the planting area of mangoes has gradually expanded. Due to poor management, the number and variety of mango diseases and pests have been increasing, causing serious losses to mango production. Leaf blight is a common fungal disease in mango fruit production. In order to study the changes in relevant resistance indexes after the infection by Alternaria tenuissima and the resistance induction mechanism of salicylic acid on mango leaf blight, and to provide a reference for the prevention and control of mango leaf blight in mango fruit production. In this study, salicylic acid solution was sprayed on the leaves of mango seedlings, and purified Alternaria tenuissima was inoculated into healthy seedlings through the wound. The seedlings infected with leaf blight pathogens were subjected to stress treatment. Three groups were set as follows: non inoculation + spraying sterile water, inoculation with Alternaria tenuissima + spraying sterile water, inoculation with Alternaria tenuissima + 0.5 mmol/L salicylic acid, and samples were obtained to measure physiological indexes at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 d post inoculation, respectively. The results showed that after inoculation with Alternaria tenuissima, the content of chlorophyll, malondialdehyde, and soluble sugar in mango seedlings decreased, while the proline content increased. After treatment with 0.5 mmol/L of salicylic acid, the content of chlorophyll, malondialdehyde, and soluble sugar increased, while the content of proline decreased. Therefore, external application of salicylic acid could reduce the damage of leaf blight on mango seedlings and improve the resistance of mango seedlings to leaf blight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its high efficacy as a wide-spectrum disinfectant and its potential for the degradation of pollutants and pesticides, ozone has broad application prospects in agricultural production. In this study, micro/nano bubble technology was applied to achieve a saturation state of bubble nutrient solution, including micronano oxygen (O2 group) and micro-nano ozone (O3 group) bubble nutrient solutions. The effects of these solutions on lettuce physiological indices as well as changes in the microbial community within the rhizosphere substrate were studied. The application of micro/nano (O2 and O3) bubble nutrient solutions to substrate-cultured lettuce plants increased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution, increased the lettuce yield, and elevated the net photosynthetic rate, conductance of H2O and intercellular carbon dioxide concentration of lettuce plants. Diversity analysis of the rhizosphere microbial community revealed that both the abundance and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities in the substrate increased after plant cultivation and decreased following treatment with micro/nanobubble nutrient solutions. RDA results showed that the microbial community in the S group was positively associated with EC, that in the CK and O2 groups exhibited a positive correlation with SC, and that in the O3 group displayed a positive correlation with CAT and POD. Overall, the implementation of micro/nanobubble generation technology in soilless substrates can effectively increase the lettuce growth and yield, and O3 had a more pronounced effect on lettuce yield and quality and the microbial community structure in the substrate than O2. Our study would provide a reference and theoretical basis for developing sustainable and green technology for promoting lettuce production and can be a promising alternative to conventional methods for improving crop yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effects of ambient temperature on feed intake and physiological and biochemical indexes of different sex and age mutton sheep in Yinchuan area. Ten healthy RAMS of the same age, ewe lambs at the same time, weaning lambs at the same time and lactating lambs at the same time were selected from a meat sheep farm in Yinchuan City and were divided into ram group, ewe group, fattening sheep group and lamb group. The nutritional composition of the feed was consistent in all groups except lactating lambs. The experimental period was from September to October 2022, with a total of 28 days, which was divided into 4 stages on average, and the ambient temperature was recorded on day 1, day 8, day 15 and day 22 of the experiment. Feed intake, physiological and blood biochemical indexes of sheep were measured and analyzed by routine measurement and ELISA. The results show that: the feed intake of ewes on day 22 was significantly higher than that on day 1 and day 8 (P<0.01); the temperature at the beginning of the experiment decreased from 31.6 ℃ to 29.11 ℃ at the end of the experiment, and the respiratory rate of ewes on day 22 was significantly lower than that on day 1 and day 15 (P<0.01). The body temperature of ewe on day 15 and day 22 was significantly lower than that on day 1 and day 8 (P<0.01). Compared with day 1, rumination frequency of ewes on day 15 and 22 was significantly decreased (P<0.05); compared with day 1, the respiratory rate of lambs on days 8, 15 and 22 was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the body temperature of lambs on days 8, 15 and 22 was significantly increased (P<0.01); compared with day 1, the serum total protein content of ewe on day 15 and day 22 was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the serum urea nitrogen content of ewe on day 15 was significantly decreased (P<0.01); compared with day 1, the serum cortisol content of fattening sheep on day 22 was significantly decreased (P<0.05); compared with day 1, the serum cortisol content of RAMS on day 22 was significantly increased (P< 0.01). The results indicated that the continuous decrease of ambient temperature could change the physiological and blood biochemical indexes of meat sheep of different ages and genders, and then affect the breeding efficiency and health level of meat sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tobacco Science & Technology is the property of Tobacco Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Lily is one of the world’s important ornamental flowers. Potted Asiatic lily is a further selected dwarf cultivar suitable for indoor or garden planting. However, there is a lack of relevant research on the cultivation adaptability of potted Asiatic lilies cultivars in the Chongqing region which in the southwest of China. This study selected five potted Asiatic lily cultivars, and the phenological period, stem and leaf characteristics, and flowering traits were assessed through statistical observation. The Asiatic lily ‘Tiny Ghost’ and ‘Tiny Double You’ are well-suited for both spring and autumn planting in Chongqing, while ‘Sugar Love’ and ‘Curitiba’ are best planted in the spring. The ‘Tiny Diamond’ is more appropriate for autumn planting due to its low tolerance to high temperature. The application of exogenous substances, including calcium chloride (CaCl2), potassium fulvic acid (PFA) and melatonin (MT), can mitigate the detrimental effects of high-temperature stress on ‘Tiny Diamond’ by regulating photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, and osmotic substance content. A comprehensive evaluation using the membership function showed that the effect of exogenous CaCl2 treatment is the best, followed by exogenous PFA treatment. CaCl2 acts as a positive regulator of heat stress tolerance in Asian lilies, with potential applications in Asian lily cultivation. This study provides reference for cultivation and application of Asian lily varieties in Chongqing region, and also laid the foundation for further research on the mechanism of exogenous substances alleviating heat stress in lilies.

