Physiology and health assessment,risk balance,and model for endstage liver disease scores:Postoperative outcome of liver transplantation

BACKGROUND Liver transplantation aims to increase the survival of patients with end-stage liver diseases and improve their quality of life.The number of organs available for transplantation is lower than the demand.To provide fair organ distribution,predictive mortality scores have been developed.AIM To compare the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation IV(APACHE IV),balance of risk(BAR),and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)scores as predictors of mortality.METHODS Retrospective cohort study,which included 283 adult patients in the postoperative period of deceased donor liver transplantation from 2014 to 2018.RESULTS The transplant recipients were mainly male,with a mean age of 58.1 years.Donors were mostly male,with a mean age of 41.6 years.The median cold ischemia time was 3.1 hours,and the median intensive care unit stay was 5 days.For APACHE IV,a mean of 59.6 was found,BAR 10.7,and MELD 24.2.The 28-day mortality rate was 9.5%,and at 90 days,it was 3.5%.The 28-day mortality prediction for APACHE IV was very good[area under the curve(AUC):0.85,P<0.001,95%CI:0.76-0.94],P<0.001,BAR(AUC:0.70,P<0.001,95%CI:0.58–0.81),and MELD(AUC:0.66,P<0.006,95%CI:0.55-0.78),P<0.008.At 90 days,the data for APACHE IV were very good(AUC:0.80,P<0.001,95%CI:0.71–0.90)and moderate for BAR and MELD,respectively,(AUC:0.66,P<0.004,95%CI:0.55–0.77),(AUC:0.62,P<0.026,95%CI:0.51–0.72).All showed good discrimination between deaths and survivors.As for the best value for liver transplantation,it was significant only for APACHE IV(P<0.001).CONCLUSION The APACHE IV assessment score was more accurate than BAR and MELD in predicting mortality in deceased donor liver transplant recipients.

Boxing Practitioners Physiology Review: 3. Dietary Supplementation, Weight Control, Recovery and Altitude

The preceding parts of the review concerned kinanthropometric parameters, skeletal muscle recruitment, ergometry, systemic responses and adaptations. Main teachings of this third part of the whole review follow. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Game, most vitamin users (91 percent) were boxers. After 18 days of endurance training at the altitude of 1800 m, in boxers, 1) erythropoietin and reticulocytes values increased, 2) remained unchanged parameters of iron metabolism and maximal oxygen uptake values, 3) iron supplementation decreased total body hemoglobin values. Zinc supplementation and/or regularity while boxing influenced plasma levels of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc in boxers. Sodium bicarbonate ingestion increased punches frequency and time to fatigue in boxers. Boxing-induced thermal dehydration yielded 1) body and muscle masses decrease compensated by increased neural input to muscle, to maintain muscle strength, but 2) a 26.8 percent performance fall. In boxers, fluid and food intake restriction 1) changed neither blood vitamin status nor plasma glutathione levels, 2) yielded a) a negative mood profile and a performance decrease, when resulted in body mass fall by 5.16 percent but b) no performance decrease when fall was by three percent. Diet protein or protein and caloric components decrease increased, in boxers, protein catabolism and, for the same submaximal workload, heart rate and oxygen intake. In food-restricted boxers, myoprotein catabolism increased with decreasing meal intake frequency. Competition and no-competition boxers utilize massage. Massage increased perceptions of recovery after a whole boxing performance. High level of cardiorespiratory fitness accelerates recovery process between boxing rounds.

Physiology of medicinal and aromatic plants under drought stress

Drought poses a significant challenge,restricting the productivity of medicinal and aromatic plants.The strain induced by drought can impede vital processes like respiration and photosynthesis,affecting various aspects of plants’growth and metabolism.In response to this adversity,medicinal plants employ mechanisms such as morphological and structural adjustments,modulation of drought-resistant genes,and augmented synthesis of secondary metabolites and osmotic regulatory substances to alleviate the stress.Extreme water scarcity can lead to leaf wilting and may ultimately result in plant death.The cultivation and management of medicinal plants under stress conditions often differ from those of other crops.This is because the main goal with medicinal plants is not only to increase the yield of the above-ground parts but also to enhance the production of active ingredients such as essential oils.To elucidate these mechanisms of drought resistance in medicinal and aromatic plants,the current review provides a summary of recent literature encompassing studies on the morphology,physiology,and biochemistry of medicinal and aromatic plants under drought conditions.

