Effects of Microbial Fermented Feed on Growth and Development of Farmed Crayfish

Microbial fermented feed possesses a natural fermentation flavor and exhibits good palatability.It is not only easily digestible and absorbable by livestock but also non-toxic.Additionally,it has the capacity to inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria,facilitate the growth and development of animals,and enhance their immune response,disease resistance,and overall production performance.This paper summarizes the selection of common feed materials and microbial strains used in fermented feed,as well as their effects on the growth performance,muscle quality,antioxidant capacity,and immune function of crayfish.The aim of this study is to provide a reference for the further popularization and application ofmicrobialfermented feed in crayfishaquaculture.

Effects of Water-retaining Agents on Growth, Development, Yield and Quality of Soybean under Drought Stress

[Objectives]The paper was to explore the effects of different doses of water-retaining agent on the growth and development indicators,yield and quality of soybean plants subjected to drought stress.[Methods]The effects of drought stress(MDS)and drought stress with low(MDS-L),medium(MDS-M)and high doses(MDS-H)of the water-retaining agent on the growth and development indicators,root activity,MDA content,antioxidant enzyme activity,yield and quality of soybean were studied by field plot test,with the normal water supply serving as the control(CK).[Results]In response to drought stress,the plant height,stem diameter,and yield of soybean exhibited a notable decline.Additionally,the contents of protein,fat,linoleic acid,and linolenic acid in seeds demonstrated a significant reduction.Conversely,the root activity and antioxidant enzyme activity exhibited a noticeable decline,while the MDA content exhibited an increase.The application of varying doses of the water-retaining agent was found to significantly enhance soybean growth,stimulate root activity,and elevate antioxidant enzyme activity,while concurrently reducing MDA content.The observed effects were found to be dose-dependent,with the greatest effects observed at the highest dose.In comparison to MDS,the yields of soybean in the MDS-L,MDS-M,and MDS-H treatments exhibited a 18.38%,25.58%,and 46.26%increase,respectively.Additionally,the content of protein,fat,linoleic acid,and linolenic acid in seeds demonstrated a notable enhancement.[Conclusions]The application of the water-retaining agent has been demonstrated to significantly promote the growth of soybean plants under conditions of drought stress,resulting in an improvement in both the yield and the quality of the soybean crop.The recommended dosage of the water-retaining agent is 3.3 kg/667 m 2.

Comparative analysis of SIMILAR to RCD ONE(SRO)family from tetraploid cotton species and their diploid progenitors depict their significance in cotton growth and development

Background SRO(Similar to RCD1)genes family is largely recognized for their importance in the growth,develop-ment,and in responding to environmental stresses.However,genome-wide identification and functional characteri-zation of SRO genes from cotton species have not been reported so far.Results A total of 36 SRO genes were identified from four cotton species.Phylogenetic analysis divided these genes into three groups with distinct structure.Syntenic and chromosomal distribution analysis indicated uneven distribu-tion of GaSRO,GrSRO,GhSRO,and GbSRO genes on A2,D5 genomes,Gh-At,Gh-Dt,Gb-At,and Gb-Dt subgenomes,respectively.Gene duplication analysis revealed the presence of six duplicated gene pairs among GhSRO genes.In promoter analysis,several elements responsive to the growth,development and hormones were found in GhSRO genes,implying gene induction during cotton growth and development.Several miRNAs responsive to plant growth and abiotic stress were predicted to target 12 GhSRO genes.Organ-specific expression profiling demonstrated the roles of GhSRO genes in one or more tissues.In addition,specific expression pattern of some GhSRO genes dur-ing ovule development depicted their involvement in these developmental processes.Conclusion The data presented in this report laid a foundation for understanding the classification and functions of SRO genes in cotton.

