Carbohydrate and crude protein fractions in perennial ryegrass as affected by defoliation frequency and nitrogen application rate

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of defoliation frequency (either at two‐ or three‐leaf stage) and nitrogen (N) application rate (0, 75, 150, 300, 450 kg N ha^?1 year^?1) on herbage carbohydrate and crude protein (CP) fractions, and the water‐soluble carbohydrate‐to‐protein ratio (WSC:CP) in perennial ryegrass swards. Crude protein fractions were analysed according to the Cornell carbohydrate and protein system. Carbohydrate fractions were analysed by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography. Sward defoliation at two‐leaf stage increased the total CP, reduced the buffer‐soluble CP fractions and decreased carbohydrate fractions of herbage (P < 0·001). The effect of defoliation frequency was less marked during early spring and autumn (P < 0·001) than for the rest of the seasons. An increase in N application rate was negatively associated with WSC, fructans and neutral detergent fibre (P < 0·001), and positively associated with CP and nitrate (N‐NO₃) contents of herbage. Nitrogen application rate did not affect CP fractions of herbage (P > 0·05). The fluctuations in CP and WSC contents of herbage resulted in lower WSC:CP ratios during early spring and autumn (0·45:1 and 0·75:1 respectively) than in late spring (1·11:1). The herbage WSC:CP ratio was greater (P < 0·001) at the three‐leaf than the two‐leaf defoliation stage and declined as the N application increased in all seasons (P < 0·001). The results of this study indicate that CP and carbohydrate fractions of herbage can be manipulated by sward defoliation frequency and N application rate. The magnitude of these effects, however, may vary with the season.     

The effect of feeding a novel multistrain yeast fraction on European seabass (Dicentrachus labrax) intestinal health and growth performance

Fish were fed a single‐strain yeast fraction (SsYF; 2 g/kg) or a multistrain yeast fraction (MsYF; 0.8 g/kg) for 10 weeks. The results demonstrated significant (p ≤ 0.03) elevations in weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, and feed conversion ratio in fish fed the yeast fraction‐supplemented diets. In the distal intestine, a significant elevation in microvilli density was observed after 5 and 10 weeks of dietary supplementation with MsYF and SsYF, respectively, compared to control fed fish (p < 0.001). A significant elevation (p = 0.02) in the perimeter ratio was observed in fish fed diets supplemented with the yeast fractions. After 10 weeks of feeding on the experimental diets, Rt‐qPCR demonstrated a significant downregulation (p < 0.05) in the stress response genes, heat‐shock protein 70 (hsp70) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna), in fish fed diets supplemented with the yeast fractions. Significant (p < 0.05) elevations in interleukin 1‐beta (il1β) and interleukin‐10 (il10) gene expression were observed in fish fed diets supplemented with the MsYF compared to the other dietary groups. These findings suggest that feeding an MsYF specifically at a lower incorporation rate < 1 g/kg, compared to a commercial SsYF at 2 g/kg, is effective in improving the intestinal health status and growth performance of European seabass.     

渭河阶地全新世土壤粒度成分高分辨率研究

通过对渭河阶地全新世土壤的野外考察和粒度成分的高分辨率分析研究，揭示了该区域褐色土的成壤作用过程与季风气候变化的关系。研究表明渭河第二级阶地褐色土形成在全新世气候最适宜期（8500－3100a B.P.），从8500a B.P.开始该土壤开始发育，老官台文化兴起。从3100a B.P.开始的气候干旱化和沙尘暴堆积形成了黄土L。层。西周时期对应于该干旱期的初期。     

Ethyl acetate fraction of flavonoids from Polygonum hydropiper L. modulates pseudorabies virus-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells via the nuclear factor-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection leads to severe inflammatory responses and tissue damage, and many natural herbs exhibit protective effects against viral infection by modulating the inflammatory response. An ethyl acetate fraction of flavonoids from Polygonum hydropiper L. (FEA) was prepared through ethanol extraction and ethyl acetate fractional extraction. An inflammatory model was established in RAW264.7 cells with PRV infection to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of FEA by measuring cell viability, nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) release, and mRNA expression of inflammatory factors, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Its functional mechanism was investigated by analyzing the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of key proteins in the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Our findings indicate that PRV induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cells, and the responses were similar to that in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cells. FEA significantly suppressed NO synthesis and down-regulated both expression and secretion of COX-2, iNOS, and inflammatory cytokines (P<0.05 or P<0.01). FEA also reduced NF-κB p65 translocation into the nucleus and decreased MAPK phosphorylation, indicating that the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway may be closely related to the inflammatory response during viral infection. The findings suggested the potential pharmaceutical application of FEA as a natural product that can treat viral infections due to its ability to mitigate inflammatory responses.     

Zn distribution and bioavailability in whole grain and grain fractions of winter wheat as affected by applications of soil N and foliar Zn combined with N or P

A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar Zn combined with N or P on Zn concentration and bioavailability in wheat grain and its milling fractions under different soil N levels. At maturity, grains were harvested and fractionated into flour and bran for nutrient analysis. Both high soil N supply and foliar Zn-enriched fertilizer applications greatly increased Zn concentration and bioavailability in both whole grain and grain fractions. Compared with foliar Zn alone, foliar Zn combined with N increased Zn concentration and bioavailability, whereas foliar Zn combined with P decreased Zn concentration and bioavailability. However, foliar Zn combined with P slightly increased the protein concentration compared to foliar Zn alone. Protein concentration significantly increased, whereas phytate concentration decreased, in whole grain and flour, both in soil N and foliar Zn-enriched N treatments. Therefore, foliar Zn plus N (with appropriate soil N management) may be a promising strategy for addressing dietary Zn micronutrient deficiencies, especially in countries where flour is a significant component of the daily diet.     

