1990-2019年中亚五国干旱状况时空变化特征及大气涛动驱动分析

咸海的迅速萎缩导致中亚五国的干旱问题引起了科学界的特别关注。为厘清中亚五国近30年来水分条件状况,探究影响其变化的气候驱动要素,本文使用帕默尔干旱指数(PDSI)对1990—2019年中亚五国干旱时空变化特征进行评估,并结合交叉小波变换揭示了大气涛动对其干旱状况的驱动影响。结果表明:中亚五国的干旱指数呈现周期性交替变化,年际变化率增大;夏秋旱、冬春湿的季节性干旱特征减弱,不同时间段的PDSI变异程度加剧,并表现出2018年后进入新一轮干期的可能。干旱程度总体呈现自西南向东北逐渐减轻、自东南山区向中西部平原逐步加重的格局;1990—2019年干旱重心由西南内陆腹地向哈萨克斯坦中西部地区转移,帕米尔和西天山山脉干旱程度呈波动上升态势。青藏高原指数(TPI)对PDSI变化表现出明显的驱动作用,在1990—2019年整个时间序列上均有较高的周期性强度,拥有1～3年(1995—2000年)、4～5年(2010—2015年)和8～10年(2015—2019年)3个明显年际尺度的震荡周期。总之, 1990—2019年中亚五国整体干旱状况趋好,干旱变异程度加剧,干旱空间分异明显, TPI在年际尺度上是驱动PDSI变化的大气涛动要素。     

NUTRIENT BALANCES AS AFFECTED BY INTEGRATED NUTRIENT AND CROP RESIDUE MANAGEMENT IN COTTON-WHEAT SYSTEM IN ARIDISOLS. II. PHOSPHORUS

Impact of integrated nutrient and crop residue management on crop productivity, phosphorus (P) uptake and apparent P balances was investigated in a 5-year field experiment on two calcareous soils, i.e., Awagat (coarse loamy) and Shahpur (fine silty) in cotton-wheat sequence. Minimum mean P uptake (kg ha^?1) by cotton with Farmers’ Fertilizer Use (FFU) treatment was 8.89 in Awagat and 11.54 in Shahpur soil. Corresponding maximum mean P uptake was 15.30 and 17.01 kg ha^?1 with Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), respectively. Nutrient treatments effect on P uptake by wheat was similar to cotton. Phosphorus uptake was further enhanced by crop residue recycling. Phosphorus uptake trend by cotton was negative under FFU without residue recycling and was positive with residue recycling. While P uptake trends were positive under all other treatments. INM yielded positive apparent P balances (kg ha^?1) of 56–306 in Awagat and 24–288 in Shahpur soil.     

Nitrogen use efficiency,water saving and yield of rice transplanting on raised bed over traditional flat method

Flat transplanting with flooded irrigation is commonly used for growing rice, but it results in ineffective use of applied fertilizer and water. The objective of this study was to compare nitrogen use efficiency and water saving of rice transplanted on beds and on flat ground. This field experiment was performed in randomized complete design for three continuous years and all treatments were repeated three times. Results showed that transplanting of four lines of rice nursery on bed and one line in furrow and nitrogen application at 150 kg ha^?1 recorded 16.06, 21.81, 16.0 and 20.21% higher paddy yield, nitrogen (N) uptake in paddy, N use efficiency and N agronomic efficiency than traditional flat method at same N level. Without loss in yield, about 25 kg ha ^?1 of N fertilizer and 24% of water can be saved with bed transplanting of rice as compared to flat method.     

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Fucoidan Extracts In Vitro

Fucoidans are sulfated, complex, fucose-rich polymers found in brown seaweeds. Fucoidans have been shown to have multiple bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory effects, and are known to inhibit inflammatory processes via a number of pathways such as selectin blockade and enzyme inhibition, and have demonstrated inhibition of inflammatory pathologies in vivo. In this current investigation, fucoidan extracts from Undaria pinnatifida, Fucus vesiculosus, Macrocystis pyrifera, Ascophyllum nodosum, and Laminaria japonica were assessed for modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in a human macrophage line (THP-1). Fucoidan extracts exhibited no signs of cytotoxicity in THP-1 cells after incubation of 48 h. Additionally, all fucoidan extracts reduced cytokine production in LPS stimulated PBMCs and human THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Notably, the 5–30 kDa subfraction from Macrocystis pyrifera was a highly effective inhibitor at lower concentrations. Fucoidan extracts from all species had significant anti-inflammatory effects, but the lowest molecular weight subfractions had maximal effects at low concentrations. These observations on various fucoidan extracts offer insight into strategies that improve their efficacy against inflammation-related pathology. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate the mechanism of action of these extracts.     