Camellia (Camellia japonica) is a semi-shaded plant that is highly vulnerable to heat stress. To investigate the mechanisms underlying heat stress in C. japonica, two C. japonica cultivars, “Xiaotaohong” and “Zhuapolian”, which exhibit significant differences in heat tolerance, were selected from four common cultivars. The selection methods included phenotypic observations and physiological index detection, including relative electric conductivity (REC), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity, relative water content (RWC), and chlorophyll content. RNA-seq analysis yielded 980 million reads and identified 68,455 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two C. japonica cultivars during heat stress compared to the control samples. Totals of 12,565 and 16,046 DEGs were differentially expressed at 16 h and 32 h, respectively, in “Xiaotaohong” during heat stress. In “Zhuapolian”, 40,280 and 37,539 DEGs were found at 16 h and 32 h, respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that both cultivars were enriched in the “plant hormone signal transduction” and “circadian rhythm” pathways at two stages, indicating the critical role these pathways play in the heat stress response. The differences in the tolerance between the two cultivars are likely linked to pathways such as “plant hormone signal transduction”, “photosynthesis”, and “circadian rhythm”. Some members of heat shock proteins (HSPs) are associated with the heat stress response. It is speculated that transcription factor families contributing to the tolerance differences include AP2/ERF, C3H, bHLH, bZIP, and MYB-related with a small number of heat shock factors (HSFs) also induced by the stress. In conclusion, these results reveal the changes in the physiological indices and molecular networks of two C. japonica cultivars under heat stress. This study lays the foundation for the breeding of superior heat-resistant C. japonica cultivars and for further molecular research.

As a novel environmental pollutant, the impacts of nanoplastics on crops have attracted more and more attention. To explore the response of soybean to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) at physiological and gene expression levels, this experiment used hydroponics to determine the phenotype and physiological indexes of soybean seedlings after exposure to 50 mg/L 100 nm PS-NPs for 10 days, and carried out transcriptome sequencing analysis of soybean seedling root system. The results showed that the growth of the soybean seedlings was inhibited, the root morphology changed significantly, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) increased to a certain extent, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) increased significantly, and the content of soluble sugar decreased after PS-NPs exposure. Transcriptome analysis showed that a total of 2112 differentially expressed genes were generated by PS-NPs exposure treatment, GO and KEGG analysis showed that they were mainly enriched in pathways related to redox reaction, reaction to ethylene and abscisic acid, amino acid metabolism and synthesis of other secondary metabolites. It was noted that 250 transcription factors were differentially expressed, mainly including the ERF, WRKY, NAC, bHLH and MYB transcription factor families. This experiment lays a foundation for further exploring the impact of nanoplastics on crops such as soybeans and its molecular mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut has a fairly strong ability of accumulating cadmium (Cd) from the soil, and the problem of Cd content in peanut exceeding the food safety standard is serious in some regions of China. Seed coating is a common technology to control diseases and insect pests and enhance stress resistance in peanut production, but the research of using seed coating technology to control Cd pollution risk in peanut producing areas has not been reported. This study first screened out three suitable concentrations of manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) coating agents by seed germination test, and then further screened out the concentration of coating agent with the best Cd reduction effect by pot experiment. The effect of Mn fertilizer and Zn fertilizer seed coating on Cd transfer within peanut plant in Cd-contaminated soil was further explored through pot experiment. The results of seed germination test showed that the seed coating treatment with low to moderate concentrations of Mn and Zn fertilizer did not affect the seed germination rate and could promote the root length, while the excessive concentration could obviously inhibit the seed germination. The results of pot experiment showed that among the seed coating agents of Mn and Zn, 3% Mn fertilizer coating agent (Mn3) and 2% Zn fertilizer coating agent (Zn2) had the most significant effect on reducing Cd in peanut seeds, with the Cd reduction rates reaching 19.0% and 24.1% respectively, and Zn2 had the better Cd reduction effect. Compared with the control, the Cd bioaccumulation factor of roots in the two treatments decreased significantly, the Cd translocation factor (TF) from roots to shoots increased significantly, the TF from shoots to seeds decreased, while the TF from roots to seeds had no obvious change. Compared with the control, the absorption of Cd in peanut plants under Mn3 and Zn2 treatments decreased by 9.18% and 13.6%. There was a