Smad8 is involvement in follicular development via the regulation of granulosa cell growth and steroidogenesis in mice

Background:SMAD family proteins(SMADs)are crucial transcription factors downstream of transforming growth factor beta(TGF-ß)/SMAD signaling pathways that have been reported to play a pivotal role in mammalian reproduction.However,the role of SMAD family member 8(SMAD8,also known as SMAD9),a member of the SMAD family,in mammalian reproduction remains unclear.Methods:We employed RNA interference techniques to knock down Smad8 expression in mouse granulosa cells(GCs)to investigate the effects of Smad8 on GC growth and steroidogenesis.Results:Our findings revealed a significant decrease in the proliferative capacity and a substantial increase in the apoptosis rate of GCs after transfection with Smad8-siRNA for 48 h.Subsequent hormone assays demonstrated a significant decrease in estradiol(E2)levels,whereas progesterone(P4)remained unchanged.Further mechanistic analysis showed that the mRNA expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(Pcna),Cyclin D2,cell cycle-dependent kinase 4(Cdk4),B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),estrogen receptor(Er),luteinizing hormone receptor(Lhr)and cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1(Cyp19a1)significantly decreased.Conversely,the mRNA of cysteine aspartate proteinase 3(Caspase 3)significantly increased,wheras Bcl2-associated X(Bax),folliclestimulating hormone receptor(Fshr)and cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1(Cyp11a1)remained unchanged compared to the controls.Conclusion:This study indicates that Smad8 knockdown inhibits cell proliferation,promotes apoptosis,reduces Er and Lhr transcription,and decreases E2 production in mouse GCs.These findings suggest that Smad8 may serve as a novel genetic marker for mammalian reproduction.

Transformation power or development pressure:economic growth targets and urban carbon productivity

Maintaining moderate economic growth targets(EGTs)is the key for local governments to effectively implement the“carbon peak and carbon neutrality”goals under the refreshed development pattern.Utilizing panel data of 276 prefecture-level cities in China's Mainland from 2010 to 2020,and employing methods such as intermediary and threshold models,this study empirically analyzes the internal mechanism of EGT’s impact on urban carbon productivity(UCP).Our findings demonstrate that:①The overall EGT during the analyzed period is not conducive to improving UCP.This conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests.This effect is more pronounced in the central region and resource-based cities than in the east-west region and non resource-based cities.②EGT not only directly suppresses UCP but also exerts indirect negative impacts on UCP from three aspects:delaying the digital economy(DE),constraining financial expansion(FE),and hindering green technology innovation(GTI).This negative indirect effect is similar to or even surpasses the direct effect,suggesting that the internal relationship between EGT and“dual-carbon”goals should be re-evaluated from a new compound perspective.③EGT not only has a simple linear impact on UCP but also significantly exhibits a dynamic evolution pattern in inverted“U”shape.That is,as EGT continuously upgrades,a nonlinear impact on UCP emerges in the form of“promoting first,suppressing later”.This indicates that surpassing the“degree”limit for EGT will be detrimental to the improvement of UCP.This study broadens the scope of carbon productivity analysis by introducing a new perspective centered on EGT.The insights gleaned from this research offer valuable guidance for local governments to effectively manage economic growth expectations and promote the synchronized achievement of dual-carbon objectives.

Perinatal Morbidity, Mortality, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Neonates with Fetal Growth Restriction

Objective: This study aimed to assess perinatal morbidity, mortality rates, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the management of fetal growth restriction (FGR) at a single tertiary institute. Methods: Among 2465 deliveries between 2013 and 2019, 109 cases of FGR were reviewed retrospectively for causes, indications for pregnancy termination, perinatal death, overall neonatal outcomes, and long-term prognosis. Results: Excluding FGR due to congenital anomalies (n = 17), the mortality rate was 3.3% (3/92). One neonate delivered at 23 weeks developed cerebral palsy (1.1%). Retinopathy of prematurity occurred in four neonates (4.3%). Neurodevelopmental disorders were present in six neonates (6.5%), all of whom were delivered at 32 - 38 weeks. Significantly lower gestational age at delivery, lower birth weight, and higher umbilical artery resistance indices were observed in neonates with neurodevelopmental disorders. Conclusions: Intact survival before 27 weeks of gestation at delivery with FGR is uncommon. Neurodevelopmental disorders may still develop after delivery at 32 - 38 weeks;consideration should be given to the timing of delivery usingfetal ductus venosus Doppler waveforms measurements to reduce neurodevelopmental disorders.

