Laboratory and Field Assessment of the Decagon 5TE and GS3 Sensors for Estimating Soil Water Content in Saline-Alkali Reclaimed Soils

The objective of this study was to assess, under laboratory and field conditions, the performance of the Decagon 5TE and GS3 soil water sensors in estimating the soil water content of saline-alkali reclaimed land in South Korea. The error due to increased bulk soil EC was greater for the 5TE sensor than for the GS3 sensor and was greater in soil with higher bulk soil EC. Therefore, it is recommended that the soil electrical conductivity be considered in the calibration process for the 5TE. The calibration equations developed for the 5TE and GS3 sensors during laboratory experiments were highly accurate. Testing of the 5TE and GS3 sensors showed very good agreement between actual VWC and VWC calculations resulting from the field-derived calibration. These results suggest that either sensor can be used to acquire accurate soil water content data in the field.     

Reclamation of a coastal reclaimed tidal land soil by gypsum and rice straw

This study was to evaluate the application effect of gypsum and rice straw on the saline–sodic soils of coastal reclaimed tidal lands during newly reclamation process by leaching method. Soil used in the lysimeter experiment is classified as Greyic Hydragric Anthrosols (Sodic Arenic). The experiment was carried out over a period of 1 year from May 2014 to July 2015 inside a plastic film house. Saturated electrical conductivity (EC_e) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) values of soils in gypsum treatment and gypsum with rice straw treatment then reached the desalinization criteria (EC_e = 4.0 dS m^?1, ESP = 15%) after the five or six pore volumes leaching cycles. However, in spite the 10 pore volumes leaching cycles in control and rice straw alone treatment, the values did not reach the desalinization criteria. The results showed that effectiveness of improvement of sodicity and salinity in coastal reclaimed tidal land soils was in the order of gypsum = gypsum + rice straw > rice straw = control. Our study has shown that gypsum alone treatment or gypsum with rice straw treatment in a coastal reclaimed tidal land soils improves their physicochemical characteristics.     

The Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid on Vitamin D Activation in Hemodialysis Patients: A Pilot Study

The high incidence of cardiovascular disease and vitamin D deficiency in chronic kidney disease patients is well known. Vitamin D activation by omega-3 fatty acid (FA) supplementation may explain the cardioprotective effects exerted by omega-3 FA. We hypothesized that omega-3 FA and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) supplementation may increase 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D) levels compared to 25(OH)D supplementation alone in hemodialysis (HD) patients that have insufficient or deficient 25(OH)D levels. We enrolled patients that were treated for at least six months with 25(OH)D < 30 ng/mL ({"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01596842","term_id":"NCT01596842"}}NCT01596842). Patients were randomized to treatment for 12 weeks with cholecalciferol supplemented with omega-3 FA or a placebo. Levels of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)₂D were measured after 12 weeks. The erythrocyte membrane FA contents were also measured. Levels of 25(OH)D were increased in both groups at 12 weeks compared to baseline. The 1,25(OH)₂D levels at 12 weeks compared to baseline showed a tendency to increase in the omega-3 FA group. The oleic acid and monounsaturated FA content decreased, while the omega-3 index increased in the omega-3 FA group. Omega-3 FA supplementation may be partly associated with vitamin D activation, although increased 25(OH)D levels caused by short-term cholecalciferol supplementation were not associated with vitamin D activation in HD patients.     

Involvement of the Fas and Fas ligand in testicular germ cell apoptosis by zearalenone in rat

Zearalenone (ZEA), a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin, is known to cause testicular toxicity in animals. In the present study, the effects of ZEA on spermatogenesis and possible mechanisms involved in germ cell injury were examined in rats. Ten-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 5 mg/kg i.p. of ZEA and euthanized 3, 6, 12, 24 or 48 h after treatment. Histopathologically, spermatogonia and spermatocytes were found to be affected selectively. They were TUNEL-positive and found to be primarily in spermatogenic stages I-VI tubules from 6 h after dosing, increasing gradually until 12 h and then gradually decreasing. Western blot analysis revealed an increase in Fas and Fas ligand (Fas-L) protein levels in the ZEA-treated rats. However, the estrogen receptor (ER)α expression was not changed during the study. Collectively, our data suggest that acute exposure of ZEA induces apoptosis in germ cells of male rats and that this toxicity of ZEA is partially mediated through modulation of Fas and Fas-L systems, though ERα may not play a significant role.     