significant negative correlation between the contents of Cd in peanut seeds and roots and the contents of Mn and Zn in roots. Seed coating with Mn and Zn can reduce the Cd content in peanut seeds by inhibiting the absorption of Cd by roots and the transport of Cd within peanut plant. This study put forward the technology of reducing Cd content in peanut by seed coating, which provided a new method for risk control of Cd pollution in peanut producing areas. Key words: seed coating; seed germination; peanut; cadmium ble sugar decreased after PS-NPs exposure. Transcriptome analysis showed that a total of 2112 differentially expressed genes were generated by PS-NPs exposure treatment, GO and KEGG analysis showed that they were mainly enriched in pathways related to redox reaction, reaction to ethylene and abscisic acid, amino acid metabolism and synthesis of other secondary metabolites. It was noted that 250 transcription factors were differentially expressed, mainly including the ERF, WRKY, NAC, bHLH and MYB transcription factor families. This experiment lays a foundation for further exploring the impact of nanoplastics on crops such as soybeans and its molecular mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of lettuce physiological indexes is of great significance for the digital and accurate management of lettuce growth in plant factory environment. In order to provide a reference for the prediction of physiological indexes of leaf vegetable crops in plant factories, in this study, hydroponic lettuce from plant factories was taken as the research object, and the data of longest leaf length, leaf number, and plant height of hydroponic lettuce treated with 5 different nutrient solution formulations were collected. Physiological index data of lettuce were predicted by Sparrow Search Algorithm-Back Propagation neural network(SSA-BP). And mean absolute error(MAE), mean square error(Mean Square Error, MSE), root mean square error(RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error(MAPE) were used as precision indexes to analyze and evaluate the test results. The results showed that the mean absolute errors of SSA-BP neural network were 9.21, 0.563, and 8.34 for predicting the longest leaf length, number of leaves, and plant height of lettuce. The mean square errors were 143.79, 0.599, and 110.69. The root mean square errors were 11.991, 0.774, and 10.521, respectively. The mean absolute percentage errors were 15.639%, 6.181%, and 13.318%. All the evaluation indexes were better than those obtained by the traditional BP neural network. The prediction error in the experimental results was less than 16%, but the improvement of the prediction error was not obvious. Therefore, the SSA-BP neural network model could effectively predict the physiological indexes of lettuce, and the model had good prediction accuracy and generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hotan River, the sole river traversing the Taklimakan Desert in northwest China, sustains a critical desert riparian ecosystem dominated by Populus euphratica. This riparian habitat is integral to biodiversity maintenance. However, global climate change and anthropogenic disturbances have profoundly impacted the Taklimakan desert landscape, leading to fragmentation and reduced environmental heterogeneity. Consequently, there has been a notable decline in P. euphratica populations. This study aimed to assess the physiological resilience of P. euphratica under harsh conditions and analyze the vegetation distribution patterns along the desert riparian zone. Laboratory tests were employed to determine the physiological indexes including Relative Water Content (RWC), Chlorophyll (Chl), Soluble Sugar (SS), Free Proline (Pro), and Peroxidase Activity (POD) of P. euphratica, providing insights into its capacity to endure challenging environmental conditions. Quadrat surveys were conducted at varying distances from the riverbed to examine vegetation distribution patterns. Plant growth indexes were analyzed to unveil the resistance of the desert riparian forest to drought. The study identified 45 shrubs and herbs belonging to 17 families in the Hotan River understory, with P. euphratica exhibiting the highest abundance. In river flats, annual herbs dominated due to favorable water conditions, while shrub grasslands displayed a relatively complete community structure with trees, crowns, and grasses. As the distance increased from the river channel, more perennial herb and shrub species prevailed, leading to a decline in overall species richness as annual herbs diminished. Physiological assessments revealed that P. euphratica in a medium growth grade (VS3) exhibited the highest physiological indexes, indicating its adaptability to environmental changes. The findings underscore the significance of water conditions in the growth and development of vegetation in desert riparian forests, particularly highlighted by the physiological indexes of P. euphratica. This research contributes valuable insights that can inform the preservation and restoration of desert riparian forests, providing a scientific basis and technical guidance for conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】Explore the effects of different sowing dates on the growth, development, and physiological characteristics of garlic of Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, to clarify the optimal sowing period for garlic in the region.