Two new coumarins from Euonymus hamiltonianus

Two new coumarins, named Euonidiol (1) and Euoniside (2) were isolated from the aerial parts of Euonymus hamiltonianus.     

Photosynthetic reaction,mineral uptake,and fruit quality of strawberry affected by different levels of macronutrients

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of three nutrient recipes containing different concentrations of macronutrients in the vegetative stage [Vegetative Nutrient Solution: (VNS-I, VNS-II, and VNS-III)] and two nutrient recipes in reproductive stage [Reproductive Nutrient Solution: (RNS-I and RNS-II)], on physiological and biochemical parameters of strawberry ‘Paros’ in a soilless system. The results indicated the significant effects of nutrient solution on the photosynthetic capacity, yield, minerals uptake and titratable acidity of strawberry fruits. In the other hand fruit total soluble solids affected by vegetative nutrient solution. The highest yield was obtained under application of lowest level of minerals. Vegetative growth including leaf number and leaf area, as well as total chlorophyll were the highest as potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), and nitrogen (N) concentrations were increased. The highest content of N and Ca²⁺ uptake were in VNS-III × RNS-I formulation. Additionally, the highest vitamin C was in VNS-I formulation. Moreover, the most firmed fruits and the highest post-harvest shelf life of fruits were produced in VNS-III × RNS-I formulation.     

Application of Zeolites for Sustainable Agriculture: a Review on Water and Nutrient Retention

Developing urbanization, water shortage, watercourse pollution, and demands for more food due to population growth require a more efficient water irrigation and fertilizer application. Retaining nutrients and water in agricultural soils brings about higher crop yields and prevents pollution of water courses. Among different solutions, zeolites, which are environmental friendly, ubiquitous, and inexpensive, have been extensively employed in agricultural activities. These minerals are considered as soil conditioners to improve soil physical and chemical properties including infiltration rate, saturated hydraulic conductivity (K _s), water holding capacity (WHC), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Natural and surface-modified zeolites can efficiently hold water and nutrients including ammonium (NH₄ ⁺), nitrate (NO₃ ^?) and phosphate (PO₄ ^3?), potassium (K⁺), and sulfate (SO₄ ^2?) in their unique porous structures. Their application as slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) are reported as well. Therefore, zeolite application can improve both water use efficiency (WUE) and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in agricultural activities and consequently can reduce the potential of surface and groundwater pollution. This review paper summarizes findings in the literature about the impact of zeolite applications on water and nutrient retention in the agriculture. Furthermore, it explores benefits and drawbacks of zeolite applications in this regard.

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Graphical Abstract ?

     

Effects of Haloxylon spp. of Different Age Classes on Vegetation Cover and Soil Properties on an Arid Desert Steppe in Iran

In arid regions, afforestation has been considered as a method for ecological revival in terms of vegetation enrichment and soil amelioration. In this study, the effects of afforestation with Haloxylon spp. on vegetation cover and soil properties were measured < 3, 3, 6, and 25 years after planting in an arid desert in Iran. Soil samples were collected at two depths (0-30 and 30-60 cm) under and between shrub canopies. Afforestation succession significantly affected plant community characteristics. In total, 16 species from 8 families and 15 genera were observed along the afforestation successional gradient. Plant species richness and diversity and vegetation cover increased slowly during the succession, and reached the maximum values in the area where Haloxylon had been planted for 25 years. Soil nutrient values gradually increased during the succession, and the levels of organic matter, total nitrogen, available potassium, and available phosphorus were significantly higher under Haloxylon canopies than between them. Afforestation reduced soil pH under and between Haloxylon canopies during the succession, while soil electrical conductivity followed an opposite pattern. Haloxylon planting increased the silt content in the 0-30 cm soil layer. Our results suggest that Haloxylon establishment plays an important role in the reestablishment of desertified ecosystems in arid regions.     

Assessment of gastric cancer survival: using an artificial hierarchical neural network

This study is designed to assess the application of neural networks in comparison to the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards model in the survival analysis. Three hundred thirty gastric cancer patients admitted to and surgically treated were assessed and their post-surgical survival was determined. The observed baseline survival was determined with the three methods of Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator, Cox and the neural network and results were compared. Then the binary independent variables were entered into the model. Data were randomly divided into two groups of 165 each to test the models and assess the reproducibility. The Chi-square test and the multiple logistic model were used to ensure the groups were similar and the data was divided randomly. To compare subgroups, we used the log-rank test. In the next step, the probability of survival in different periods was computed based on the training group data using the Cox proportional hazards and a neural network and estimating Cox coefficient values and neural network weights (with 3 nodes in hidden layer). Results were used for predictions in the test group data and these predictions were compared using the Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator as the gold standard. Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparisons as well. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 11.5, Matlab version 7.2, Statistica version 6.0 and S_PLUS 2000. The significance level was considered 5% (alpha = 0.05). The three methods used showed no significance difference in base survival probabilities. Overall, there was no significant difference among the survival probabilities or the trend of changes in survival probabilities calculated with the three methods, but the 4 year (48th month) and 4.5 year (54th month) survival rates were significantly different with Cox compared to standard and estimated probabilities in the neural network (p < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier and Cox showed almost similar results for the baseline survival probabilities, but results with the neural network were different: higher probabilities up to the 4th year, then comparable with the other two methods. Estimates from Cox proportional hazards and the neural network with three nodes in hidden layer were compared with the estimate from the Kaplan-Meier estimator as the gold standard. Neither comparison showed statistically significant differences. The standard error ratio of the two estimate groups by Cox and the neural network to Kaplan-Meier were no significant differences, it indicated that the neural network was more accurate. Although we do not suggest neural network methods to estimate the baseline survival probability, it seems these models is more accurately estimated as compared with the Cox proportional hazards, especially with today's advanced computer sciences that allow complex calculations. These methods are preferable because they lack the limitations of conventional models and obviate the need for unnecessary assumptions including those related to the proportionality of hazards and linearity.     