Effects of Inoculation with Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria on the Physiology,Biochemistry,and Expression of Genes Related to the Protective Enzyme System of Fritillaria taipaiensis P.Y.Li

Fritillaria taipaiensis P.Y.Li is a widely used medicinal herb in treating pulmonary diseases.In recent years,its wild resources have become scarce,and the demand for efficient artificial cultivation has significantly increased.This article is the first to apply phosphate solubilizing bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere soil of F.taipaiensis P.Y.Li to the cultivation process of F.taipaiensis P.Y.Li.The aim is to identify suitable reference strains for the artificial cultivation and industrial development of F.taipaiensis P.Y.Li by examining the effects of various phosphate solubilizing bacteria and their combinations on photosynthesis,physiological and biochemical properties,and gene expression related to the protective enzyme system in F.taipaiensis P.Y.Li.The experiment,conducted in pots at room temperature,included a control group(CK)and groups inoculated with inorganic phosphorussolubilizing bacteria:W1(Bacillus cereus),W2(Serratia plymuthica),W12(Bacillus cereus and Serratia plymuthica),and groups inoculated with organophosphorus-solubilizing bacteria:Y1(Bacillus cereus),Y2(Bacillus cereus),Y12(Bacillus cereus and Bacillus cereus),totaling seven groups.Compared to CK,most growth indices in the bacterial addition groups showed significant differences,with W12 achieving the highest values in all indices except the leaf area index.The content of photosynthetic pigments,photosynthetic parameters,and osmoregulatory substances increased variably in each bacterial treatment group.W12 exhibited the highest content of chlorophyll a and soluble protein,while W1 had the highest free proline content.The activities of peroxidase(POD),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and catalase(CAT)in all inoculated groups were higher than in CK,with significant changes in SOD and CAT activities.The malondialdehyde(MDA)content in all inoculated groups was lower than in CK,with Y12 being the lowest,at approximately 30%of CK.Gene expression corresponding to these three enzymes also increased variably,with POD expression in Y2 being the highest at 2.73 times that of CK.SOD and CAT expression in Y12 were the highest,at 1.84 and 4.39 times that of CK,respectively.These results indicate that inoculating phosphate solubilizing bacteria can enhance the growth of F.taipaiensis P.Y.Li,with the mixed inoculation groups W12 and Y12 demonstrating superior effects.This lays a theoretical foundation for selecting bacterial fertilizers in the cultivation process of F.taipaiensis P.Y.Li.

Effects of Controlled Atmospheres with High_O_2 or High_CO_2 Concentrations on Postharvest Physiology and Storability of "Napoleon" Sweet Cherry

Sweet cherries ( Prunus avium L. cv. Napoleon) were stored in controlled atmospheres (CA) of high O(2) (70% O(2) + 0% CO(2)) or high CO(2) (5% O(2) + 10% CO(2)), in modified atmosphere package (MAP, (13% - 18%) O(2) + (2% -4%) CO(2)) and in air (control) at 1 degreesC to investigate the effects of different O(2) and CO(2) concentrations on physiological properties, quality and storability of the fruits during storage. The results indicated that compared with other treatments, CA with high O(2) concentration decreased fruit decay and ethanol content, but increased the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and stimulated browning. CA with high CO(2) concentration inhibited polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, reduced MDA content, maintained vitamin C content and firmness, decreased fruit decay and browning. Soluble solids contents (SSC) were not significantly affected by different atmosphere treatments. 'Napoleon' fruits stored in 5% O(2) + 10% CO(2) for as long as 80 d were of good quality, but only 40, 20 and 30 d stored in MAP, 70% O(2) + 0% CO(2) and air, re-spectively.

Studies on Endogenous Hormones and Nutritional Physiology Related to the Premature Senescence of Super-hybrid Rice Liangyoupeijiu and Its Parents at Late Growth Stage

The amount of root bleeding sap, contents of chlorophyl , nutrients and hormones in flag leaves of a super-hybrid rice cultivar Liangyoupeijiu （LYPJ） and its parents 9311 and Pei’ai 64S after heading were measured in this study. The re-sults revealed that compared with 9311, the chlorophyl content of LYPJ reduced more quickly after heading, and then kept at a lower level, which was an obvious characteristic of premature senescence. The other physiological indices of LYPJ af-ter heading except abscisic acid （ABA） content in leaf and root also maintained at a lower level than 9311, while al the physiological indices of the sterile line Pei＇ai 64S were lower than LYPJ. So it was speculated that the early-aging characteristic of LYPJ may be inherited from Pei’ai 64S. Al the leaf and root early-aging traits reduced for LYPJ and its parent lines after heading, their leaf and root aged grad-ual y, which indicated that the above-ground （leaf） and under-ground （root） parts cor-related to each other closely, but there was not absolute correlations between them judged from the data.

