Stem Respiration of a Larch (Larix gmelini) Plantation in Northeast China

Stem respiration is an important part of the activity of a tree and is an important source of CO2 evolution from a forest ecosystem. Presently, no standard methods are available for the accurate estimation of total stem CO2 efflux from a forest. In the current study, a 33-year-old (by the year 2001) larch (Larix gmelini Rupr.) plantation was measured throughout 2001-2002 to analyze its monthly and seasonal patterns of stem respiration. Stem respiration rate was also measured at different heights, at different daily intervals and any variation in the larch plantation was recorded. The relationship between stem temperature, growth status and respiration rate was analyzed. Higher respiration rates were recorded in upper reaches of the larch tree throughout the season and these were affected partially by temperature difference. Midday depression was found in the diurnal changes in stem respiration. In the morning, but not in the afternoon, stem respiration was positively correlated with stem temperature. The reason for this variation may be attributed to water deficit, which was stronger in the afternoon. In the larch plantation, a maximum 7-fold variation in stem respiration was found. The growth status (such as mean growth rate of stem and canopy projection area) instead of stem temperature difference was positively correlated with this large variation. An S-model (sigmoid curve) or Power model shows the greatest regression of the field data. In the courses of seasonal and annual changes of stem respiration, peak values were observed in July of both years, but substantial interannual differences in magnitude were observed. An exponential model can clearly show this regression of the temperature-respiration relationship. In our results, Q(10) values ranged from 2.22 in 2001 to 3.53 in 2002. Therefore, estimation of total stem CO2 efflux only by a constant Q(10) value may give biased results. More parameters of growth status and water status should be considered for more accurate estimation.

Effects of Atrazine Stress on the Growth of Pennisetum hydridum

[Objective] This study was to investigate the effect of atrazine stress on the growth of Pennisetum hydridum. [Method] Pot experiments were conducted to study the effects of atrazine stress （20, 50, 100, 200, 500 mg/kg） on plant height, biomass, root-shoot ratio and chlorophyll content of P. hydridum. [Results] Low level of atrazine stress （20 and 50 mg/kg） showed no significant effects on plant height and biomass of P. hydridum. Moderate level of atrazine stress （100 and 200 mg/kg） did not show significant effect on plant height, but did on the biomass of P. hydridum. Biomass of P. hydridum stressed by 100 and 200 mg/kg of atrazine was decreased by 34.1% and 36.4% compared with control, respectively. High level of atrazine stress （500 mg/kg） brought significant decrease in plant height（by 40.6%） and biomass（20.0%） of P. hydridum. All levels of atrazine stress showed no significant effects on root-shoot ratio and chlorophyll content of P. hydridum. [Conclusion] Pennisetum hydridum has strong tolerance to atrazine stress.

Research on Crown Grafting of Seedling Cashew Trees

Objective] The study was aimed to improve the yield and quality of cashew. [Method] Through the comparative analysis, the survival rate, new germi-nation and yield characteristics of the cutting stems with different heights by stem grafting and bark grafting. [Result] The best cutting stem height of cashew should be in 100-150 cm, when the number of new germinated shoots was 85.5-87.7. Stem grafting could significantly improve the survival rate of the shooting branch （92.7%）, growth condition of which was better than that of bark grafting, and it also had no clip cortex. The yield of stem grafting was significantly higher than that of bark grafting, and it could reach up to 18.1 kg/plant in 4 years. The branches from stem grafting had significantly better ability in resisting the wind damage than those from bark grafting. [Conclusion] The study provided references for the crown grafting of cashew planting in China.

Clinical applications of fractional flow reserve in bifurcation lesions

Pereutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） for coronary bifurcation lesions has been associated with lower procedural success rates and worse clinical outcomes compared with PCI for simple coronary lesions. Angiographic evaluation alone is sometimes inaccurate and does not reflect the fimctional significance of bifurcation lesions. The fractional flow reserve （FFR） is an easily obtainable, reliable, and reproducible physiologic parameter. This parameter is epicardial lesion specific and reflects both degree of stenosis and the myocardial territory supplied by the specific artery. Recent studies have shown that FFR-guided provisional side branch intervention strategy for bifurcation lesions is feasible and effective and can reduce unnecessary complex interventions and related complications. However, an adequate understanding of coronary physiology and the pitfalls of FFR is essential to properly use FFR for PCI of complex bifurcation lesions.

