Effects of Modifiers on the Growth,Photosynthesis, and Antioxidant Enzymes of Cotton Under Cadmium Toxicity

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - The effects of four liquid modifiers (organic–inorganic composite modifier, inorganic polymer compound modifier, polyacrylate compound modifier, and...     

Li4Ti5O12 Nanoparticles Embedded in a Mesoporous Carbon Matrix as a Superior Anode Material for High Rate Lithium Ion Batteries

A mesoporous Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C nanocomposite is synthesized by a nanocasting technique using the porous carbon material CMK‐3 as a hard template. Modified CMK‐3 template is impregnated with Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ precursor, followed by heat treatment at 750 °C for 6 h under N₂. Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanocrystals of up to several tens of nanometers are successfully synthesized in micrometer‐sized porous carbon foam to form a highly conductive network, as confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and nitrogen sorption isotherms. The composite is then evaluated as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. It exhibits greatly improved electrochemical performance compared with bulk Li₄Ti₅O₁₂, and shows an excellent rate capability (73.4 mA h g^?1 at 80 C) with significantly enhanced cycling performance (only 5.6% capacity loss after 1000 cycles at a high rate of 20 C). The greatly enhanced lithium storage properties of the mesoporous Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C nanocomposite may be attributed to the interpenetrating conductive carbon network, ordered mesoporous structure, and the small Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanocrystallites that increase the ionic and electronic conduction throughout the electrode.     

Pulmonary Aspergillus Overlap Syndromes

Background

Broadly, there are three main categories in pulmonary aspergillosis: chronic forms of aspergillosis; allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; and invasive aspergillosis (IPA). IPA has been further subdivided into angioinvasive and airway-invasive aspergillosis. Aspergillus overlap syndromes is defined as the occurrence of more than one form aspergillus disease in a single individual.

Objectives

To help clinicians correctly deal with AOS.

Methods

Retrospectively study the clinical findings of nine patients presenting with AOS.

Results

Four cases were diagnosed as angioinvasive aspergillosis complicated with ABPA, three cases as IPA overlap aspergilloma, and two cases as ABPA with AWIA. All the patients presented with cough and expectoration. In three patients with IPA overlap aspergilloma, two had hemoptysis, two had wheezing and fever. All of patients with IPA overlap ABPA had wheezing, dyspnea, and fever, three had sputum plugs, two had hemoptysis, and five patients had mucopurulent discharge and rhonchi in auscultation. Their total IgE ranged from 129 to 2124 IU/ml (676.5 ± 557.33 IU/ml). Fungal culture in sputum showed A. Fumigatus in three patients. All the six patients with IPA overlap ABPA applied steroid therapy and antifungal therapy. Three of them received two or more antifungal drugs successively, and three received combinational therapy. All the patients improved except one diagnosed ABPA overlap IPA.

Conclusions

Clinical manifestation of AOS is not typical. Poor first-line therapeutic effects and complicated diagnosis criteria require clinicians to be aware of AOS when facing patients with aspergillosis.

     

蝮蛇抗栓酶对不稳定性心绞痛患者血中部分凝血及纤溶指标的影响

测定３８例不稳定性心绞痛（ＵＡＰ）患者血中纤维蛋白原（Ｆｇ）含量、组织型纤溶酶原激活物（ｔ－ＰＡ）活性、血管性假血友病因子（ｖＷＦ）活性和血小板聚集率水平（ＰＡｇＴ）并与２１名正常人对比。患者中１８例用蝮蛇抗栓酶治疗,２０例行常规治疗。结果显示：ＵＡＰ患者血中ＰＡＩ－１、ｖＷＦ以及ＰＡｇＴ水平明显增高,ｔ－ＰＡ水平明显降低;蝮蛇抗栓酶组治疗后血中Ｆｇ、ＰＡＩ－１、ＰＡｇＴ水平均明显下降,使ｔ－ＰＡ水平明显升高;常规治疗组治疗前后各项指标无明显变化。认为蝮蛇抗栓酶对ＵＡＰ有可靠疗效     

Ammonium enhances the uptake, bioaccumulation, and tolerance of phenanthrene in cucumber seedlings

Aims

Phenanthrene is one of the ubiquitous, persistent organic pollutants commonly found in soil and sediments. The study will provide insight regarding the feasibility of nitrogen-assisted phytoremediation.

