Effects of plant density and mepiquat chloride application on cotton boll setting in wheat–cotton double cropping system

Sowing cotton directly after harvesting wheat in the Yangtze River Valley of China requires early mature of cotton without yield reduction. Boll-setting period synchronisation and more yield bolls distributed at the upper and middle canopy layers are also required for harvesting. The objective of this study is to quantify the individual and interaction effects of plant density and plant growth regulator mepiquat chloride(MC) on temporal and spatial distributions of yield bolls, as well as yield and yield components. During the 2013–2016 cotton growing seasons, the experiments were conducted on a shortseason cotton cultivar CRRI50 at Yangzhou University, China. Various combinations of plant density(12.0, 13.5 and 15.0 plants m~(–2)) and MC dose(180, 270 and 360 g ha~(–1)) were applied on cotton plants. The combination of 13.5 plants m~(–2) and 270 g ha~(–1) MC resulted in the greatest boll number per unit area, the highest daily boll setting number and more than 90% of bolls positioned within 45–80 cm above the ground. In conclusion, appropriate MC dose in combination of high plant density could synchronize boll-setting period and retain more bolls at the upper and middle canopy layers without yield reduction in the system of direct-seeded cotton after wheat harvest, and thus overcome the labor-intensive problem in current transplanting cropping system.     

Reduced square Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein content of transgenic cotton under N deficit

To clarify the effect of the N deficit on the amount of square Bt insecticidal protein, different N application rates(0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 kg ha–1) were imposed on the conventional cultivar Sikang 1(SK-1) and hybrid cultivar Sikang 3(SK-3) during 2015–2016 cotton growth seasons. Under different N application rates, the square number per plant, square volume and square dry weight reduced when the N rates decreased from conventional rate(300 kg ha–1) to 0 kg ha–1. And the square Bt protein content decreased accordingly. The analysis of N metabolism showed that soluble protein content, GPT and GOT activities decreased, free amino acid, peptidase and protease activities increased under N deficit. Correlation analysis indicated that the reduced Bt protein content under N deficit was related to altered N metabolism. In conclusion, square development and the amount of square Bt toxin both decreased under N deficit, indicating that promoting the square development under appropriate N application rate would also promote the insect resistance during squaring stage.     

INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS PHYSICAL PARAMETERS ON ANTHER CULTURE OF BARLEY

This study describes the effect of some parameters on anther culture of barley to optimize the plant regeneration condition of this species. The embryo formation and plant regeneration from anthers of three barley cultivars (‘Igri’, ‘Saida’ and ‘Libya’) were investigated. The effects of length of flag leaves, stage of microspore development, and pre-treatments (mannitol or cold pre-treatment) of anthers were investigated. Results showed significant responses. Anthers at the mid uninucleate to mid-late uninucleate stage gave the best anther culture response showing 80, 60, and 30% anther development in ‘Igri’, ‘Saida’ and ‘Libya’ barley cultivars, respectively. The use of mannitol (0.3 M) or 20 days cold pre-treatments showed the best results for embryo and green-plant production.     

Logistic Regression Analysis on Factors Affecting Adoption of Rice-Fish Farming in North Iran

We evaluated the factors influencing the adoption of rice-fish farming in the Tavalesh region near the Caspian Sea in northern Iran.We conducted a survey with open-ended questions.Data were collected from 184 respondents(61 adopters and 123 non-adopters) randomly sampled from selected villages and analyzed using logistic regression and multi-response analysis.Family size,number of contacts with an extension agent,participation in extension-education activities,membership in social institutions and the presence of farm workers were the most important socio-economic factors for the adoption of rice-fish farming system.In addition,economic problems were the most common issue reported by adopters.Other issues such as lack of access to appropriate fish food,losses of fish,lack of access to high quality fish fingerlings and dehydration and poor water quality were also important to a number of farmers.     

Demographics of patients with surgical and nonsurgical cystic echinococcosis in East Azerbaijan from 2001 to 2012

Echinococcosis is very frequent helminthic infection in human being. The disease is endemic in Iran and particularly in its northwestern region, East Azerbaijan. The objective of this study was to study demographics of patients with cystic echinococcosis in East Azerbaijan; as well as to repot the sites of involvements. In this cross-sectional study, 318 patients with surgical and nonsurgical cystic echinococcosis were recruited from three referral centers in Tabriz within a 10-year period of time. The patients' demographics (age and gender) and the site of infection were investigated. Among the patients, females were predominant (57.5 vs. 42.5%). The mean age of patients was 32.59 +/- 18.47 (range: < 1-87) years and the most frequently age group was 20-30 years (23.6%), followed by the age groups of 30-40 years (21.7%), 10-20 years (14.2%), 40-50 years (11.9%), 50-60 years (11.3%), < 1 year (6%), 60-70 years (4.7%), 1-10 years (4.1%) and finally, > 70 years (2.5%). The lung was the most frequently infected organ (48.1%), followed by the liver (28.9%), gallbladder (3.5%), spleen and kidney (each one in 2.2%), abdomen, intestine, pleura, bronchus and mediastinum (each one in 1.6%), chest wall and heart (each one in 1.3%), brain, pericardium, facial sinus, pancreas and esophagus (each one in 0.6%) and the ovary, uterus, axillary region, pelvis and femur (each one in 0.3%). In conclusion, this study showed that the patients with hydatid cysts in East Azerbaijan Province are mainly females in the age group of 20-40 years. The lung and liver are the major sites of infection in these patients.     

