Changes in soil properties and resistance to concentrated flow across a 25‐year passive restoration chronosequence of grasslands on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Revegetation represents an effective measure for preventing soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. However, the effects of revegetation‐induced changes in soil and root properties on soil resistance to concentrated flow erosion (SRC) remain unclear. This study sampled soils and roots across a 25‐year chronosequence from farmland to grasslands of different ages (3, 7, 10, 18, and 25 years) to quantify variations in soil and root properties (soil bulk density, SBD; soil disintegration rate, SDR; saturated hydraulic conductivity, SHC; organic matter content, OMC; water‐stable aggregate, WSA; mean weight diameter, MWD; root mass density, RMD; root length density, RLD; and root surface area density, RSAD) and their effects on SRC. Farmland and grassland SRCs were obtained using a hydraulic flume. Soil properties and root density gradually improved with restoration time. In terms of the comprehensive soil property index calculated via principal component analysis, grassland values were 0.66 to 1.94 times greater than farmland values. Grassland SRCs increased and gradually stabilized (>18 years) over time and were 1.60 to 8.26 times greater than farmland SRC. SRC improvement was significantly related to increases in OMC, SHC, WSA, and MWD and decreases in SBD and SDR over time. SRC was effectively simulated by the Hill curve of RMD, RLD, and RSAD. SDR, SHC, and RMD (0.5–1.0 mm) affected SRC the most. This study scientifically describes how revegetation improves soil quality and soil resistance to flow erosion, and suggests that vegetations rich in 0.5–1.0 mm roots should be preferred during revegetation.     

An Inventory and Seasonal Changes in the Recent Benthic Flora of Coral Reefs of Wuzhizhou Island,Haitang Bay,South China Sea (China)

Russian Journal of Marine Biology - Intensive algal sampling was conducted from 2017 to 2019 in coastal waters of Wuzhizhou Island (South China Sea, China). In total, 183 species of marine...     

Psoralen attenuates bleomycin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice through inhibiting myofibroblast activation and collagen deposition

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) and chronic inflammation with limited therapeutic options. Psoralen, a major active component extracted from Psoralea corylifolia L. seed, has several biological effects. However, the role of psoralen in IPF is still unclear. Here, we hypothesized that psoralen played an essential role in IPF in the inhibition of fibroblast proliferation and inflammatory response. A murine model of IPF was established by injecting bleomycin (BLM) intratracheally, and psoralen was administered for 14 days from the 7^th to 21^st day after BLM injection. Our results demonstrated that psoralen treatment reduced body weight loss and improved the survival rate of mice with IPF. Histological and immunofluorescent examination showed that psoralen alleviated BLM‐induced lung parenchymal inflammatory and fibrotic alteration. Furthermore, psoralen inhibited proliferation and collagen synthesis of mouse fibroblasts and partially reversed BLM‐induced expression of α‐smooth muscle actin at both the tissue and cell level. Moreover, psoralen decreased the expression of transforming growth factor‐β1, interleukin‐1β, and tumor necrosis factor‐α in the lungs of BLM‐stimulated mice. Our results reveale for the first time that psoralen exerts therapeutic effects against IPF in a BLM‐induced murine model.     

(Z)-3-Hexenol Induces Tea Defense against Ectropis grisescens in the Field

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - The tea geometrid Ectropis grisescens is an important pest of tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze). It feeds on the new leaves and tender...     

Overexpression of Small Heat Shock Protein LimHSP16.45 in Arabidopsis hsp17.6II Mutant Enhances Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Organisms can produce heat shock proteins (HSPs) in response to elevated temperatures and other abiotic stresses. However, the function of HSPs, including...     

Investigation of Tocopherol Biosynthesis in Blackberry Seeds (Rubus spp.)

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Tocopherol (vitamin E) is widely recognized as a cellular antioxidant and can prevent oxidative damage during seed quiescence and dormancy in all angiosperms....     

Melatonin Alleviates Drought-Induced Damage of Photosynthetic Apparatus in Maize Seedlings

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Melatonin plays an important role in the enhancement of plant tolerance to drought stress. The underlying mechanisms of this melatonin-induced protection of...     

In Vitro Anti-HIV Effect of Voacamine from Voacanga africana Stapf Based on the SPRi Experiment

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - AIDS/HIV is a serious life-threatening and public health problem that urges for new antiviral drugs to control. A bis-indole alkaloid voacamine has been...     

Identifying optimal groundwater remediation strategies through a simulation-based PROMETHEE-TOPSIS approach: An application to a naphthalene-contaminated site

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to develop a simulation-aided PROMETHEE-TOPSIS approach for the selection of the most desirable groundwater remediation strategies. The combination methods enables a careful evaluation of the identified remediation alternatives in which their strong and weak points can be detected and a ranking is provided which facilitates the final selection for the decision-maker. The capabilities and effectiveness of the developed method are illustrated through a case study on the remedial alternative selection for a naphthalene contaminated site in Anhui, China. Four attributes (i.e., total pumping rate, total cost, mean residual contaminant concentration and maximum excess life time cancer risk) for fifty remedial alternatives in each duration are considered and analytic hierarchy process is used to determine the weight of attributes importance. The results demonstrates that the developed method could help decision makers obtain the useful ranking information strategies that covering a variety of decision-relevant remediation options, which is beneficial for public health and environmental protection.