Endocannabinoids as endometrial inflammatory markers in lactating Holstein cows

The objective of this study was to consider endocannabinoid system as inflammatory markers in bovine endometrium to better understand the role of this system in regulating many of the functions that are related to inflammatory condition. At day 26 post‐partum, fourteen cows were divided into two groups depending on the inflammatory condition: 1‐ subclinical endometritis (n = 7, with purulent or mucopurulent uterine discharge detectable in the vagina) and 2‐ healthy (n = 7, No (muco)) purulent discharge. Blood samples were collected at 26 and 30 days relative to calving to determine plasma tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (LBP) concentrations; moreover, uterine biopsy was carried out on day 26 post‐partum to measure mRNA abundance of TNF, interleukin‐1B (IL1B), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8), endocannabinoid receptor (CNR2), N‐acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D (NAPEPLD), fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), N‐acylethanolamine acid amidase (NAAA) and monoglyceride lipase (MGLL) by real‐time PCR. Results showed mean plasma concentrations of TNF and LBP were lower in healthy cows compared to subclinical endometritis cows (p < .05). Relative mRNA expression for NAAA and FAAH was decreased (p < .05), and relative mRNA expression for CNR2 and NAPEPLD increased in cows with subclinical endometritis compared to healthy cows. In conclusion, relative mRNA expression of TNF, IL1B and CXCL8 and plasma concentration of LBP increased during inflammatory condition along with decreased endocannabinoids hydrolyzing enzyme (NAAA and FAAH), increased enzymes that synthesize endocannabinoids (NAPEPLD) and relative gene expression of the endocannabinoid receptor; together, these contribute to increased endocannabinoids levels during inflammation. Overall, we provide evidence that endocannabinoid system is altered in endometrium tissue during inflammation through increased mRNA expression of CNR2 and synthesis enzyme and decreased mRNA expression of hydrolyzing enzymes interfere with pro‐cytokine production and signalling, which may interfere with the onset and progression of inflammation.     

Differential Cl−/Salt Tolerance and NaCl‐Induced Alternations of Tissue and Cellular Ion Fluxes in Glycine max,Glycine soja and their Hybrid Seedlings

The salt‐sensitive Glycine max N23674 cultivar, the salt‐born Glycine soja BB52 population, and their hybrid 4076 strain (F₅) selected for salt tolerance generation by generation were used as the experimental materials in this study. First, the effects of NaCl stress on seed germination, tissue damage, and time‐course ionic absorption and transportation were compared. When qualitatively compared with seed germination appearance in culture dishes, and tissue damages on roots or leaves of seedlings, or quantitatively compared with the relative salt injury rate, the inhibition on N23674 was all the most remarkable. After the exposure of 140 mm NaCl for 1 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 2 days and 4 days, the content of Cl^? gradually increased in the roots and leaves of seedlings of BB52, 4076 and 23674. Interestingly, the extents of the Cl^? rise in roots of the three experimental soybean materials were BB52 > 4076 > N23674, whereas those in leaves were just on the contrary. Secondly, by using the scanning ion‐selective electrode technique (SIET), fluxes of Na⁺ and Cl^? in roots and protoplasts isolated from roots and leaves were also investigated among the three experimental soybean materials. After 140 mm NaCl stress for 2, 4 and 6 days, and when compared with N23674, slighter net Cl^? influxes were observed in root tissue and protoplasts of roots and leaves of BB52 and 4076 seedlings, especially at the cellular protoplast level. The results indicate that with regard to the ionic effect of NaCl stress, Cl^? was the main determinant salt ion for salt tolerance in G. soja, G. max and their hybrid, and the difference in their Cl^?/salt tolerance is mainly attributed to the capacity of Cl^? restriction to the plant above‐ground parts such as leaves.     