Growth, Development and Yield of Kenaf as Affected by Planting Dates and N Fertilization

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L) consists of various beneficial components like stalks, seeds, leaves, fibers, oils, proteins, allelopathic chemicals, and fiber strands, among other things. Despite the numerous uses of the crop, there is little or no information on optimum agronomic practices such as planting date and N fertilization of the crop in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana where the crop is widely cultivated by smallholder farmers. Field experiments were therefore carried out in 2020 and repeated during the 2021 cropping season in the study area. The objective of the study was to determine appropriate planting date and N fertilization for increased kenaf productivity. In each year, the treatments consisted of 3 × 5 factorial combinations of three planting dates (1st July, 7th July and 14th July) and five levels of N (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg/ha) replicated three times. The design of the experiment was a split-plot with the N fertilizer as the main plot and the planting date assigned to sub plot. The results showed that, planting kenaf in early (1st) July or N fertilization at the rate of 60 kg/ha increased plant density, stem height, stem diameter, dry bast and core yields in both cropping seasons.

Delineation of urban growth boundary based on FLUS model under the perspective of land use evaluation in hilly mountainous areas

With rapid economic development,the size of urban land in China is expanding dramatically.The Urban Growth Boundary(UGB)is an expandable spatial boundary for urban construction in a certain period in order to control the urban sprawl.Reasonable delineation of UGB can inhibit the disorderly spread of urban space and guide the normal development of the city.It is of practical significance for the construction of green urban space.The study utilizes GIS technology to establish a land construction suitability evaluation system for Nankang city,which is experiencing rapid urban expansion,and outlines the preliminary UGB under the future land use simulation(FLUS)model.At the same time,considering the coupled coordination of"Production-Living-Ecological Space",and based on the suitability evaluation,we revised the preliminary UGB by combining the advantages of the patch-generating land use simulation(PLUS)model and the convex hull model to delineate the final UGB.The results show that:1)the comprehensive score of the evaluation of the suitability of the construction of land from high to low shows the distribution of the center of the city to the surrounding circle type spread,the center of the city has the highest suitability score.The results of convex hull model show that the urban expansion type of Nankang is epitaxial.In the future,the urban expansion will mainly occur in the northern part of the city.The PLUS model predicts an increase of 3359.97 hm^(2)of construction land in Nankang by 2035,of which 2022.97 hm^(2)is urban construction land.2)The FLUS model has a prediction accuracy of 86.3%and delineates a preliminary UGB area of 9215.07 hm^(2).3)We used the results of the construction suitability evaluation,PLUS model simulation results,and convex hull model predictions to revise the originally delineated UGB.The final delineated UGB area is 8895.67 hm^(2)and it is capable of meeting the future development of the study area.The results of the delineation can promote sustainable urban development,and the delineation methodology can provide a reference basis for the preparation of territorial spatial planning.

Comparative proteomics analysis reveals the domesticated Lepista sordida primordium differentiation regulation mechanism and the subsequent different development patterns in the pileus and stipe

The wild Lepista sordida is a kind of precious and rare edible fungus.An excellent strain of it by artificial domestication was obtained,which was high-yield and high in iron content.In this study,high-throughput comparative proteomics was used to reveal the regulatory mechanism of its primordium differentiation in the early fruiting body formation.The mycelium before the primordium differentiation mainly expressed high levels of mitochondrial functional proteins and carbon dioxide concentration regulatory proteins.In young mushrooms,the highly expressed proteins were mainly involved in cell component generation,cell proliferation,nitrogen compound metabolism,nucleotide metabolism,glutathione metabolism,and purine metabolism.The differential regulation patterns of pileus and stipe growth to maturity were also revealed.The highly expressed proteins related to transcription,RNA splicing,the production of various organelles,DNA conformational change,nucleosome organization,protein processing,maturation and transport,and cell detoxification regulated the pileus development and maturity.The proteins related to carbohydrate and energy metabolism,large amounts of obsolete cytoplasmic parts,nutrient deprivation,and external stimuli regulated the stipe development and maturity.Multiple CAZymes regulated nutrient absorption,morphogenesis,spore production,stress response,and other life activities at different growth and development stages.