Effect of cultivation time on soil heavy metal accumulation and bioavailability in Phyllostachys praecox stands

Phyllostachys praecox is a bamboo species cultivated for edible shoots under intensive management. However, the potential pollution risk of heavy metals in bamboo soils is not clear under the intensive management for a long term. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cultivation time on soil heavy metal accumulation and bioavailability in bamboo stands subjected to intensive management. Soil samples were collected from a chronosequence of bamboo stands which had been cultivated for 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 10 years in Lin''an, Zhejiang Province of China. Eight heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, As, and Hg) present in the soil were selected, and their potential pollution risk was evaluated by chemical speciation analysis. Possible heavy metal sources were explored using multivariate and cluster analysis. Our results showed that Zn, Cu, Hg, and Cd contents in the soil increased with the cultivation time, while Ni, Cr, Pb, and As levels were similar among all stands. Furthermore, the bioavailabilities of all analyzed heavy metals increased with the cultivation time. Multivariate and cluster analysis showed that sources of Ni, Cr, Pb, and As were likely lithogenic in origin, whereas input of Zn, Cu, Hg, and Cd was mainly due to cultivation practices. Current bamboo management strategies raised the potential risks of heavy metal pollution in bamboo shoots in the long term. Soil acidification in P. praecox stands induced by intensive cultivation should be controlled since it stimulated and improved the bioavailability of heavy metals. Appropriate management strategies should thus be adopted to ensure safe and sustainable production of bamboo shoots.     

Intensive organic vegetable production increases soil organic carbon but with a lower carbon conversion efficiency than integrated management

Intensive vegetable production in greenhouses has rapidly expanded in China since the 1990s and increased to 1.3 million ha of farmland by 2016, which is the highest in the world. We conducted an 11‐year greenhouse vegetable production experiment from 2002 to 2013 to observe soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics under three management systems, i.e., conventional (CON), integrated (ING), and intensive organic (ORG) farming. Soil samples (0–20 and 20–40 cm depth) were collected in 2002 and 2013 and separated into four particle‐size fractions, i.e., coarse sand (> 250 µm), fine sand (250–53 µm), silt (53–2 µm), and clay (< 2 µm). The SOC contents and δ¹³C values of the whole soil and the four particle‐size fractions were analyzed. After 11 years of vegetable farming, ORG and ING significantly increased SOC stocks (0–20 cm) by 4008 ± 36.6 and 2880 ± 365 kg C ha^?1 y^?1, respectively, 8.1‐ and 5.8‐times that of CON (494 ± 42.6 kg C ha^?1 y^?1). The SOC stock increase in ORG at 20–40 cm depth was 245 ± 66.4 kg C ha^?1 y^?1, significantly higher than in ING (66 ± 13.4 kg C ha^?1 y^?1) and CON (109 ± 44.8 kg C ha^?1 y^?1). Analyses of ¹³C revealed a significant increase in newly produced SOC in both soil layers in ORG. However, the carbon conversion efficiency (CE: increased organic carbon in soil divided by organic carbon input) was lower in ORG (14.4%–21.7%) than in ING (18.2%–27.4%). Among the four particle‐sizes in the 0–20 cm layer, the silt fraction exhibited the largest proportion of increase in SOC content (57.8% and 55.4% of the SOC increase in ORG and ING, respectively). A similar trend was detected in the 20–40 cm soil layer. Over all, intensive organic (ORG) vegetable production increases soil organic carbon but with a lower carbon conversion efficiency than integrated (ING) management.     

椭圆嗜蓝层孔菌子实体化学成分研究

椭圆嗜蓝层孔菌(Phellinus ellipsoidea)子实体甲醇提取物依次用石油醚和乙酸乙酯萃取,其乙酸乙酯分部经柱层析分离得到11个化合物。经鉴定这11个化合物分别为:苯并(1,2-b,5,4-b′)二呋喃-3,5-二酮-8-甲酸甲酯(1)、原儿茶酸(2)、4-(3,4-二羟苯基)-3-丁烯-2-酮(3)、原儿茶醛(4)、Hispidin(5)、Hispolon(6)、Inoscavin A(7)、Phelligridin K(8)、Inoscavin C(9)、Inoscavin E(10)和Inonoblins B(11),其中化合物2、4、7、10为首次从该物种中分离得到。     

基于机载LiDAR数据的玉米叶面积指数反演

以机载LiDAR离散点云数据为数据源,基于植被冠层孔隙率与叶面积指数的关系,提出一种反演大田玉米叶面积指数的方法。对反演LAI和实测LAI进行对比分析,结果表明:基于Axelsson改进的不规则三角格网加密方法可以将地面点和非地面点分开,结合高分辨率影像能够提取出玉米冠层点云;基于孔隙率反演LAI,尼尔逊参数的选择对结果影响很大,利用扫描天顶角模拟尼尔逊参数,LAI反演结果接近于真实情况。利用机载LiDAR点云数据能精确地反演大田玉米LAI,该研究方法适用于中等高度的农作物,可以扩展到甜菜、甘蔗等其他中等高度农作物。