【Methods】Using Xusuan 3 as experimental material, 10 sowing dates were set up in 2022, including September 20 (T1), September 25 (T2), September 30 (T3), October 5 (T4), October 10 (T5), October 15 (T6), October 20 (T7), October 25 (T8), October 30 (T9） and November 4 (T10）. The plant height, pseudostem height, leaf length, leaf width, pseudostem thickness, fresh and dry weight of root, pseudostem, and leaf, as well as leaf chlorophyll content, relative conductivity, malondialdehyde (MDA） content, soluble protein content, free proline content, superoxide dismutase (SOD） activity, peroxidase (POD） activity, and catalase (CAT） activity during the overwintering and greening periods were tested. 【Results】During the overwintering period, T4 sowing date had the highest garlic leaf length (43.33 cm), leaf width (2.18 cm), and pseudostem thickness (11.14 mm）;lowest relative conductivity (14.76%）;low MDA content (0.142μmol/g）;highest free proline content (2.99 μg/g）;and highest POD activity (291.00 U/g）. T5 sowing date had the highest pseudostem height (2.53 cm), with significant differences (P<0.05） compared to other sowing dates; highest root fresh and dry weight (3.91, 0.49 g), pseudostem fresh and dry weight (7.34, 1.23 g), leaf fresh and dry weight (10.34, 2.33 g）;highest total chlorophyll content (0.892 mg/g）and soluble protein content (1.93 mg/g), with significantly differences (P<0.05） compared to other sowing dates; low MDA content (0.142 μmol/g）;and highest SOD (283.78 U/g） and CAT (11.38 U/g） activities. During the greening period, the T4 sowing date had the highest garlic plant height (51.73 cm）;highest roots dry weight (1.04 g）;lowest relative conductivity (20.58%）;highest free proline content (6.31 μg/g）;and highest POD activity (128.72 U/g）. The T5 sowing date had the highest psuedostem height (15.60 cm), leaf length (38.10 cm), and psuedostem thickness (17.07 mm）;highest root fresh weight (5.66 g), psuedostem fresh and dry weight (29.00, 4.89 g), leaf fresh and dry weight (27.80, 3.77 g）;highest total chlorophyll content (1.016 mg/g）;lowest MDA content (0.049 μmol/g), with significant differences (P<0.05） compared to other sowing dates; highest soluble protein content (2.33 mg/g）;highest SOD (276.31 U/g） and CAT (10.30 U/g） activities.【Conclusion】When the sowing dates were October 5 and October 10, garlic plates had good growth and strong cold resistance, were the suitable sowing dates for Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the lethal dose of herbicide and its effect on physiological and biochemical characteristics of foxtail millet, in this study, three-leaf stage Jigu25 seedlings were treated with different concentrations of imazethapyr in seedling tray culture. The lethal dose of imazethapyr on Jigu25 seedlings was screened under different treatment concentrations and time. At the same time, the changes of chlorophyll content, electrolyte permeability, malondialdehyde(MDA) content, peroxidase(POD), superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase(CAT) activities of foxtail millet seedlings after imazethapyr treatment were measured. The results showed that the lethal dose of imazethapyr on Jigu25 seedlings was 3 375 mL/ha, and it was found that with the increase of herbicide concentration(2 250, 3 375, and 4 500 mL/ha) and the extension of treatment time, the corresponding physiological indexes of chlorophyll content, electrolyte permeability, MDA content, POD, SOD and CAT activities of Jigu25 seedlings showed significant changes at different time compared with the control. This study showed that after spraying a lethal dose of 3 375 mL/ha of imazethapyr, foxtail millet seedlings were subjected to stress and physiological protection mechanism was activated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population ageing has increased the prevalence of prefrailty comorbid with cognitive impairment among older adults. However, few studies have explored the risk factors common to both prefrailty and cognitive impairment. This study determined the predictive accuracy of demographic characteristics, physiological indexes, psychological resilience, sensory function, and sleep quality on the cognitive function of older adults with prefrailty. In this cross-sectional study, the physiological indexes, psychological resilience, sensory function, sleep quality, and cognitive function of 167 community-dwelling older adults with prefrailty recruited through purposive sampling were measured. SPSS software was used for data coding and compilation. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics, the independent samples t test, the chi-square test, and logistic regression. Overall, in cognitive function, there was no difference in gender but were in age, were incapable of text messaging, had a greater number of chronic diseases, were less able to perform activities of daily living, had low psychological resilience, and had depressive tendencies. In addition, Text messaging capability and depression status can all predict the cognitive impairment state of prefrail older elderly. Physiological indexes, psychological resilience, sensory function, and sleep quality can affect cognitive function in older adults with prefrailty. Meanwhile, depressive tendencies and the inability to send text messages on a mobile device constituted critical predictors of cognitive function in the participants.