Effects of thinning on the understory light environment of different stands and the photosynthetic performance and growth of the reforestation species Phoebe bournei

Light levels determine regeneration in stands and a key concern is how to regulate the light environment of different stand types to the requirements of the understory.In this study,we selected three stands typical in south China(a Cryptomeria japonica plantation,a Quercus acutissima plantation,and a mixed stand of both)and three thinning intensities to determine the best understory light environ-ment for 3-year-old Phoebe bournei seedlings.The canopy structure,understory light environment,and photosynthe-sis and growth indicators were assessed following thin-ning.Thinning improved canopy structure and understory light availability of each stand;species composition was the reason for differences in the understory light environ-ment.Under the same thinning intensity,the mixed stand had the greatest light radiation and most balanced spectral composition.P.bournei photosynthesis and growth were closely related to the light environment;all three stands required heavy thinning to create an effective and sustained understory light environment.In a suitable understory light environment,the efficiency of light interception,absorption,and use by seedlings was enhanced,resulting in a higher carbon assimilation the main limiting factor was stomatal conductance.As a shade-avoidance signal,red/far-red radia-tion is a critical factor driving changes in photosynthesis and growth of P.bournei seedlings,and a reduction increased light absorption and use capacity and height:diameter ratios.The growth advantage transformed from diameter to height,enabling seedlings to access more light.Our findings suggest that the regeneration of shade-tolerant species such as P.bournei could be enhanced if a targeted approach to thinning based on stand type was adopted.

Effects of maternal methyl donor intake during pregnancy on ileum methylation and function in an intrauterine growth restriction pig model

Background Intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR)affects intestinal growth,morphology,and function,which leads to poor growth performance and high mortality.The present study explored whether maternal dietary methyl donor(MET)supplementation alleviates IUGR and enhances offspring’s growth performance by improving intestinal growth,function,and DNA methylation of the ileum in a porcine IUGR model.Methods Forty multiparous sows were allocated to the control or MET diet groups from mating until delivery.After farrowing,8 pairs of IUGR and normal birth weight piglets from 8 litters were selected for sampling before suckling colostrum.Results The results showed that maternal MET supplementation tended to decrease the IUGR incidence and increased the average weaning weight of piglets.Moreover,maternal MET supplementation significantly reduced the plasma concentrations of isoleucine,cysteine,urea,and total amino acids in sows and newborn pig-lets.It also increased lactase and sucrase activity in the jejunum of newborn piglets.MET addition resulted in lower ileal methionine synthase activity and increased betaine homocysteine S-methyltransferase activity in the ileum of newborn piglets.DNA methylation analysis of the ileum showed that MET supplementation increased the methyla-tion level of DNA CpG sites in the ileum of newborn piglets.Down-regulated differentially methylated genes were enriched in folic acid binding,insulin receptor signaling pathway,and endothelial cell proliferation.In contrast,up-regulated methylated genes were enriched in growth hormone receptor signaling pathway and nitric oxide biosyn-thetic process.Conclusions Maternal MET supplementation can reduce the incidence of IUGR and increase the weaning litter weight of piglets,which may be associated with better intestinal function and methylation status.

Activation of endogenous neurogenesis and angiogenesis by basic fibroblast growth factor-chitosan gel in an adult rat model of ischemic stroke

Attempts have been made to use cell transplantation and biomaterials to promote cell proliferation,differentiation,migration,and survival,as well as angiogenesis,in the context of brain injury.However,whether bioactive materials can repair the damage caused by ischemic stroke by activating endogenous neurogenesis and angiogenesis is still unknown.In this study,we applied chitosan gel loaded with basic fibroblast growth factor to the stroke cavity 7 days after ischemic stroke in rats.The gel slowly released basic fibroblast growth factor,which improved the local microenvironment,activated endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells,and recruited these cells to migrate toward the penumbra and stroke cavity and subsequently differentiate into neurons,while enhancing angiogenesis in the penumbra and stroke cavity and ultimately leading to partial functional recovery.This study revealed the mechanism by which bioactive materials repair ischemic strokes,thus providing a new strategy for the clinical application of bioactive materials in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Dynamic changes of rumen microbiota and serum metabolome revealed increases in meat quality and growth performances of sheep fed bio‑fermented rice straw