Liver physiology and liver diseases in the elderly

The liver experiences various changes with aging that could affect clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with liver diseases.Both liver volume and blood flow decrease significantly with age.These changes and decreased cytochrome P450 activity can affect drug metabolism,increasing susceptibility to drug-induced liver injury.Immune responses against pathogens or neoplastic cells are lower in the elderly,although these individuals may be predisposed to autoimmunity through impairment of dendritic cell maturation and reduction of regulatory T cells.These changes in immune functions could alter the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis and autoimmune liver diseases,as well as the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.Moreover,elderly patients have significantly decreased reserve functions of various organs,reducing their tolerability to treatments for liver diseases.Collectively,aged patients show various changes of the liver and other organs that could affect the clinical characteristics and management of liver diseases in these patients.

Effects of Aeration on Root Physiology and Nitrogen Metabolism in Rice

In order to clarify the effects of aeration on root nitrogen metabolism in rice seedlings,rice cultivars Guodao 6 （indica） and Xiushui 09 （japonica） were investigated for root growth,the activities of glutamine synthetase （GS）,glutamic acid-pyruvic acid transaminase （GPT） and glutamic acid oxaloacetate transaminase （GOT）,the nitrate （NO 3-N） concertration,the contents of free amino acids and soluble sugar in root under hydroponics with continuous aeration treatment.The results showed that rice seedlings grown in oxygenation solutions had higher root dry matter,longer root length,stronger root activity and larger root absorption area compared with the control.In addition,the contents of soluble sugar,root vigor and the activities of GS,GOT and GPT in the aeration solutions were higher than those in the control.The results also indicated that the activities of enzymes involved in root nitrogen metabolism of Xiushui 09 were enhanced by aeration,however,there was no significant influence on root nitrogen metabolism of Guodao 6,which suggested that effect of oxygenation on rice root nitrogen metabolism might be genotype-specific.

Differing coping mechanisms, stress level and anorectal physiology in patients with functional constipation

AIM: To investigate coping mechanisms, constipation symptoms and anorectal physiology in 80 constipated subjects and 18 controls.METHODS: Constipation was diagnosed by Rome Ⅱ criteria.Coping ability and anxiety/depression were assessed by validated questionnaires. Transit time and balloon distension test were performed.RESULTS: 34.5% patients were classified as slow transit type of constipation. The total colonic transit time (56 h vs 10 h, P＜0.0001) and rectal sensation including urge sensation (79 mL vs 63 mL, P = 0.019) and maximum tolerable volume (110 mL vs95 mL, P = 0.03) differed in patients and controls. Constipated subjects had significantly higher anxiety and depression scores and lower SF-36 scores in all categories. They also demonstrated higher scores of'monitoring' coping strategy (14+6 vs9+3, P = 0.001),which correlated with the rectal distension sensation (P = 0.005), urge sensation (P=0.002), and maximum tolerable volume (P = 0.035). The less use of blunting strategy predicted slow transit constipation in both univariate (P = 0.01) and multivariate analysis (P = 0.03).CONCLUSION: Defective or ineffective use of coping strategies may be an important etiology in functional constipation and subsequently reflected in abnormal anorectal physiology.

Olfaction as a soldier——a review of the physiology and its present and future use in the military

Olfaction is one of our 5 main qualitative sensory abilities. In this review, we have examined the physiology of olfaction from the olfactory receptor to the brain. Through analyzing the physiology of olfaction, we have found that the biochemistry of olfactory nerve stimulation is unique from that of other similar pathways. Upon receiving large amounts of input from the olfactory nerve, the olfactory bulb, followed by several layers of centrifugal and centripetal processing in the brain, has to sort the information from the input as well as integrate it with other inputs from the brain to develop a coherent understanding of the input. We then examined the implications of olfaction in the military, the practical applications of electronic noses and problems associated with injury to olfaction that could affect compensation and combat worthiness of a soldier following injury. In the military, olfaction can allow the army to perform at its best through 4 main methods, namely ensuring olfaction is consistent with other dimensions of perception(ensuring optimal olfaction ability in all soldiers in combat), understanding the impact of different common combat environments on the sense of smell, utilizing odor as a defense mechanism and using olfactory aids when necessary. Electronic noses are olfactory aids that have a large potential in the military ranging from saving lives through the detection of explosives to potential methods for improving combustion efficiency. There are several problems associated with injury to olfaction that should be considered when deciding on compensation and combat worthiness of the soldier following an injury.