ABSTRACT: A floor egg is an egg that is not laid in the nest, which is a prevalent issue in many fowl breeder farms, lowering egg collection efficiency, hatching performance, and economic benefits. Although the pattern and influencing factors of floor laying have been extensively reported in chickens and ducks, it is not clear in geese. Herein, the Yangzhou goose breeders were selected, and the time and location preferences, genetic and environmental influences, and physiological indexes in floor laying were investigated. The results revealed distinct time and location preferences existed. More floor eggs were laid from 2:00 to 5:00 and 8:00 to 12:00 am, with a concentration observed in the feed trough. Moreover, the proportion of floor eggs was higher at the early stage than at other stages of the laying cycle, and the fast-growing line laid more floor eggs than dual-purpose and high-yielding lines (P < 0.05). In addition to genetic factors, the effect of environmental influences on floor eggs was also surveyed. More floor eggs were observed in the family housing system than in large-group and small-population housing systems, and geese who reared in north-facing houses laid more floor eggs than in south-facing houses (P < 0.05). Physiological indexes were compared between floor-laying and nest-laying geese. Significantly decreased serum progesterone and prolactin levels were detected, alongside down-regulated gene expressions of progesterone receptor in ovaries, oxytocin receptor in both pituitary and ovaries, corticotropin-releasing hormone in ovaries, and dopamine receptor D2 in hypothalamus and ovaries in floor-laying geese compared to nest-laying geese (P < 0.05). In addition, a practical and inexpensive approach of adding a single decoy egg to the nest box effectively reduced the proportion of floor eggs (P < 0.05). Taken together, these data provide scientific information for patterns, genetic and environmental influences, and physiological indexes of floor eggs, thereby contributing to effective control of floor laying in goose breeders' production.

Continuous planting is unavoidable in agricultural production, but continuous planting affects plant growth and physiological characteristics. In this study, we analyzed rhizosphere soil nutrients, physiological characteristics, hormone metabolome changes and their interactions of Casuarina equisetifolia (C. equisetifolia) with the increase of continuous planting number. The results found that C. equisetifolia root was significantly inhibited, the plant height was dwarfed and the biomass was significantly reduced as continuous planting number increased. Secondly, continuous planting caused a decrease in the rhizosphere soil nutrient transformation capacity, and a significant decrease in the total soil nutrient and available nutrient content. Analysis of physiological indexes showed that continuous planting resulted in a decrease in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content, a decrease in the activity of physiological indexes of resistance, and a decrease in photosynthetic capacity of C. equisetifolia leaves. Hormone metabolome analysis showed that continuous planting critically affected the accumulation of five characteristic hormones in C. equisetifolia leaves, in which salicylic acid 2-O-β-glucoside (SAG), 2-oxindole-3-acetic acid (OxIAA), trans-zeatin-O-glucoside (tZOG) and gibberellin A3 (GA3) content decreased significantly while abscisic acid (ABA) content increased significantly. In conclusion, continuous planting lowered the rhizosphere soil nutrient transformation capacity of C. equisetifolia, lowered the soil available nutrient content, inhibited their root growth, and hindered the nutrient uptake and transportation by the root, thus led to the decrease of the nutrient accumulation capacity in the leaves of C. equisetifolia, and the decrease of SAG, OxIAA, and tZOG, GA3 synthesis ability decreased, ABA accumulated in large quantities, C. equisetifolia resistance and photosynthesis ability decreased, and their growth was impeded. This study provides insights for the effective management of continuous planting in the cultivation of C. equisetifolia.

Using white seed pumpkin as grafting rootstock, different concentrations of paclobutrazol（0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 mg/L） were sprayed on substrate and rootstock cotyledons to analyze the effects of different concentrations of paclobutrazol and spraying methods on the growth and physiological indicators of early spring grafted watermelon seedlings. The results showed that a certain concentration of paclobutrazol treatment could inhibit the elongation of watermelon grafted seedlings, increase stem diameter, seedling index, root activity and antioxidant enzyme activity, which was beneficial for cultivating healthy seedlings. The optimal concentration of paclobutrazole was 30 mg/L. The optimal concentration of paclobutrazole sprayed on rootstock was 40 mg/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this study was to evaluate the effects of ambient temperature and humidity on physiological indexes and growth performance in weaned lambs. The threshold for heat stress (HS) occurrence was also predicted to prevent the HS in weaned lambs. Environmental control cabins were used to control the indoor temperature and humidity. 12 healthy weaned lambs [Small-tailed Han sheep × Dupo sheep, 2 months, (18±2.1) kg] were assigned into two treated groups, and fed in the individual cabin with relative humidity of 60% and 80%, respectively. The ambient temperature in the cabin gradually increased from 21.5 to 35.5 ℃ with a gradient of 2℃. The temperature in each gradient was kept for 3 days, and the entire experiment lasted for 24 days. The physiological indexes included the body surface temperature (BT), respiratory rate (RR), and rectal temperature (RT). The growth performance was represented by the dry matter intake (DMI) and average daily water intake (ADW) of weaned lambs under temperatures from 21.5 to 35.5 ℃ at two humidity conditions of 60% and 80%. The threshold of inflection point ambient temperature and temperature-humidity index (THI) were predicted for each parameter using nonlinear regression. The results showed that: 1) RR ranged from 28 to 211 times/min, BT from 29.90 to 35.65 ℃, and RT from 38.38 to 41.42 ℃ under present experimental conditions. 