Influence of tree crown characteristics on the local PM10 distribution inside an urban street canyon in Antwerp (Belgium): A model and experimental approach

Apart from influencing the amount of leaf-deposited particles, tree crown morphology will influence the local distribution of atmospheric particles. Nevertheless, tree crowns are often represented very rudimentary in three-dimensional air quality models. Therefore, the influence of tree crown representation on the local ambient PM₁₀ concentration and resulting leaf-deposited PM₁₀ mass was evaluated, using the three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model ENVI-met^® and ground-based LiDAR imaging. The modelled leaf-deposited PM₁₀ mass was compared to gravimetric results within three different particle size fractions (0.2–3, 3–10 and >10 μm), obtained at 20 locations within the tree crown. Modelling of the LiDAR-derived tree crown resulted in altered atmospheric PM₁₀ concentrations in the vicinity of the tree crown. Although this model study was limited to a single tree and model configuration, our results demonstrate that improving tree crown characteristics (shape, dimensions and LAD) affects the resulting local PM₁₀ distribution in ENVI-met. An accurate tree crown representation seems, therefore, of great importance when aiming at modelling the local PM distribution.     

论生态景观吸引力空间异化模型的应用——以江苏环太湖国际旅游区规划为例

以江苏环太湖国际旅游区规划为实验对象,重点探讨生态景观吸引力空间异化过程,即从要素磁场分化开始,经由同质景观间的引力异化,导致同类景观片区间的引力空间异化,最终推导出另一种"同质相斥、异质相吸"的新型生态景观吸引力空间结构。     

Effect of miR-19a on lipid catabolism in hepatocyte LO2

AIM: To observe the effect of microRNA-19a (miR-19a) on the lipid catabolism of hepatocyte LO2, and to explore the potential mechanism. METHODS: miR-19a was over-expressed or silenced by transfection of miR-19a mimics or miR-19a inhibitor into LO2 cells, then the mRNA level of miR-19a was detected by real-time PCR. The potential target of miR-19a was found by the method of bioinformatics through internet website. The effect of miR-19a on the 3' UTR of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) was measured by dual luciferase reporter assay, and the protein level of PPARα and its 2 major downstream rate-limiting enzymes involved in lipid catabolism, acyl-coenzyme a dehydrogenase (ACADM) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), were detected by Western blotting. Meanwhile, the effect of miR-19a on the generation of ketone body was measured by beta-hydroxybutyric acid (β-OHB) detection assay. RESULTS: The mRNA level of miR-19a was dramatically elevated by the transfection of miR-19a mimics, and sharply decreased by the transfection of miR-19a inhibitor (P<0.05). PPARα was found as a potential target of miR-19a, and dual luciferase reporter assay and Western blotting confirmed the regulatory effect of miR-19a on the expression of PPARα, with the protein level changes of ACADM and CPT1A. miR-19a mimics down-regulated, while miR-19a inhibitor up-regulated the concentration of β-OHB in LO2 cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: miR-19a regulates the lipid catabolism of hepatocytes by targeting the PPARα and its 2 downstream rate-limiting enzymes.     

Effects of different soil conservation tillage approaches on soil nutrients,water use and wheat-maize yield in rainfed dry-land regions of North China

Excessive tillage compromises soil quality by causing severe water shortages that can lead to crop failure. Reports on the effects of conservation tillage on major soil nutrients, water use efficiency and gain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) in rainfed regions in the North China Plain are relatively scarce. In this work, four tillage approaches were tested from 2004 to 2012 in a randomized study performed in triplicate: one conventional tillage and three conservation tillage experiments with straw mulching (no tillage during wheat and maize seasons, subsoiling during the maize season but no tillage during the wheat season, and ridge planting during both wheat and maize seasons). Compared with conventional tillage, by 2012, eight years of conservation tillage treatments (no tillage, subsoiling and ridge planting) resulted in a significant increase in available phosphorus in topsoil (0–0.20 m), by 3.8%, 37.8% and 36.9%, respectively. Soil available potassium was also increased following conservation tillage, by 13.6%, 37.5% and 25.0%, and soil organic matter by 0.17%, 5.65% and 4.77%, while soil total nitrogen was altered by −2.33%, 4.21% and 1.74%, respectively. Meanwhile, all three conservation tillage approaches increased water use efficiency, by 19.1–28.4% (average 24.6%), 10.1–23.8% (average 15.9%) and 11.2–20.7% (average 15.7%) in wheat, maize and annual, respectively. Additionally, wheat yield was increased by 7.9–12.0% (average 10.3%), maize yield by 13.4–24.6% (average 17.4%) and rotation annual yield by 12.3–16.9% (average 14.1%). Overall, our findings demonstrate that subsoiling and ridge planting with straw mulching performed better than conventional tillage for enhancing major soil nutrients and improving grain yield and water use efficiency in rainfed regions in the North China Plain.     