Methods

To study the effects of various nitrogen forms on cucumber seedling phenanthrene tolerance, hydroponic experiments were conducted in a greenhouse.

Results

Under phenanthrene stress, decreases in plant growth and biomass were more pronounced with a nitrate supply than with ammonium. In addition, phenanthrene concentrations in plants fed with ammonium were higher than those fed with nitrate. The reduction in plant protein and sugar, increases in nitrogen and phosphate concentrations, and increased activity of antioxidative enzymes may contribute to the phenanthrene stress response and adaptation. Higher peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities were found in ammonium-fed plants as compared to nitrate-fed plants under phenanthrene stress. Moreover, the reduction in soluble protein content and increases in phenanthrene transport and accumulation in non-photosynthetic organs may enable ammonium-fed plants to adapt more effectively to adverse conditions.

Conclusions

Overall, these results suggest that ammonium nutrition could provide a useful tool to improve the growth and adaption of plants under phenanthrene stress.     

Rapid identification of QTLs underlying resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumber mosaic virus</Emphasis> in pepper (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum frutescens</Emphasis>)

Key message

Next-generation sequencing enabled a fast discovery of QTLs controlling CMV resistant in pepper. The gene CA02g19570 as a possible candidate gene of qCmr2.1 was identified for resistance to CMV in pepper.

Abstract

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is one of the most important viruses infecting pepper, but the genetic basis of CMV resistance in pepper is elusive. In this study, we identified a candidate gene for CMV resistance QTL, qCmr2.1 through SLAF-seq. Segregation analysis in F₂, BC₁ and F_2:3 populations derived from a cross between two inbred lines ‘PBC688’ (CMV-resistant) and ‘G29’ (CMV-susceptible) suggested quantitative inheritance of resistance to CMV in pepper. Genome-wide comparison of SNP profiles between the CMV-resistant and CMV-susceptible bulks constructed from an F₂ population identified two QTLs, designated as qCmr2.1 on chromosome 2 and qCmr11.1 on chromosome 11 for resistance to CMV in PBC688, which were confirmed by InDel marker-based classical QTL mapping in the F₂ population. As a major QTL, joint SLAF-seq and traditional QTL analysis delimited qCmr2.1 to a 330 kb genomic region. Two pepper genes, CA02g19570 and CA02g19600, were identified in this region, which are homologous with the genes LOC104113703, LOC104248995, LOC102603934 and LOC101248357, which were predicted to encode N-like protein associated with TMV-resistant in Solanum crops. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed higher expression levels of CA02g19570 in CMV resistance genotypes. The CA02g19600 did not exhibit obvious regularity in expression patterns. Higher relative expression levels of CA02g19570 in PBC688 and F₁ were compared with those in G29 during days after inoculation. These results provide support for CA02g19570 as a possible candidate gene of qCmr2.1 for resistance to CMV in pepper.

     

基于景观格局分析的雄安城市湿地生态健康评价

城市湿地是城市生态系统的重要组成部分。近年来,高度的城市化发展使城市湿地原有的自然生态本底和水文特征发生根本性的变化,严重威胁到湿地生态系统的安全。为了维持良好的城市环境质量,如何维持和保护城市湿地的生态健康和可持续发展成为人们关注的热点问题。选择雄安城区（起步区、安新组团和容城组团）为研究对象,借助ArcGIS平台对Landsat遥感影像进行地类的提取和划分,采用Fragstats软件对研究区景观格局进行分析;在此基础上,利用"压力-状态-响应"模型,构建雄安城区湿地生态系统健康评价指标体系,探讨湿地的生态系统健康状况。研究结果表明：研究区耕地和建设用地占地面积大,其完整性、聚合程度和连通性优于其他景观类型;水域、未利用地和林地占地面积小,受人为活动影响,破碎化程度高,连通性比较差。研究区整体景观破碎度、聚合度较高,连通性和均匀度不显著。研究区湿地类型主要为坑塘和沟渠,湿地分布不均匀,呈现南多北少的格局;沟渠占地面积较大,完整性和连通性较好;坑塘连通性较差,破碎化程度、聚合度高于沟渠。研究区湿地生态健康综合指数为0.262,处于不健康状态,人为活动和气候是影响湿地生态环境的重要因子,急需加强湿地保护和修复工作。本研究结果为雄安新区的可持续发展和保护城市湿地资源提供理论依据。