BAP Spray and Plastic Container Responses on Asparagus officmalis L. Crown Growth

The aims of this work were to study the effect of two different plastic containers on asparagus growth and the effect of early applied 6-benzilaminepurine （BAP） on crown growth during the first two years after seed germination. Although there was not found a root restriction effect with the use of plastic containers, there were significant differences between plants grown in plastic seedbed or single pots which suggesting an unusual and unexpected asparagus autotoxicity. The results showed that crown fresh weight, total dry weight, relative growth ratio （RGRroot）, root：shoot ratio and photosynthetic shoot number increased in BAP-sprayed plants over the controls without treatment as a result of a change in photosynthate partitioning towards the root system. The BAP snravs seem to be a ~reater effect under conditions with favor autotoxicitv such as the seedbed than in single pot crown-grown.

Predicting Grain Yield and Protein Content in Winter Wheat at Different N Supply Levels Using Canopy Reflectance Spectra

A field experiment using a split-plot randomized complete block design with three replications was carried out to determine relationships between spectral indices and wheat grain yield （GY）, to compare the performance of four vegetation indices （VIs） for GY prediction, and to study the feasibility of VI to estimate grain protein content （GPC） in winter wheat. Two typical winter wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） cultivars ＇Xuzhou 26＇ （high protein content） and ＇Huaimai 18＇ （low protein content） were used as the main plot treatments and four N rates, i.e., 0, 120, 210, and 300 kg N ha^-1, as the sub-plot treatments. Increasing soil N supply significantly increased GY and GPC （P ≤ 0.05）. For the two cultivars combined, significant and positive correlations were found between four VIs and GY, with the strongest relationship observed when using the green ratio vegetation index （GRVI） at mid-filling. Cumulative VI estimates improved yield predictions substantially, with the best interval being heading to maturity stage. Similar results were found between VI and grain protein yield. However, when using cumulative VI, GPC showed no significant improvement. The strong relationship between leaf N status and GPC （R2 =0.9144 for ＇Xuzhou 26＇ and R2 = 0.8285 for ＇Huaimai 18＇） indicated that canopy spectra could be used to predict GPC. The strong fit between estimated and observed GPC （R2 = 0.7939） indicated that remote sensing techniques were potentially useful predictors of grain protein content and quality in wheat.

Thinning effects on walnut stem and crown diameter growth and fruiting in the walnut-fruit forests of Kyrgyzstan

The walnut-fruit forests （Juglans regia L.） in southern Kyrgyzstan are considered to be biodiversity hotspots and of considerable economic and ecological importance to local populations. The fruiting ability and stability of these forests are, however, decreasing because of infrequent silvicultural interventions and non-existent natural regeneration. Continuous inventories and walnut harvest measurements were carded out on 18 trial and control plots over the course of i3 year. Results showed that i） thinning had a positive influence on diameter at breast height （dbh） increase, ii） dbh growth and crown area increases are strongly and positively correlated, iii） large crowns enhanced the production of fruits, and iv） temperature conditions had a major influence on the production of fruits. The above-mentioned points are particularly relevant for young plantations but are also valid for relatively old plantations （〉 50 years）. We conclude that regular thinning substantially improves diameter growth, fruit production and ability of trees to withstand wind and snow damage in both young stands and in older walnut-fruit forests.