Background Providing high-quality roughage is crucial for improvement of ruminant production because it is an essential component of their feed.Our previous study showed that feeding bio-fermented rice straw(BF)improved the feed intake and weight gain of sheep.However,it remains unclear why feeding BF to sheep increased their feed intake and weight gain.Therefore,the purposes of this research were to investigate how the rumen micro-biota and serum metabolome are dynamically changing after feeding BF,as well as how their changes influence the feed intake,digestibility,nutrient transport,meat quality and growth performances of sheep.Twelve growing Hu sheep were allocated into 3 groups:alfalfa hay fed group(AH:positive control),rice straw fed group(RS:negative control)and BF fed group(BF:treatment).Samples of rumen content,blood,rumen epithelium,muscle,feed offered and refusals were collected for the subsequent analysis.Results Feeding BF changed the microbial community and rumen fermentation,particularly increasing(P<0.05)relative abundance of Prevotella and propionate production,and decreasing(P<0.05)enteric methane yield.The histomorphology(height,width,area and thickness)of rumen papillae and gene expression for carbohydrate trans-port(MCT1),tight junction(claudin-1,claudin-4),and cell proliferation(CDK4,Cyclin A2,Cyclin E1)were improved(P<0.05)in sheep fed BF.Additionally,serum metabolome was also dynamically changed,which led to up-regulating(P<0.05)the primary bile acid biosynthesis and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid in sheep fed BF.As a result,the higher(P<0.05)feed intake,digestibility,growth rate,feed efficiency,meat quality and mono-unsaturated fatty acid concentration in muscle,and the lower(P<0.05)feed cost per kg of live weight were achieved by feeding BF.Conclusions Feeding BF improved the growth performances and meat quality of sheep and reduced their feed cost.Therefore,bio-fermentation of rice straw could be an innovative way for improving ruminant production with mini-mizing production costs.

The Function of GABA in Plant Cell Growth, Development and Stress Response

Gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA)is a ubiquitous four-carbon non-protein amino acid that is involved in various physiological processes of plant growth and development,such as root architecture,stem elongation,leaf senescence,pollen tube growth,fruit ripening,and seed germination.GABA is also related to plant stress responses,such as drought,salt,cold,and heat stresses.Regulation of GABA in plant stress responses is complex and involves multiple signaling pathways,including calcium and hormone signaling.This paper systematically reviews the synthesis,metabolic pathways and regulatory role of GABA in plants,which will provide new insights into the understanding of plant growth and stress responses and offer novel strategies for improving crop productivity and stress.

Transcriptomic and epigenomic landscapes of muscle growth during the postnatal period of broilers

Background Broilers stand out as one of the fastest-growing livestock globally,making a substantial contribution to animal meat production.However,the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying the rapid growth and development of broiler chickens are still unclear.This study aims to explore muscle development patterns and regulatory networks during the postnatal rapid growth phase of fast-growing broilers.We measured the growth performance of Cornish(CC)and White Plymouth Rock(RR)over a 42-d period.Pectoral muscle samples from both CC and RR were randomly collected at day 21 after hatching(D21)and D42 for RNA-seq and ATAC-seq library construction.Results The consistent increase in body weight and pectoral muscle weight across both breeds was observed as they matured,with CC outpacing RR in terms of weight at each stage of development.Differential expression analysis identified 398 and 1,129 genes in the two dimensions of breeds and ages,respectively.A total of 75,149 ATAC-seq peaks were annotated in promoter,exon,intron and intergenic regions,with a higher number of peaks in the promoter and intronic regions.The age-biased genes and breed-biased genes of RNA-seq were combined with the ATAC-seq data for subsequent analysis.The results spotlighted the upregulation of ACTC1 and FDPS at D21,which were primarily associated with muscle structure development by gene cluster enrichment.Additionally,a noteworthy upregulation of MUSTN1,FOS and TGFB3 was spotted in broiler chickens at D42,which were involved in cell differentiation and muscle regeneration after injury,suggesting a regulatory role of muscle growth and repair.Conclusions This work provided a regulatory network of postnatal broiler chickens and revealed ACTC1 and MUSTN1 as the key responsible for muscle development and regeneration.Our findings highlight that rapid growth in broiler chickens triggers ongoing muscle damage and subsequent regeneration.These findings provide a foundation for future research to investigate the functional aspects of muscle development.