MPN-PCR enumeration of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Campylobacter</Emphasis> spp. in raw chicken meats and by-products

The goal of this study is to enumerate Campylobacter in chicken meats and by-products. In the current investigation, results showed that raw chicken meats and chicken by-products were contaminated with Campylobacter ranging from <3 to 4600 MPN·g⁻¹. Campylobacter jejuni showed a higher number compared to Campylobacter coli in the chicken samples. The current study showed that the percentage of chicken livers and gizzards harbored a higher number of Campylobacter (10³–10⁴ MPN·g⁻¹) than other chicken parts at 33.3% and 9.2%, respectively. The different concentrations of Campylobacter between chicken meats and chicken byproducts reflect the differences in the contamination level. The data on Campylobacter concentration in chicken meats and by-products will be useful in risk analysis.     

智能施肥机系统的设计与实现

结合目前中国农业现状和智能化方面的先进技术,设计一个通过管路连接到灌溉系统的施肥机,通过控制肥水的EC／pH浓度和进入灌溉管道的肥水量来实现自动施肥,它能够执行较精确的施肥过程,预防肥液施用不足或过量现象产生。本文设计的智能施肥机采用西门子SV-200系列PLC作为控制器,监控软件选用VB。     

Preparation of luminescing nanocrystal and its application to electrospinning

In this study, quantum dots (QDs) having the photophysical properties of brightness, photostability and narrow emission were synthesized. The electrospinning has been introduced to be a simple technique for generating ultrathin fibers. Herein, we have synthesized QDs and electrospun polyvinylacetate (PVAc) nanofibers having these strongly luminescing QDs particles. The size and morphology of QDs were recorded with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The structural nanofiber webs have been discussed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). And fluorescence properties of strongly luminescing QDs nanofibers were also discussed.     

福州都市圈社会经济水平与生态环境韧性的时空演化及耦合协调性

[目的]分析福州都市圈社会经济水平与生态环境韧性的协调状态及其发展趋势,为该都市圈区高质量、可持续发展提供调控建议与理论参考。[方法]以福州都市圈27个县域城市为例,构建基于韧性“抵抗—恢复—适应”特征的三维生态环境韧性评价模型,建立普适性的社会经济水平评价指标体系,结合熵权法、耦合协调度模型、核密度估计、剪刀差计算以及重心迁移模型,综合分析福州都市圈社会经济水平与生态环境韧性的耦合协调水平及其时空演化趋势,并通过Pearson相关分析方法探讨影响协调发展的主要因素。[结果](1)福州都市圈的社会经济水平均值由0.181 2上升至0.320 8,高值区在空间上呈现以福州市辖区为核心的“一核三中心”分布特征。(2)都市圈的生态环境韧性均值由0.429 4下降至0.349 4;韧性及其子系统在空间上存在较强的正自相关性,其中韧性高值区主要集聚于“延平—古田”等内陆山区,而低值区分布于“马尾—湄洲岛”沿海一带,并在福州市辖区及其周围形成了韧性“洼地”。(3)福州都市圈的耦合协调度均值从0.51稳步提升至0.56,县域社会经济水平与生态环境韧性的发展速度趋于平衡,剪刀差角度普遍减小;协调发展重...     

不同氮素水平下生物质炭、秸秆添加对陇中黄土高原旱作农田土壤活性有机碳的影响

针对黄土高原旱地小麦产量和土壤肥力水平低的问题,为更好地提升土壤肥力,达到稳产增产的效果,通过布设在定西李家堡镇的长期定位试验,研究了3种氮素(N)水平下(不施氮,施氮50 kg/hm^2,施氮100 kg/hm^2)生物质炭(B)、秸秆(S)添加(共9个处理)对陇中黄土高原旱作农田土壤有机碳及活性有机碳的影响。结果表明:相比于不施氮肥(CNO),其余施肥方式均可显著提升土壤有机碳含量,且以BN100的效果最为显著,0-5,5-10,10-30 cm土层分别提升了84.7%,69.3%,47.8%,BN0、BN50、BN100对土壤有机碳含量的提升效果明显好于SN0、SN50、SN100、CN0、CN50、CN100;相比于土壤有机碳,各处理对土壤各活性有机碳(MBC、EOC、DOC、HWOC)的影响以SN100最为显著,且均显著高于CN0、CN50、CN100;各处理对土壤有机碳及其组分含量的影响均表现出随土层加深而降低的趋势;相比于只施氮肥,生物质炭、秸秆添加下土壤有机碳及其各组分之间的相关性更加显著。相比于只施氮肥,生物质炭、秸秆的添加对于农田土壤有机碳及其活性有机碳组分含量的提升效果更加显著,生物质炭的添加对土壤有机碳含量的提升效果较好,而秸秆添加对活性有机碳含量的提升效果较为显著。研究结果对于土壤微生物环境的改善、土壤肥力的提升、减少土壤养分淋失、作物产量的提高都具有重要意义。