A Resistance Bioassay for Rhizoctonia Root and Crown Rot and Damping-off Caused by the Anastomosis Groups AG 2-2111B and AG 4 in Sugar Beet

In order to determine the level of resistance of sugar beet varieties against Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-21IIB and AG 4, a methodology was implemented under greenhouse conditions that contemplated the most important criteria regarding to plant-pathogen interaction. The effect of plant growth stage on the development of the disease was evaluated. Seven sugar beet varieties were tested for resistance to R. solani AG 2-2IIIB and AG 4. To detect differences in leaf temperature between/L solani inoculated plants and non-infected plants, an infrared （IR） camera was tested. High incidence of R. solani AG 2-2IIIB and AG 4 in sugar beet plants was evident when the fungal inoculum was applied to two and four weeks old plants. At four weeks after sowing, it was the optimum time to inoculate sugar beet plants in order to generate R. solani infection, since at this time all plants were infected. Significant differences were detected regarding disease incidence between sugar beet varieties inoculated with different anastomosis groups. Leaf temperature was significant different between inoculated and non-inoculated plants, demonstrated that this technique could be a new tool for breeders to screen for resistance of new varieties.

Is frailty associated with short-term outcomes for elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome？

Background Frailty is a new prognostic factor in cardiovascular medicine due to the aging and increasingly complex nature of elderly patients. It is useful and meaningful to prospectively analyze the manner in which frailty predicts short-term outcomes for elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome （ACS）. Methods Patients aged 〉 65 years, with diagnosis of ACS from cardiology department and geriatrics department were included from single-center. Clinical data including geriatrics syndromes were collected using Comprehensive Geriatrics Assessment. Frailty was defined according to the Clinical Frailty Scale and the impact of the co-morbidities on risk was quantified by the coronary artery disease （CAD）--specific index. Patients were followed up by clinical visit or telephone consultation and the median follow-up time is 120 days. Following-up items included all-cause mortality, unscheduled return visit, in-hospital and recurrent major adverse cardiovascular events. Multivariable regression survival analysis was performed using Cox regression. Results Of the 352 patients, 152 （43.18%） were considered frail according to the study instrument （5-7 on the scale）, and 93 （26.42%） were considered moderately or se- verely frail （6-7 on the scale）. Geriatrics syndromes including incontinence, fall history, visual impairment, hearing impairment, constipation, chronic pain, sleeping disorder, dental problems, anxiety or depression, and delirium were more frequently in frail patients than in non-frail patients （P = 0.000, 0.031, 0.009, 0.014, 0.000, 0.003, 0.022, 0.000, 0.074, and 0.432, respectively）. Adjusted for sex, age, severity of coro- nary artery diseases （left main coronary artery lesion or not） and co-morbidities （CAD specific index） by Cox survival analysis, frailty was found to be strongly and independently associated with risk for the primary composite outcomes： all-canse mortality [Hazard Ratio （HR） = 5.393; 95% CI： 1.477-19.692, P = 0.011] and unscheduled return visit （HR - 2.832; 95% CI： 1.140-7.037, P = 0.025）. Conclusions Comprehensive Geriatrics Assessment and Clinical Frail Scale were useful in evaluation of elderly patients with ACS. Frailty was strongly and independently associated with short-term outcomes for elderly patients with ACS.

Estimating Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation of Corn with Vegetation Indices and Neural Network from Hyperspectral Data

The fraction of photosynthetically active radiation （FPAR） is a key variable in the assessment of vegetation productivity and land ecosystem carbon cycles. Based on ground-measured corn hyperspectral reflectance and FPAR data over Northeast China, the correlations between corn-canopy FPAR and hyperspectral reflectance were analyzed, and the FPAR estimation performances using vegetation index （VI） and neural network （NN） methods with different two-band-combination hyperspectral reflectance were investigated. The results indicated that the corn-canopy FPAR retained almost a constant value in an entire day. The negative correlations between FPAR and visible and shortwave infrared reflectance （SWIR） bands are stronger than the positive correlations between FPAR and near-infrared band re- flectance （NIR）. For the six VIs, the normalized difference vegetation index （NDVI） and simple ratio （SR） performed best for estimating corn FPAR （the maximum R2 of 0.8849 and 0.8852, respectively）. However, the NN method esti- mated results （the maximum Rz is 0.9417） were obviously better than all of the VIs. For NN method, the two-band combinations showing the best corn FPAR estimation performances were from the NIR and visible bands; for VIs, however, they were from the SWIR and NIR bands. As for both the methods, the SWIR band performed exceptionally well for corn FPAR estimation. This may be attributable to the fact that the reflectance of the SWIR band were strongly controlled by leaf water content, which is a key component of corn photosynthesis and greatly affects the absorption of photosynthetically active radiation （APAR）, and makes further impact on corn-canopy FPAR.