Physiological and anatomical responses of calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) cultivars to heat-stress duration

It is necessary to identify the heat-tolerant cultivars of bedding plants in order to cope with the challenges of the global warming. The physiological and anatomical responses of four calendula cultivars (Candyman’, ‘Zen’, ‘Indian Prince’, and ‘Pacific Beauty’) to four duration levels (0, 7, 14 and 21 days) of heat stress (in a mean range of 35–42°C), were investigated after their establishment under greenhouse conditions. The results indicated that calendula cultivars displayed different responses to various heat duration levels in most parameters. Although the gas exchange of ‘Candyman’ was the highest in control treatment, it showed a considerable reduction in all levels of stress durations. In contrast, ‘Indian Prince’ maintained gas exchange and chlorophyll content and exhibited the most resistance to heat stress among others, especially for longer duration exposure, which might be resulted from the greater soluble sugar content, higher stomatal density, and thicker leaves. Experiment to assess cell membrane thermostability showed heat stress resulted in significant increase in electrolyte leakage percentage as the incubation temperature of all cultivars was increased. However, the least membrane stability was observed in ‘Zen’, indicating the higher sensitivity of this cultivar to heat-stress conditions in comparison to three other cultivars.     

Dietary Aspilia mossambicensis and Azadirachta indica supplementation alter gonadal characteristics and histology of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The use of medicinal plants to control reproduction in aquaculture have recently received considerable attention because they are biodegradable, safe, effective and locally available. However, information on their effects on gonadal characteristics and histological features in fish is currently limited. The present study evaluated the gonadal characteristics and histological changes of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus gonads fed on Aspilia plant, Aspilia mossambicensis and Neem tree, Azadirachta indica. Juvenile fish were fed diets supplemented with four doses (1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 g/kg diet) of A. mossambicensis or A. indica leaf powders at 3% of their body weight daily for 90 days to examine absolute fecundity (AF), relative fecundity, gonadosomatic index (GSI) and histology of gonads. The antifertility phytocompounds in the two plants were quantified by using standard methods. Results indicated that, all doses of A. indica and A. mossambicensis used reduced significantly AF and GSI values (p < 0.05). Dose‐dependent histological alterations of gonads were noticed in both plants starting from doses of 2.0 g/kg in males and 4.0 g/kg in females. The highest percentages of total flavonoids (23.7%) and alkaloids (14.2%) were obtained from A. indica ethanol extract (p < 0.05). Taken together, dietary supplementation with A. mossambicensis and A. indica leaf powders alter gonadal characteristics of O. niloticus and histology triggered by alkaloids and flavonoids. Farmers interested in using the two plants to control prolific breeding should limit the dose inclusion to 2 g/kg to avoid severe effects on fish testis and ovaries.     

Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Essential Oils on Pseudomonas Species Associated with Spoilage of Fish with Emphasis on Cinnamon Essential Oil

ABSTRACT

Eight plant essential oils (cardamom, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemongrass, lime, nutmeg and rosemary) were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against three Pseudomonas species associated with microbial spoilage of refrigerated tilapia. In vitro test of the essential oils, using disc-diffusion method, showed various degrees of antimicrobial activity against the Pseudomonas species. Cinnamon essential oil (CEO) had the highest antimicrobial activity, followed by clove essential oil. The remaining essential oils showed consistently weak activity. The antimicrobial efficiency of CEO against the Pseudomonas species was confirmed by potential minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values, ranging between 0.125 and 0.375 µL/mL and 0.250–0.500 µL/mL, respectively. The anti-Pseudomonas activity of CEO was also tested in fish extract model at refrigeration temperature. The essential oil reduced the Pseudomonas viable count in fish extract but to a lesser extent than when it was applied at the same concentrations in culture medium. The chemical composition of CEO showed that the oil contained 79.1% cinnamaldehyde, which was suggested to be responsible for its antimicrobial activity. These results revealed the potential of CEO as a promising natural antimicrobial agent that could efficiently contribute to the control of spoilage bacteria and retard microbial spoilage of fresh fish.     

Molecular Investigation of Human Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus in Glioblastoma Brain Tumor: A Case-Control Study in Iran

Background:Glioblastoma multiforme is the most invasive and lethal form of brain cancer with unclear etiology. Our study aimed to investigate the molecular prevalence of HCMV and EBV infections in patients with GBM. Methods:This case-control study was conducted on 42 FFPE brain tumor samples from GBM patients and 42 brain autopsies from subjects without neurological disorders. The presence of EBV and HCMV DNA was determined, using PCR and nested-PCR assays, respectively. Results:HCMV DNA was detected in 3 out of 42 (7.1%) of GBM samples and was absent from the control group (p = 0.07). Importantly, EBV DNA was detected in 9 out of 42 (21.4%) brain tissue specimens of GBM subjects, but again in none of the control group (p = 0.001). Conclusion:Our findings indicate that infection with EBV is associated with GBM. Key Words: Brain tumor, Epstein-Barr virus, Glioblastoma, Human cytomegalovirus