Conventional Geothermal Systems and Unconventional Geothermal Developments: An Overview

This paper provides an overview of conventional geothermal systems and unconventional geothermal developments as a common reference is needed for discussions between energy professionals. Conventional geothermal systems have the heat, permeability and fluid, requiring only drilling down to °C, normal heat flow or decaying radiogenic granite as heat sources, and used in district heating. Medium-temperature (MT) 100°C - 190°C, and high-temperature (HT) 190°C - 374°C resources are mostly at plate boundaries, with volcanic intrusive heat source, used mostly for electricity generation. Single well capacities are °C - 500°C) and a range of depths (1 m to 20 Km), but lack permeability or fluid, thus requiring stimulations for heat extraction by conduction. HVAC is 1 - 2 m deep and shallow geothermal down to 500 m in wells, both capturing °C, with °C are either advanced by geothermal developers at <7 Km depth (Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), drilling below brittle-ductile transition zones and under geothermal fields), or by the Oil & Gas industry (Advanced Geothermal Systems, heat recovery from hydrocarbon wells or reservoirs, Superhot Rock Geothermal, and millimeter-wave drilling down to 20 Km). Their primary aim is electricity generation, relying on closed-loops, but EGS uses fractures for heat exchange with earthquake risks during fracking. Unconventional approaches could be everywhere, with shallow geothermal already functional. The deeper and hotter unconventional alternatives are still experimental, overcoming costs and technological challenges to become fully commercial. Meanwhile, the conventional geothermal resources remain the most proven opportunities for investments and development.

Development and technology status of energy storage in depleted gas reservoirs

Utilizing energy storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs can improve productivity while reducing power costs and is one of the best ways to achieve synergistic development of"Carbon Peak–Carbon Neutral"and"Underground Resource Utiliza-tion".Starting from the development of Compressed Air Energy Storage(CAES)technology,the site selection of CAES in depleted gas and oil reservoirs,the evolution mechanism of reservoir dynamic sealing,and the high-flow CAES and injection technology are summarized.It focuses on analyzing the characteristics,key equipment,reservoir construction,application scenarios and cost analysis of CAES projects,and sorting out the technical key points and existing difficulties.The devel-opment trend of CAES technology is proposed,and the future development path is scrutinized to provide reference for the research of CAES projects in depleted oil and gas reservoirs.

Effects of drip and flood irrigation on carbon dioxide exchange and crop growth in the maize ecosystem in the Hetao Irrigation District,China

Drip irrigation and flood irrigation are major irrigation methods for maize crops in the Hetao Irrigation District,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China.This research delves into the effects of these irrigation methods on carbon dioxide(CO_(2))exchange and crop growth in this region.The experimental site was divided into drip and flood irrigation zones.The irrigation schedules of this study aligned with the local commonly used irrigation schedule.We employed a developed chamber system to measure the diurnal CO_(2)exchange of maize plants during various growth stages under both drip and flood irrigation methods.From May to September in 2020 and 2021,two sets of repeated experiments were conducted.In each experiment,a total of nine measurements of CO_(2)exchange were performed to obtain carbon exchange data at different growth stages of maize crop.During each CO_(2)exchange measurement event,CO_(2)flux data were collected every two hours over a day-long period to capture the diurnal variations in CO_(2)exchange.During each CO_(2)exchange measurement event,the biological parameters(aboveground biomass and crop growth rate)of maize and environmental parameters(including air humidity,air temperature,precipitation,soil water content,and photosynthetically active radiation)were measured.The results indicated a V-shaped trend in net ecosystem CO_(2)exchange in daytime,reducing slowly at night,while the net assimilation rate(net primary productivity)exhibited a contrasting trend.Notably,compared with flood irrigation,drip irrigation demonstrated significantly higher average daily soil CO_(2)emission and greater average daily CO_(2)absorption by maize plants.Consequently,within the maize ecosystem,drip irrigation appeared more conducive to absorbing atmospheric CO_(2).Furthermore,drip irrigation demonstrated a faster crop growth rate and increased aboveground biomass compared with flood irrigation.A strong linear relationship existed between leaf area index and light utilization efficiency,irrespective of the irrigation method.Notably,drip irrigation displayed superior light use efficiency compared with flood irrigation.The final yield results corroborated these findings,indicating that drip irrigation yielded higher harvest index and overall yield than flood irrigation.The results of this study provide a basis for the selection of optimal irrigation methods commonly used in the Hetao Irrigation District.This research also serves as a reference for future irrigation studies that consider measurements of both carbon emissions and yield simultaneously.