Persimmon breeding in Japan for pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA) type with marker-assisted selection

Oriental persimmon (Diospyros kaki) originated in Eastern Asia, and many indigenous cultivars have been developed in China, Japan, and Korea. These cultivars are classified into four groups based on their natural astringency loss on the tree and seed formation: pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA), pollination-variant non-astringent (PVNA), pollination-constant astringent (PCA), and pollination-variant astringent (PVA). PCNA is the most desirable type because the fruit can be eaten without any postharvest treatment; therefore, one of the goals of our persimmon breeding programs is to release superior PCNA cultivars. The PCNA genotype is recessive to the other three non-PCNA genotypes, and PCNA-type F₁ offspring are obtained exclusively from crosses among PCNA genotypes. Moreover, the number of superior PCNA cross-parents have been limited. In the late 1980s, inbreeding depression became obvious, especially in terms of fruit size, tree vigor, and productivity. To mitigate the inbreeding, a backcross program using PCNA [(non-PCNA × PCNA) × PCNA] was started in 1990. This process, however, was inefficient because only 15% of the offspring were PCNA, and all offspring had to be grown to the fruiting stage. Therefore, molecular markers linked to the PCNA locus were developed for discriminating PCNA offspring. A molecular marker linked to Chinese PCNA has also been developed.     

Salt Effect on the Antioxidant Activity of Red Microalgal Sulfated Polysaccharides in Soy-Bean Formula

Sulfated polysaccharides produced by microalgae, which are known to exhibit various biological activities, may potentially serve as natural antioxidant sources. To date, only a few studies have examined the antioxidant bioactivity of red microalgal polysaccharides. In this research, the effect of different salts on the antioxidant activities of two red microalgal sulfated polysaccharides derived from Porphyridium sp. and Porphyridium aerugineum were studied in a soy bean-based infant milk formula. Salt composition and concentration were both shown to affect the polysaccharides’ antioxidant activity. It can be postulated that the salt ions intefer with the polysaccharide chains’ interactions and alter their structure, leading to a new three-dimensional structure that better exposes antiooxidant sites in comparison to the polysaccharide without salt supplement. Among the cations that were studied, Ca²⁺ had the strongest enhancement effect on antioxidant activities of both polysaccharides. Understanding the effect of salts on polysaccharides’ stucture, in addition to furthering knowledge on polysaccharide bioactivities, may also shed light on the position of the antioxidant active sites.     

基于支持向量机的农机装备水平差异分类研究

针对黑龙江垦区各农场农机装备水平不平衡差异问题,采用支持向量机多类分类和主成分分析相结合的方法进行研究。将农机装备水平分为3个等级水平,从总量、速度和均量3方面选取10个评价指标;采用主成分分析法确定5个主要合成指标;建立多类分类支持向量机新模型,把新模型转化成一个互补问题,利用Lagrangian隐函数进一步转化成一个强凸的无约束优化问题,采取快速牛顿算法进行求解;利用实证调研数据,从发展差异度的角度对黑龙江垦区98个农场农机装备水平的差异进行多指标分析,在分类的准确度和训练速度方面都有很好的表现。     

玉米粒重一致性QTL整合图谱的构建及元分析

为进一步研究候选基因发掘、克隆以及基因组结构,在生物信息学基础上,利用公共网络资源上已发表的149个玉米粒重相关QTL位点信息,初步探讨了玉米粒重"一致性"QTL发掘。结果表明:构建出一个包含了80个玉米粒重QTL位点的整合图谱,并在第7染色体上确定出一个"一致性"QTL,由标记bcd349和gpm760a界定,置信区间为463.29~505.50,间距42.21cM。     

6种无公害农药对蒙古栎栗实象的防治效果

[目的]筛选出能有效控制蒙古栎栗实象的无公害药剂和施药方式.[方法]采用6种无公害农药对蒙古栎栗实象成虫分别进行室内筛选试验和野外防治试验,同时对施药方法进行了评估.[结果]室内药剂测定试验结果表明,稀释100倍的1.2％阿维菌素、稀释100倍和500倍的5％噻虫啉及25％灭幼脲致死率均达到70％以上,其中稀释100倍的5％噻虫啉效果最佳,120 h后致死率达到84.21％;室外药效试验结果表明,稀释100倍的25％灭幼脲采用打孔注药的施药方式效果最明显,橡实被害率为64％,降低了32％的果实被害率.[结论]试验结果为蒙古栎栗实象的无公害防治提供了参考.