Colonization and nitrogenase activity of Triticum aestivum (cv. Baccross and Mahdavi) to the dual inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and Rhizobium meliloti plus 2,4-D

The potential enhancement of root colonization and nitrogenase activity of wheat cultivars (Baccross and Mahdavi) was studied with application of two Azospirillum brasilense strains (native and Sp7) co-inoculated with two Rhizobium meliloti strains (native and DSMZ 30135). The results indicated that the colonization was different due to the strains and cultivars of wheat were used. Native A. brasilense colonized wheat root better than Sp7 strain. However, Baccross cv. reacted better with native Azospirillum compared to Mahdavi cv. which reacted better with Sp7. When plants inoculated with dual inoculants (SP7 with standard Rhizobium), the colonization of Azospirillum were increased significantly (from 1.67 x 10(5) to 22 x 10(5) cfu g(-1) FW for Baccras cv. and 3.67 x 10(5) to 26 x 10(5) cfu g(-1) FW for Mahdavi cultivar). When the standard Rhizobium as co-inoculants changed to the native Rhizobium, the colonization of Azospirillum was higher when compared to the single inoculants but was almost the same when compared to the standard Rhizobium. When the standard or native strains of Rhizobium used as single inoculation of wheat roots, the number of Rhizobium in the wheat roots were not changed significantly. However, when plants co-inoculated with Rhizobium and Azospirillum, the colonization of Rhizobium was increased. Co-inoculation of standard strain of R. melilot with A. brasilense Sp7 showed that the colonization of Rhizobium were increased from 0.67 x 10(5) to 21 x 10(5) cfu g(-1) FW for Baccross cv. and 0.33 x 10(5) to 18 x 10(5) cfu g(-1) FW for Mahdavi cv. This behavior was the same when inoculation of Rhizobium was happened with the native one. In dual inoculation, the highest nitrogenase activity was measured in combination of the local strains (native A. brasilense with the native R. meliloti) and the lower one belongs to the combination of standard strains (Sp7 with standard R. meliloti). The difference in nirtogenase activity for different cultivars of wheat with Sp7 and standard Rhizobium is not significant but the difference for Sp7 strain plus native Rhizobium is significant (p > 0.05). However, the differences were not significant (p < 0.05) for nitrogenase activity in bacterial tubes, the difference for nitrogenase activity of co-inoculated plants with combination of Sp7 and Rhizobium either standard or native were significantly different.     

Exogenously Applied Plant Growth Regulators Affect Heat‐Stressed Rice Pollens

Increasing temperature due to global warming has emerged one of the gravest threats to rice production. This study examined the influence of high temperature and exogenously applied plant growth regulators on pollen fertility, anther dehiscence, pollen germination and metabolites synthesis in pollens of two rice cultivars (IR‐64 and Huanghuazhan (HHZ)). Plants were subjected to high day temperature (HDT), high night temperature (HNT) and control temperature (CT) in controlled growth chambers. Four different combinations of ascorbic acid (Vc), alpha‐tocopherol (Ve), brassinosteroids (Br), methyl jasmonates (MeJA) and triazoles (Tr) were used along with a nothing applied control. Our results depicted that high temperature severely reduced the pollen fertility, anther dehiscence, pollen retention, germination and metabolites synthesis in pollens of both rice cultivars. Nonetheless, exogenous application of various plant growth regulators assuaged the adverse effects of high temperature and Vc + Ve + MeJA + Br was found the best combination than the other treatments for every studied characteristic. The HNT posed more negative effects than the HDT. Variations were also apparent between cultivars and HHZ performed better than IR‐64 under high‐temperature stress, with higher pollen fertility, better anther dehiscence, and greater pollen retention and germination rates. The greater tolerance of HHZ to high temperature was related with the higher synthesis of metabolites in this cultivar.     

Growth curve analyses in selected duck lines.

1. Growth patterns of male ducks from 4 lines (lines A, B, C and D) selected for market weight were analysed and compared to growth patterns of ducks in the respective line 7 generations earlier. Growth curves were analysed using procedures derived from the Weibull sigmoidal function and the linear-linear relative growth rate model and simple allometry. 2. The ducks were fed ad libitum under 24-h lighting throughout the experiment. At weekly intervals from the time of hatch through 70 d of age, 16 ducks from each line were killed to determine body, carcase, breast-muscle, leg and thigh-muscle, and abdominal fat weights. 3. Line A was the heaviest line, followed by line B, line C and line D. However, body weight, carcase weight and breast-muscle weight at 49 d of age were not significantly different between lines A and B. After 7 generations of selection, the breast-muscle yield was increased to >19% and the abdominal fat percent was reduced to <1.4% in all lines. 4. The Weibull growth curve analysis of body weight showed an increase in the asymptotes during selection, while the age of the inflection point remained constant in all lines (21.3 to 26.0 d). For breast-muscle growth, ducks reached the inflection point 12.8 to 14.3 d later than for body weight. Between line A and line B, asymptotes for body weight, asymptotes for breast-muscle weight and allometric growth coefficients of breast muscle and leg and thigh muscles from 14 to 49 d were not significantly different. 5. The relative growth rate model discriminated body and breast-muscle growth patterns of line A and line B. The initial decline in the relative body growth rate was less and the time to reach the transition was longer in line A than line B. On the other hand, the initial decline in the relative breast-muscle growth rate was greater in line A than line B.