Influence of drought hardening on the resistance physiology of potato seedlings under drought stress

In this paper, the influence of drought hardening on the growth, development, resistance physiology, leaf microstructure and stomatal behavior of potato seedlings under drought stress was studied, and the mechanism of drought hardening improvement of potato seedling drought resistance was elucidated. We found that drought stress had several adverse effects on potato seedlings, yet drought hardening alleviated the decrease in relative water content（RWC）, net photosynthetic rate（Pn） and chlorophyll content and inhibited the increase in relative electric conductivity and malondialdehyde（MDA） content. Compared with contrast seedlings, drought-hardened seedlings also had enhanced root vigor, increased antioxidant enzyme activity and higher levels of abscisic acid（ABA）, proline（Pro）, soluble sugars and polyamines（PAs） under drought stress. In addition, the stomatal density of potato seedling leaves increased significantly, while the leaf area, stomatal size and stomatal aperture decreased with drought hardening treatment. These changes led to reduced leaf transpiration rate（Tr） and improved water utilization efficiency（WUE）. The changes in leaf microstructure also had a positive effect on the drought resistance of the drought-hardened potato seedlings. So it can be concluded that through increasing the content of some endogenous hormones, osmotic regulatory substances and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, the resistance physiology of drought-hardened potato seedlings was enhanced.

Effects of Chlorine Dioxide Gas on Postharvest Physiology and Storage Quality of Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.var.Longrum)

The effects of treatment of chlorine dioxide （C1Oz） gas on postharvest physiology and preservation quality of green bell peppers were studied. Green bell peppers were collected in bags and treated with 0, 5, 10, 20, and 50 mg L^-1 ClO2 gas at 10±0.5℃ for over 40 d, and the changes in postharvest physiology and preservation quality of the peppers were evaluated during the storage. The inhibition of rot of the peppers was observed for all the tested ClO2 gas treatments. The rot rates of the treated samples were 50% lesser than those of the control after day 40 of storage. The highest inhibitory effect was obtained after 50 mg L^-1 ClO2 gas treatment, where the peppers did not decay until day 30 and showed only one-fourth of the rot rate of the control at day 40 of storage. The respiratory activity of the peppers was significantly （P〈0.05） inhibited by 20 and 50 mg L^-1 ClO2 treatments, whereas no significant effects on respiratory activity were observed with 5 and 10 mg L^-1 ClO2 treatments （P〉0.05）. Except for 50 mg L^-1 ClO2, malondialdenyde （MDA） contents in the peppers treated with 5, 10, or 20 mg L^-1 ClO2 were not significantly （P〉0.05） different from those in the control. Degradation of chlorophyll in the peppers was delayed by 5 mg L-1ClO2, but promoted by 10, 20, or 50 mg L^-1 ClO2. The vitamin C content, titratable acidity, and total soluble solids of the peppers treated by all the tested ClO2 gas did not significantly change during the storage. The results suggested that ClO2 gas treatment effectively delayed the postharvest physiological transformation of green peppers, inhibited decay and respiration, maintained some nutritional and sensory quality, and retarded MDA accumulation.

Integrated transcriptome and physiology analysis of Microcystis aeruginosa after exposure to copper sulfate

Copper sulfate(CuSO4)is widely used in controlling the Microcystis aeruginosa blooms.Many studies reported the toxicity mechanisms of Cu^2+to M.aeruginosa at the physiological level,but little is known about a transcriptomic basis of these mechanisms.In the present study,M.aeruginosa was treated by 0.5 mg/L Cu^2+(half of the 96-h EC50)for 72 h.The results show that CH2+content in M.aeruginosa increased after 72 h Cu^2+exposure,whereas the Fv/Fm chlorophyll fluorescence value and chlorophyll a content in M.aeruginosa sharply decreased.Reactive oxygen species concentration and activity of antioxidant enzymes(superoxide dismutase,catalase and peroxidase)were all increased.These physiological data confirmed toxicity of Cu^2+to m.aeruginosa.The RNA-seq analysis showed that 6646725 and 7880291 clean reads were obtained for the Cu-treated and control libraries,respectively.The 595 genes(252 downward trend and 343 upward trend)with the Gene Ontology(GO)annotations were divided into three main functional categories:cellular component,molecular function,and biological process.In the Cluster of Orthologous Groups(COG)annotation,418 differentially expressed genes with 25 functional definitions were obtained.Among them,‘replication,recombination and repair’,‘energy production and conversion’,and‘general function prediction only’were the largest three groups of transcripts.In the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis,genes involved in photosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation were present at the highest percentages.In addition,the genes involved in photosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation were identified,and then confirmed using real-time PCR.This study reported the first transcriptome of M.aeruginosa.Photosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation were severely affected by Cu^2+toxicity,which may have contributed to cell death.These data provide the potential mechanism to explain the CuSO4 effect on the harmful M.aeruginosa.