BMPRⅡ^(+)neural precursor cells isolated and characterized from organotypic neurospheres:an in vitro model of human fetal spinal cord development

Roof plate secretion of bone morphogenetic proteins(BMPs)directs the cellular fate of sensory neurons during spinal cord development,including the formation of the ascending sensory columns,though their biology is not well understood.Type-ⅡBMP receptor(BMPRⅡ),the cognate receptor,is expressed by neural precursor cells during embryogenesis;however,an in vitro method of enriching BMPRⅡ^(+)human neural precursor cells(hNPCs)from the fetal spinal cord is absent.Immunofluorescence was undertaken on intact second-trimester human fetal spinal cord using antibodies to BMPRⅡand leukemia inhibitory factor(LIF).Regions of highest BMPRⅡ^(+)immunofluorescence localized to sensory columns.Parenchymal and meningeal-associated BMPRⅡ^(+)vascular cells were identified in both intact fetal spinal cord and cortex by co-positivity with vascular lineage markers,CD34/CD39.LIF immunostaining identified a population of somas concentrated in dorsal and ventral horn interneurons,mirroring the expression of LIF receptor/CD118.A combination of LIF supplementation and high-density culture maintained culture growth beyond 10 passages,while synergistically increasing the proportion of neurospheres with a stratified,cytoarchitecture.These neurospheres were characterized by BMPRⅡ^(+)/MAP2ab^(+/–)/βⅢ-tubulin^(+)/nestin^(–)/vimentin^(–)/GFAP^(–)/NeuN^(–)surface hNPCs surrounding a heterogeneous core ofβⅢ-tubulin^(+)/nestin^(+)/vimentin^(+)/GFAP^(+)/MAP2ab^(–)/NeuN^(–)multipotent precursors.Dissociated cultures from tripotential neurospheres contained neuronal(βⅢ-tubulin^(+)),astrocytic(GFAP+),and oligodendrocytic(O4+)lineage cells.Fluorescence-activated cell sorting-sorted BMPRⅡ^(+)hNPCs were MAP2ab^(+/–)/βⅢ-tubulin^(+)/GFAP^(–)/O4^(–)in culture.This is the first isolation of BMPRⅡ^(+)hNPCs identified and characterized in human fetal spinal cords.Our data show that LIF combines synergistically with high-density reaggregate cultures to support the organotypic reorganization of neurospheres,characterized by surface BMPRⅡ^(+)hNPCs.Our study has provided a new methodology for an in vitro model capable of amplifying human fetal spinal cord cell numbers for>10 passages.Investigations of the role BMPRⅡplays in spinal cord development have primarily relied upon mouse and rat models,with interpolations to human development being derived through inference.Because of significant species differences between murine biology and human,including anatomical dissimilarities in central nervous system(CNS)structure,the findings made in murine models cannot be presumed to apply to human spinal cord development.For these reasons,our human in vitro model offers a novel tool to better understand neurodevelopmental pathways,including BMP signaling,as well as spinal cord injury research and testing drug therapies.

Coupling and coordination relationship of tourism inclusive green growth system:Evidence from Shandong Province

Sustainable growth is a prerequisite for high-quality development,and inclusive green growth is regarded as an important way to realize sustainable growth.This paper constructs a tourism inclusive green growth index(IGGI)system based on the 2018 Asian Development Bank IGGI.Using Shandong Province from 2017 to 2019,the entropy weight method is utilized to explore the degree of coupling and coordination among the subsystems of tourism inclusive green growth.The study shows that:(1)the tourism IGGI continues to grow;(2)in the tourism inclusive green growth system,the social equity subsystem shows a trend of steady improvement;and(3)in the system,there is a slight discordance between the economic growth subsystem and the environmental sustainability subsystem.The study aims to provide the scientific basis for the high-quality development of tourism and theoretical support for the field of tourism and environmental sustainability.