2) Three physiological indexes (BT, RR, and RT) were relatively stable in the early period of the trial, and then increased linearly with increasing temperature under two humidity conditions. At the humidity of 60%, the threshold value of BT, RR, and RT were 22.99 ℃ (R² =0.98), 23.25 ℃ (R² =0.99), and 26.69 ℃ ( R² =0.99), respectively. At the humidity of 80%, the three physiological parameters inflection point ambient temperature were as follows: 22.33 (R² =0.97), 23.02 ℃ (R² =0.99), and 25.41 ℃ (R² =0.98). 3) The threshold values of two growth parameters (DMI and ADW) were: the inflection point ambient temperature of DMI was 24.95 ℃ ( R² =0.94) at humidity of 60% and 23.21 ℃ (R 2 =0.89) at humidity of 80%; the inflection point ambient temperature of ADW was 23.02 ℃ (R² =0.92) at 60% and 22.43 ℃ (R² =0.92) at 80%. Furthermore, the DMI decreased and ADW increased linearly when the ambient temperature exceeded inflection point ambient temperature. 4) With the increase in THI, each index of inflection was ranked in the order of: BT (69.84)

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Zinc (Zn) is a vital element for plant growth and development, however, excessive Zn is toxic to plants. Common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) and hybrid bermudagrass (C. dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy) are widely used turfgrass species with strong tolerance to diverse abiotic stresses, including excessive Zn2+ stress. However, the variation of zinc tolerance and accumulation in different bermudagrass cultivars remain unclear. In this study, we systematically analyzed the growth performance, physiological index and ion concentration in eight commercial cultivars of common and hybrid bermudagrass under different concentration of Zn2+ treatments using pot experiments. The results indicated that four cultivars of common bermudagrass could tolerate 20 mM Zn2+, whereas four cultivars of hybrid bermudagrass could only tolerate 10 mM Zn2+. Among the four common bermudagrass cultivars, cultivar Guanzhong and Common showed stronger Zn tolerance and accumulation abilities than other two cultivars. Further analyses of the expression of selected Zn homeostasis-related genes indicated that bermudagrass cultivars with stronger tolerance to excessive Zn have at least one expression-elevated gene involved in Zn homeostasis. These results not only expanded our understanding of Zn tolerance and accumulation in bermudagrass but also facilitated the application of commercial bermudagrass cultivars in phytoremediation of Zn pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract：[Objectives]This experiment was conducted to determine environmental parameters of different cowsheds[open cowshed and low profile cross ventilated (LPCV) cowshed]in autumn, and study the effects of type of cowsheds on various indexes (physiological indexes, lactation performance and blood biochemical indexes, etc.) of Holstein cows. [Methods]The temperature, relative humidity (RH),wind speed, and concentrations of CO2,NH3,PM10 and PM2.5 in the pen where the chosen dairy cows lived were measured at 1.5 m high from the ground every day. At the same time, the temperature and RH outside the cowsheds were measured, and the temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated. Each cowshed was tested continuously for 7 days. During the experiment, physiological indexes, rumination behavior, lactation performance and comfortability of cows were recorded, and blood was collected from the coccygeal vein on day 7 to obtain serum for measuring biochemical indexes. [Results]There were no significant differences in temperature, RH, THI,and CO2 between two cowsheds (P＞0.05),and the wind speed of the LPCV cowshed was significantly higher than that of the open cowshed (P＜0.01) . The concentrations of noxious gas and suspended particulate matter were the lowest at 13:00 in the LPCV cowshed. Compared with dairy cows in the open cowshed, the rectal temperature and respiratory rate of cows in the LPCV cowshed significantly decreased (P＜0.01),and the increase rate of milk yield was slower and milk somatic cell count significantly increased (P＜0.01) . Besides, the comfortability of cows in the LPCV cowshed was higher than that in the open cowshed. In terms of serum immune indexes, the contents of TNF-α,IgG and IL-6 of dairy cows in LPCV cowshed were significantly higher than those in the open cowshed (P＜0.01 or P＜0.05) . [Conclusions]Based on the measured environmental parameters, physiological indexes and the comfortability of cows, the LPCV cowshed could provide a more suitable environment for cows in autumn. However, the increase rate of milk yield, milk somatic cell count and the body inflammation of dairy cows in the LPCV cowshed were slower, higher and stronger than those in the open cowshed, respectively. Therefore, it was necessary to pay attention to postpartum nursing, disease diagnosis and treatment, and strengthen the disinfection in the cowshed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hedysarum scoparium and Caragana korshinskii seedlings were used as the test materials to carry out the roots exposure stress model test. By comparing the physiological growth indexes in the leaves of the tested plants, the stress resistance ability was evaluated. The results showed (1) root exposure resulted in excessive oxygen free radicals, which resulted in membrane lipid peroxidation and increased MDA content in two plants. The increase of MDA content in H. scoparium was greater than that in C. korshinskii. (2) H. scoparium mainly regulate their own adaptation to the stress by regulating carotenoids. C. korshinskii adjusts itself to adapt to the stress by regulating chlorophyll. (3) H. scoparium resist this stress mainly by regulating their respiration rate. (4) H. scoparium mainly through the mobilization