Effects of Different Atmospheres on the Postharvest Physiology and Quality of the Sweet Cherry

The changes in physiological characteristics, quality and storability of the sweet cherry (Pru-mus avium L. cv. Hongdeng) stored in controlled atmospheres (CA), in modified atmosphere packages (MAP) and in air (CK) were investigated in this paper. The results showed that CA and MAP treatments significantly inhibited fruit rot and flesh browning, kept firmness and fruit color, reduced ethylene and ethanol content in pulp, slowed down the increase of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in comparison with CK. Meanwhile, CA treatments showed a better benefit of reducing ethylene and ethanol contents, inhibiting PPO and POD activities, declining rot rate and browning index compared to MAP. The fruit could be stored in CA conditions for 60 days without any off-flavor. The sweet cherries kept in CA with 5% O2 + 10% CO2 showed a better storability than that in CA with 5% O2 + 5% CO2.

Effects of exogenous enzymes and dietary energy on performance and digestive physiology of broilers

The study was conducted to compare the effects of XG with AG and BM at different metabolizable energy diets on growth performance, digestive physiology and energy utilization of broilers fed with corn-SBM diet. A 2 x 4 factoria design was used with two basal diets （the positive control group, PC; negative control with ME reduction 100 kcal/ kg, NC） and with or without the addition of three exogenous enzymes （0.02% BM; 0.01% AG; 0.05% XG） respectively. 1,200 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to 8 treatments with 10 pens of 1_5 broilers. There was no significant difference on BW, BWG, and FI at 0-21d, 21-42d or 0-42d for diet, enzymes or their interactions, but FI at 22-42d and 0-42d were tend to be decreased with the addition of enzymes. The F/G was significantly improved by the addition of enzymes especially in NC diet. The dietary AME and TME in PC or NC diet were significantly increased by XG or AG in NC diet. The villus length and V/C of ileum were significantly increased by the addition of BM or XG. XG improved the activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin and amylase, BM improved the activity of trypsin at 21d, and AG improved the activity of chymotrypsin at 21d. Comparing to PC diet, the addition of enzymes in PC or NC diet decreased feed cost per kg body weight gain especially in NC diet （except AG in PC diet） with the highest profits for XG in NC diet. In conclusion, supplementation of 0.02% BM or 0.01% AG or 0.0.5% XG could improve feed conversion of broilers in corn-soybean meal diet by improving energy utilization and digestive physiology, and also supplementation of 0.05% XG had a preferable efficacy in low energy diet.

Research Advances in High-Yielding Cultivation and Physiology of Super Rice

In 1996,China launched a program to breed super rice or super hybrid rice by combining intersubspecific heterosis with ideal plant types.Today,approximately 80 super rice varieties have been released and some of them show high grain yields of 12-21 t/hm2 in field experiments.The main reasons for the high yields of super rice varieties,compared with those of conventional varieties,can be summarized as follows：more spikelets per panicle and larger sink size （number of spikelets per square meter）;larger leaf area index,longer duration of green leaf,greater photosynthetic rate,higher lodging resistance,greater dry matter accumulation before the heading stage,greater remobilization of pre-stored carbohydrates from stems and leaves to grains during the grain-filling period;and larger root system and greater root activity.However,there are two main problems in super rice production：poor grain-filling of the later-flowering inferior spikelets （in contrast to earlier-flowering superior spikelets）,and low and unstable seed-setting rate.Here,we review recent research advances in the crop physiology of super rice,focusing on biological features,formation of yield components,and population quality.Finally,we suggest further research on crop physiology of super rice.