Pedotransfer functions to assess adsorbed phosphate using iron oxide content and magnetic susceptibility in an Oxisol

Adsorbed phosphate in soils can be chemically extracted; however, this process is both time‐consuming and not cost‐effective if large numbers of samples have to be analysed. Indirect assessment of adsorbed phosphate by pedotransfer functions (PTFs) can help optimize fertilizer strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial variability of adsorbed phosphate (P_ads), iron oxides and magnetic susceptibility (MS) in oxisols and to calibrate PTFs to predict P_ads. A total of 308 soil samples were collected from Hapludox and Eutrudox soils formed from sandstone in Brazil. The contents of clay (196–607 g/kg), iron oxides (40–165 g/kg), MS (1.2–29 × 10^?6 m³/kg) and P_ads (327–842 mg/kg) were in the range of typical values for these highly weathered soils. This study showed that the attributes studied were spatially dependent. Geomorphic surfaces enabled understanding of spatial variability and helped to develop a more efficient sampling scheme to calibrate PTFs. Moreover, the adsorbed phosphate in these oxisols could be predicted by a PTF using iron oxides and MS as predictors. The MS attribute enabled the most accurate prediction (concordance coefficient = 0.95, root‐mean‐square error = 46 mg/kg and relative improvement in root‐mean‐square error = ?4.12) of spatial variability through PTF compared to other predictors.     

Abscisic Acid May Alter the Salicylic Acid‐Related Abiotic Stress Response in Maize

The effect of 0, 0.05 or 0.1 mm abscisic acid treatment on chilling tolerance and salicylic acid‐related responses was investigated in young maize seedlings (Zea mays L., hybrid Norma). Although the pre‐treatment of maize seedlings with abscisic acid slightly decreased the chlorophyll content, it also reduced the level of chilling injury caused by 6 days of cold treatment at 5 °C. Under normal growth conditions, increased levels of bound salicylic acid and of bound ortho‐hydroxycinnamic acid were observed in the leaves during abscisic acid treatment. In the roots, abscisic acid did not affect the free and bound salicylic acid levels, but increased the amount of free and bound ortho‐hydroxycinnamic acid. The activity of glutathione‐S‐transferase increased on the 3rd day of abscisic acid treatment, whereas it did not change when followed by cold stress, compared with the control leaves. In the roots, the activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione‐S‐transferase and ascorbate peroxidase increased during the abscisic acid treatment, and those of glutathione‐S‐transferase and ascorbate peroxidase were also stimulated when abscisic acid pre‐treatment was followed by cold stress, compared with the control roots. Our results suggest that an overlap may exist between the abscisic acid‐induced cold acclimation and the salicylic acid‐related stress response.     

5‐Aminolevulinic Acid Activates Antioxidative Defence System and Seedling Growth in Brassica napus L. under Water‐Deficit Stress

The present study assesses the effects of 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA, 0, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg l^?1) on the growth of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. cv. ZS758) seedlings under water‐deficit stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000, 0 and ?0.3 MPa). Water‐deficit stress imposed negative effects on seedling growth by reducing shoot biomass, cotyledon water potential, chlorophyll content and non‐enzymatic antioxidants (glutathione and ascorbic acid) levels. On the other hand, water‐deficit stress enhanced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, enzymatic antioxidants activities, reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG) and reduced/oxidized ascorbic acid (ASA/DHA) ratio in seedlings. Application of ALA at lower dosages (0.1 and 1 mg l^?1) improved shoot weight and chlorophyll contents, and decreased MDA in rape seedlings, whereas moderately higher dosage of ALA (10 mg l^?1) hampered the growth. The study also indicated that 1 mg l^?1 ALA improved chlorophyll content, but reduced MDA content and ROS production significantly under water‐deficit stress. Lower dosages of ALA (0.1 and 1 mg l^?1) also enhanced GSH/GSSG and ASA/DHA as compared to the seedlings under water‐deficit stress. The antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, catalase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase) enhanced their activities remarkably with 1 mg l^?1 ALA treatment under water‐deficit stress. It was also revealed that 1 mg l^?1 ALA treatment alone induced the expression of APX, CAT and GR substantially and under water‐deficit stress conditions ALA treatment could induce the expression of POD, CAT and GR to a certain degree. These results indicated that 0.1–1 mg l^?1 ALA could enhance the water‐deficit stress tolerance of oilseed seedlings through improving the biomass accumulation, maintaining a relative high ratio of GSH/GSSG and ASA/DHA, enhancing the activities of the specific antioxidant enzymes and inducing the expression of the specific antioxidant enzyme genes.     