of proline, by adjusting the proline concentration to reduce their water potential; C. korshinskii reduced its water potential mainly by regulating the concentration of soluble sugar to adapt to the stress. (5) H. scoparium and C. korshinskii activated peroxidase (H. scoparium) and catalase (C. korshinskii) to clean up intracellular peroxides, respectively. To sum up, under the same root exposure ratio, there were significant differences in physiological regulation and morphological indexes between H. and C. korshinskii, but their stress resistance mechanisms were quite different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Urban plants are currently confronted with the stresses posed by artificial light at night (ALAN) and drought. A field block experiment was designed to explore the potential effects of ALAN and drought on the photosynthesis and physiological characters of two common urban plants, Euonymus japonicus (E. japonicus) and Rosa hybrida (R. hybrida). Each plant species was subjected to four distinct treatments: neither ALAN nor drought, ALAN, drought, and both ALAN and drought. The result showed the following: (1) ALAN significantly reduced the effective quantum yield (ΦPSII), apparent electron transfer rate (ETR), photochemical quenching parameter (qp), net photosynthetic (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), stomatal limit value (Ls), and the pigment concentrations and remarkably increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and starch in both E. japonicus and R. hybrida. Furthermore, ALAN increased the soluble saccharides of E. japonicus, and this effect of ALAN also occurred on R. hybrida under drought. (2) Drought significantly decreased the ΦPSII, ETR, qp, Pn, Gs, Ls, and the pigment concentrations and remarkably increased the content of MDA and TAC for both E. japonicus and R. hybrida. Moreover, drought did not significantly change the starch content of both species, and it significantly increased the content of soluble saccharides for E. japonicus. (3) The interaction between ALAN and drought occurred on the ΦPSII, ETR, Pn, MDA, and TAC of E. japonicus, but had no effect on R. hybrida. For urban areas affected by ALAN and drought, it is advisable to select plant species with strong stress resistance for gardening purposes, and plants directly exposed to ALAN should receive sufficient water during hot and dry weather conditions to maintain their normal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As a shade plant with high ornamental value, Saxifraga stolonifera is often used in landscape of courtyards and gardens. The light intensity may have an important infuence on its growth performance, especially on leaf color, formation and coloration of leaf variegation, which subsequently affects its ornamental value. However, the related study has not been reported before. In order to explore the adaptability of different cultivars of S. stolonifera to light intensity and understand their light or shade tolerance, three internationally-registered cultivars raised in China were used as the experimental materials, the effects of five light intensity treatments (100%, 85%, 60%, 40% and 15%) on plant growth and development and photosynthetic physiological indexes were investigated. The suitable indexes of light intensity for S. stolonifera were screened by the principal component analysis, and the light tolerance of the cultivars was evaluated by membership function analysis. The results were as follows: (1) The number of blades, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, specific leaf area, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll contents increased with shading. (2) The number of stolons, fresh weight above ground, dry weight above ground, stolon diameter, and the contents of carotenoid and flavonoids increased first and then decreased. (3) The maximum fluorescence value and the contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein and malondialdehyde of the leaves decreased with shading. (4) By analysis of principal component and membership function, the significant differences were found in the adaptability of the three cultivars to light intensity, ‘Xue Wen’ > ‘Tianmu Enci’ > ‘Hei Kui’. In which, 40% light intensity was optimal for ‘Xue Wen’, and 15%-40% light intensities were optimal for ‘Tianmu Enci’ and ‘Hei Kui’. Therefore, in horticultural practice, the suitable light intensity should be considered according to the cultivars of Saxifraga.

Tea plant is an acidophilic plant, and soil pH has an important effect on the absorption and enrichment of elements, tea plant growth and quality. In this study, rhizosphere soils and leaves of tea plants from 30 tea plantations were collected to determine soil pH and multi-element content of soil and leaves of tea plants, to obtain and validate key elements that are enriched by pH affecting tea plants, and to analyze the effects of pH on the growth and quality of tea plants. The results showed that soil pH significantly affected the enrichment of 15 elements by tea plants, and the enrichment coefficients of 11 elements (C, Mg, Si, N, P, Mn, Sr, Cd, S, Ca and Sb) tended to increase significantly with the increase of soil pH, while the opposite was true for the other four elements (Cu, Rb, Ba and Al). TOPSIS analysis showed that soil pH had the greatest effect on tea plant enrichment of seven elements, namely N (100%), Mn (43.32%), C (39.22%), P (27.66%), Sr (15.30%), Mg (13.41%) and Ba (10.47%). Pot experiments with tea seedlings also verified that soil pH significantly affected the enrichment of tea leaves for seven key elements. Moreover, with the increase of soil pH, the growth indexes, photosynthesis indexes and quality indexes of tea seedlings showed a significant upward trend. Interaction analysis showed that the enhanced enrichment of N, Mn, C, P, Sr and Mg by tea plants was beneficial to increase the photosynthetic capacity of tea plants, promote the growth of tea plants and improve the quality of tea leaves. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the cultivation and management of tea plants.