Role of coronary physiology in the contemporary management of coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease(CAD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide with approximately 1 in 30 patients with stable CAD experiencing death or acute myocardial infarction each year. The presence and extent of resultant myocardial ischaemia has been shown to confer an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Whilst, optimal medical therapy(OMT) forms the cornerstone of the management of patients with stable CAD, a significant number of patients present with ischaemia refractory to OMT. Historically coronary angiography alone has been used to determine coronary lesion severity in both stable and acute settings. It is increasingly clear that this approach fails to accurately identify the haemodynamic significance of lesions; especially those that are visually "intermediate" in severity. Revascularisation based upon angiographic appearances alone may not reduce coronary events above OMT. Technological advances have enabled the measurement of physiological indices including the fractional flow reserve, the index of microcirculatory resistance and the coronary flow reserve. The integration of these parameters into the routine management of patients presenting to the cardiac catheterization laboratory with CAD represents a critical adjunctive tool in the optimal management of these patients by identifying patients that would most benefit from revascularisation and importantly also highlighting patients that would not gain benefit and therefore reducing the likelihood of adverse outcomes associated with coronary revascularisation. Furthermore, these techniques are applicable to a broad range of patients including those with left main stem disease, proximal coronary disease, diabetes mellitus, previous percutaneous coronary intervention and with previous coronary artery bypass grafting. This review will discuss current concepts relevant to coronary physiology assessment, its role in the management of both stable and acute patients and future applications.

Corrigendum:Disentangling brain PrPC proteoforms and their roles in physiology and disease

In the article titled“Disentangling brain PrPC proteoforms and their roles in physiology and disease”,published on pages 963-965,Issue 5,Volume 19 of Neural Regeneration Research(Vanni and Romolo,2024;doi:10.4103/1673-5374.385302),the name of the second author appears incorrectly.The correct name is Romolo Nonno.

Effects of nitrogen fertilization strategies on nitrogen use efficiency in physiology, recovery, and agronomy and redistribution of dry matter accumulation and nitrogen accumulation in two typical rice cultivars in Zhejiang, China

Field experiments were conducted in farmers’ rice fields in 2001 and 2002 to study the effects of nitrogen (N) man-agement strategies on N use efficiency in recovery (RE), agronomy (AE) and physiology (PE) and redistribution of dry matter accumulation (DMA) and nitrogen accumulation (NA) in two typical rice cultivars in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province. This study aimed mainly at identifying the possible causes of poor fertilizer N use efficiency (NUE) of rice in Zhejiang by comparing farmers’ fertilizer practice (FFP) with advanced site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) and real-time N management (RTNM). The results showed that compared to FFP, SSNM and RTNM reduced DMA and NA before panicle initiation and increased DMA and NA at post-flowering. There is no significant difference between SSNM and FFP in post-flowering dry matter redistribution (post-DMR) and post-flowering nitrogen redistribution (post-NR). These results suggest that high input rate of fertilizer N and improper fertilizer N timing are the main factors causing low NUE of irrigated rice in the farmer’s routine practice of Zhejiang. With SSNM, about 15% of the current total N input in direct-seeding early rice and 45% in single rice could be reduced without yield loss in Zhejiang, China.

Physiology and defense responses of wheat to the infestation of different cereal aphids

Cereal aphids are major insect pests of wheat,which cause significant damages to wheat production.Previous studies mainly focused on the resista nee of differe nt wheat varieties to one specific aphid species.However,reports on the physiology and defense responses of wheat to different cereal aphids are basically lacking.In this work,we studied the feeding behavior of three cereal aphids:the grain aphid,Sitobion avenae(Fabricius),the greenbugs,Schizaphis graminum(Ron dani),and the bird cherry-oat aphid,Rhopalosiphum padi(Linn aeus)on win ter wheat,and the physiology and defense responses of wheat to the infestation of these cereal aphids with focus on how these cereal aphids utilize divergent strategies to optimize their nutrition requirement from wheat leaves.Our results indicated that S.graminum and R.padi were better adapted to penetrating phloem tissue and to collect more nutrition than S.avenae.The harm on wheat physiology committed by S.graminum and R.padi was severer than that by S.avenae,through reducing chlorophyll concentration and interfering metabolism genes.Furthermore,cereal aphids manipulated the plant nutrition metabolism by increasing the relative concentration of major amino acids and percentage of essential amino acids.In addition,different cereal aphids triggered specific defense response in wheat.All of these results suggested that different cereal aphids utilize diverge nt strategies to cha nge the physiological and defe nse resp on ses of their host plants in order to optimize their nutriti on absorption and requireme nt.These fin dings not only exte nd our current knowledge on the insect-pla nt in teractions but also provide useful clues to develop no vel biotech no logical strategies for enhancing the resistance and toleranee of crop plants against phloem-feeding insects.