Migration strategies of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a subarctic river system as revealed by stable isotope analysis

We estimated the proportions of anadromous and freshwater‐resident brown trout (Salmo trutta) in different parts of the subarctic River Näätämöjoki/Neidenelva system (Finland and Norway) using carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen stable isotope analyses of archived scales as identifiers of migration strategy. Our results showed that carbon stable isotope values were the best predictor of migration strategy. Most individuals fell into two clearly distinct groups representing anadromous (47%) or freshwater‐resident (42%) individuals, but some fish had intermediate carbon values suggesting repeated movement between freshwater and the sea. The proportion of anadromous individuals decreased steadily with distance from the sea forming a spatial continuum in migration strategies which is probably maintained by the combination of several factors such as divergent availability of food resources, variable migration costs and genetic differences. These within‐catchment differences in migration strategies should be taken into account in fisheries management practices.     

视频图像编码的现状与发展

本文介绍了静态和运动图像压缩编码国际标准的发展过程中出现的一系列标准,特别是JPEG2000、MPEG-4以及H.264,总结了这些国际标准的压缩效果、应用场合及相应的压缩编码算法,分析讨论了这些新标准的特点和优越性。     

Short‐term releases of CO2 from newly mixed biochar and calcareous soil

The work aimed to quantify native organic C mobilized in one calcareous soil in the 21 days after addition of biochar at a range of large to very large applications. The experiment was carried out in unplanted microcosms, and CO₂ flux was used as a measure of net mineralization. A rapid methodological approach, which does not require ¹³C as a tracer, was used to assess any priming effects induced by the biochar. The amount of CO₂‐C mobilized was small relative to the amount of biochar C and proportional to the amount of the biochar added. The additional CO₂‐C was similar to the content of the water‐soluble organic carbon in the biochar added with each application. No interaction with native soil C, that is priming effect, was observed.     

Soil organic carbon stock variability in the Northern Gangetic Plains of India: interaction between agro‐ecological characteristics and cropping systems

Soil organic carbon (SOC) content and its spatial distribution in the Northern Gangetic Plain (NGP) Zone of India were determined to establish the cause–effect relationship between agro‐ecological characteristics, prevailing crop management practices and SOC stock. Area Spread Index (ASI) approach was used to collect soil samples from the NGP areas supporting predominant cropping systems. Exponential ordinary kriging was found most suitable geo‐statistical model for developing SOC surface maps of the NGP. Predicted surface maps indicated that 43.7% area of NGP had 0.5–0.6% SOC, while the rest of the area was equally distributed with high (0.61–0.75%) and low (< 0.5%) SOC content levels. Averaged across cropping systems, maximum SOC content was recorded in Bhabar and Tarai Zone (BTZ), followed by Central Plain Zone (CPZ), Mid‐Western Plain Zone (MWPZ), Western Plain Zone (WPZ) and South‐Western Plain Zone (SWPZ) of the NGP. The SOC stock was above the optimum threshold (> 12.5 Mg/ha) in 97.8, 57.6 and 46.4% areas of BTZ, CPZ and MWPZ, respectively. Only 9.8 and 0.4% area of WPZ and SWPZ, respectively, had SOC stock above the threshold value. The variation in SOC stock was attributed largely to carbon addition through recycling of organic sources, cropping systems, tillage intensity, crop or residue cover and land‐use efficiency, nutrient‐use pattern, soil texture and prevailing ecosystem. Adoption of conservation agriculture, balanced use of nutrients, inclusion of legumes in cropping systems and agro‐forestry were suggested for enhancing SOC stock in the region.     

Soil property differences among high‐ and average‐yielding soya bean areas in Arkansas,USA

Soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] yields >6719 kg/ha (100 bu/ac) have only recently and infrequently been achieved. Quantifying soil property differences between high‐ and average‐yielding areas can help to further identify non‐plant‐related properties contributing to soya bean yield potential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of region and soil depth on soil property differences between high‐ and average‐yielding areas. In each of the seven regions of the ‘Grow for the Green’ yield contest in Arkansas, prior to or just after harvest in 2014 and 2015, soil samples were collected from the top 20 cm of one contest high‐yield (HY ) area that was in close proximity to an average‐yield (AY ) area. Across all regions and both years, soya bean yields differed (P  <  0.05) between yield areas, averaging 4701 and 5498 kg/ha in AY and HY areas, respectively. Averaged across soil depth and years, numerous soil properties differed (P  <  0.05) between HY and AY areas within at least one of seven regions. Total soil C content was at least 20.2% greater in the HY than in the AY area in three of seven regions. Extractable soil P content was, on average, 19.4 kg/ha greater in HY than in AY areas in three of the seven regions. Results from this study have the potential to help producers better understand soil properties that contribute to or hinder achieving ultra‐high (>6719 kg/ha) soya bean yields.