Heat stress caused by high temperature environment in summer has become one of the important factors restricting the healthy development of beef cattle breeding industry. Heat stress can lead to decreased feed intake, behavioral changes, endocrine hormone disorders, immune function decline, gastrointestinal flora structure and metabolism disorders in beef cattle. The heat stress of beef cattle can be alleviated by adjusting the nutrition level of daily food and adding Chinese herbs. The paper reviews the effect of heat stress on physiological indexes, behavioral changes, endocrine system, heat shock protein, immune function, antioxidant function and gastrointestinal flora of beef cattle, as well as nutritional regulation measures to alleviate heat stress in beef cattle, aiming to provide reference for reducing the harm of heat stress to beef cattle and promoting the efficient and healthy development of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the leaves and rhizomes of Pyrola calliantha as experimental materials, the physiological mechanism of cold resistance of Pyrola calliantha was clarified by measuring the content of MDA, protective enzyme system and osmotic adjustment substances in the natural overwintering process. The results showed that during the natural overwintering process, the MDA content and the activities of SOD, POD and CAT enzymes of Pyrola calliantha increased first and then decreased. The activities of cytoprotective enzymes in leaves were more intense and the activities of rhizomes were more stable; the contents of proline, soluble protein and soluble sugar in leaves and rhizomes showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. In each month, the contents of proline and soluble protein in rhizomes were always higher than those in leaves, while the content of soluble sugar in leaves was higher than that in rhizomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of potato industry, potato as staple food has gradually become a world trend, and accelerating the development process of the potato industry is of great significance for the development of agriculture in China. To select drought- resistant potato varieties suitable for planting in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the physiological indicators of 18 potato varieties under drought stress in field conditions were measured at the seedling, tuber formation, and tuber bulking stages. Peroxidase (POD) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of potato leaves generally showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing and SPAD value gradually decreased as the growth period progressed under drought stress treatment. No clear change pattern was found for malondialdehyde (MDA) content, soluble sugar content and proline (Pro) content in the 18 varieties tested. Membership function analysis was performed based on various physiological indicators. The average membership function values of 'Zhongshu 28' and 'Zhongshu 9' at seedling, tuber formation and tuber bulking stages were 0.623 9, 0.543 2, 0.814 8 and 0.561 2, 0.488 7, 0.704 2, respectively, indicating that they are relatively drought-resistant potato varieties. The results of this study provide data support for evaluating drought resistance index of potato and have important reference value for selecting droughtresistant potato varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under outdoor static simulation conditions, by measuring the relative growth rate, branch number, maximum plant height, chlorophyll a, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase of Hydrilla verticillata, Vallisneria spinulosa and Myriophyllum spicatum, we study the response of submerged plants to the changes of substrate and ammonia nitrogen conditions. The results showed that the maximum ammonia nitrogen tolerance concentrations of Hydrilla verticillata, Vallisneria spinulosa and Myriophyllum spicatum were 2. 69 mg / L, 4. 69 mg / L and 2. 69 mg / L respectively. Based on the growth rate changes of submerged plants, except that the growth rate of Hydrilla verticillata is lower than that of silt group under the condition of medium concentration of ammonia nitrogen, the submerged plants in loess group have stronger ability to adapt to ammonia nitrogen stress. The chlorophyll a content of the same plant in water with different ammonia nitrogen concentrations under different substrates showed an overall trend of increasing first and then decreasing, and there was no significant difference between different substrate groups under the same concentration. Under the same substrate environment, under the medium concentration of ammonia nitrogen, the SOD index of Hydrilla verticillata and Myriophyllum spicatum did not change significantly, while the thorn bittergrass showed a trend of rising first and then declining. In silt and loess environment, different ammonia nitrogen concentrations have no significant effect on the CAT index of Hydrilla verticillata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Asian Journals of Ecotoxicology is the property of Gai Kan Bian Wei Hui and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

[Objective] This study explored the differences in heat resistance of different varieties of Helleborus orientlis under high temperature stress and screened the varieties suitable for garden application in summer high temperature areas of China to improve the cultivation of new varieties with heat resistance. [Method] Nine varieties of Helleborus orientlis were selected to observe symptoms of heat injury, detect effects on physiological indexes and study high temperature tolerance through artificial simulation of high temperature stress. Combined with membership function analysis, the heat resistance was evaluated comprehensively. [Result] Under high temperature stress, Single white and Single white pink vein had no obvious symptoms of heat injury. Contents of total chlorophyll (Chi (a + b)), chlorophyll a (Chi a), chlorophyll b (Chi b) and carotenoid (Caro) as well as relative water content (REC) of all cultivars decreased. Relative conductivity (RWC), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities increased, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content, proline (Pro) content and catalase (CAT) activity varied differently among varieties. According to the subordination function analysis, the heat resistance of studied varieties was in the order of Single white > Anemone white spotted > Single white pinkvein>Anemone white>Double white spotted > Anemone red>Double red>Double white>Double green spotted. [Conclusion] Single white had the strongest heat resistance among the nine Helleborus orientlis varieties and it is most suitable for planting in gardens in areas with high temperature in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences is the property of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Oil Crop Sciences is the property of Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)