Salicylic acid alleviates the toxicity of cadmium on seedling growth,amylases and phosphatases activity in germinating barley seeds

The present study investigated the possible mediator role of salicylic acid (SA) in alleviating cadmium (Cd) toxicity during the germination stage of barley. The exposure of barley seedling to increasing Cd concentrations (25, 50 and 100 µM) during early stages of their establishment, caused a gradual decrease in vigour index, root length, α-amylase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase activities in endosperms and mitotic index of the root tip. Seed pretreatment with 600 µM SA partially alleviated the negative effects of Cd on germination parameters and increased the hydrolytic enzyme activities and mitotic index. Cadmium treatment increased Cd accumulation in roots. Furthermore, results showed that compared to the cadmium treatment applied alone, SA pretreatment of the seeds did not influenced the Cd concentration in the roots. These results suggest that SA plays a positive role in barley-seed germination and early seedling growth by protecting it against Cd toxicity by moderating its toxic effect on the mobilization of organic reserves.     

Characterization of Brauns’ lignin from fresh and vacuum-dried birch (Betula pendula) wood

Brauns’ lignins present in the methanol extracts of fresh birch (Betula pendula) xylem and of sawn birch board subjected to vacuum drying were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy (1D and 2D), IR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and colour measurements (CIELab) in order to find out whether Brauns’ lignin could contribute to the colour change of sawn timber that occurred during vacuum drying. The two Brauns’ lignin samples contained about equal amounts of syringylpropane and guaiacylpropane units linked with β-O-4 and β–β side-chain structures. Molecular weight of the Brauns’ lignin of vacuum-dried birch board (acetylated: 5,200 g mol⁻¹) was higher than that of the Brauns’ lignin of fresh birch wood (acetylated: 4,400 g mol⁻¹). The Brauns’ lignin of vacuum-dried wood was also clearly darker and more prominently yellow and red; between the Brauns’ lignin samples was 23.59. The differences in the molecular weights and colours suggest that the Brauns’ lignin underwent a chemical change during vacuum drying of the wood and that this change may have affected the colour of the wood.     

Effects of dietary microencapsulated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cymbopogon flexuosus</Emphasis> essential oil on reproductive-related parameters in male <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhamdia quelen</Emphasis>

In aquaculture, nutrition and supplemented diets have been shown to affect broodstock reproductive performance. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with Cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil (CFEO) microcapsules on reproductive-related parameters in silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) male broodfish. Adult male broodstocks were separated into three groups according to the concentrations of supplemented CFEO (0.0?=?control; 1.0 or 3.0 mL per kg of diet). After 20 days under experimental conditions, the animals were euthanized and the gonads were harvested for gonadosomatic index, sperm analysis, oxidative stress, and histopathology; testosterone levels were measured in the plasma; gene expression of prl, smtl, pomca, and pomcb was assessed in the pituitary gland by real-time PCR. The results showed no alterations on reproductive parameters in R. quelen males treated with Cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil compared to the control-diet animals. In conclusion, CFEO microcapsules supplied for 20 days in the concentrations of 1.00 or 3.00 mL per kilogram of diet did not affect the reproduction criteria evaluated in this study in male silver catfish.     

Retracted: Antioxidant characteristics of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) seminal plasma did not show significant changes during in vitro storage (48 h at 4°C)

The below article, published online on Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ) has been retracted by agreement between the submitting author, Mohammad Sadegh Aramli, the Editors, Ronald Hardy, Lindsay Ross, Shi‐Yen Shiau, Marc Verdegem, and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. After a thorough investigation, there is strong evidence to indicate that the peer review of this paper was compromised. The identities of the reviewers were unable to be verified and it is believed that the paper was accepted based on recommendations from reviewers not suitably qualified. REFERENCE Aramli, M. S., & Kalbassi, M. R. (2016). Antioxidant characteristics of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) seminal plasma did not show significant changes during in vitro storage (48 hr at 4°C). Aquaculture Research doi:  https://doi.org/10.1111/are.13204 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/are.13204/abstract