The importance of depression and alcohol use in coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients：risk factors for delirium and poorer quality of life

ObjectiveToinvestigate whether depression, anxiety and stress increase the risk for delirium and poor quality of life （QOL） after co-ronary artery bypass （CABG） surgery.MethodsA total of 180 CABG patients （mean age of 63.5 ± 10.1 years, 82.2% males） completed baseline and postoperative self-report questionnaires to assess distress and QOL. Incident delirium was diagnosed postoperatively with a structured clinical interview and patients were monitored every day post-operatively for confusion and disturbance in consciousness.Results Delirium developed in 63 persons （35% of sample）. After adjustment for covariates, delirium was significantly associated with depression [odds ratio （OR）： 1.08; 95% confidence interval （CI）： 1.03-1.13,P = 0.003], anxiety （OR： 1.07; 95% CI： 1.02-1.13,P= 0.01） and stress （OR： 1.05; 95% CI： 1.00-1.09,P= 0.03）. Preoperative depression scores were associated with poorer QOL including bodily pain （β =-0.39,P = 0.013）, vitality （β=-0.32,P = 0.020）, social functioning （β=-0.51,P≤0.001）, emotional role function （β=-0.44,P = 0.003） and general health （β=-0.33,P = 0.038）. Among the covariates, harmful levels of alcohol use was consistently associated with poorer QOL.Conclusions Depression and harmful levels of alcohol use were consistently associated with poorer QOL whereas depression, anxiety and stress were associated with delirium risk. These findings point to further research examining depression and harmful levels of alcohol use in coronary heart disease populations undergoing coronary revascularization.

Impact of invasive treatment strategy on health-related quality of life six months after non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome

BackgroundFew studies have compared change in the health-related quality of life （HRQL） following treatment of non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome （NSTE-ACS） with either percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） or coronary artery bypass grafting （CABG）. This study is tocompare changes in HRQL six months after hospital discharge between NSTE-ACS pa-tients who underwent either PCI or CABG.Methods HRQL was assessed using the Seattle angina questionnaire at admission and six months after discharge in 1012 consecutive patients with NSTE-ACS. To assess associations of PCI and CABG with HRQL changes, logistic regression models were constructed treating changes in the score of each dimension of the Seattle angina question-naire as dependent variables.Results Although both the PCI and CABG groups experienced angina relief and other improvements at 6-month follow-up （P〈0.001）, the CABG relative to PCI group showed more significant improvements in angina frequency （P= 0.044） and quality of life （P= 0.028）. In multivariable logistic analysis, CABG also was an independent predictor for both im-provement of angina frequency （OR： 1.62, 95%CI： 1.09-4.63,P= 0.042） and quality of life （OR： 2.04, 95%CI： 1.26-6.92,P= 0.038） relative to PCI.Conclusions In patients with NSTE-ACS, both PCI and CABG provide great improvement in disease-specific health status at six months, with that of CABG being more prominent in terms of angina frequency and quality of life.

Life-threatening stress-induced cardiomyopathy combined with acute adrenal crisis

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome, is characterized by transient systolic dysfunction of the apical and mid-segments of the left ventricle with the abscence of coronary occlusion, This disease typically occurs in postmenopausal women of an advanced age after emotional or physical stress. Although the prognosis is generally favorable, acute fatal complications have been reported in a small subset of patients. Some patients died with acute cardiac complications, on the other hand, other patients died with underlying critical illness which triggered stress-induced cardiomyopathy.

Pharmacologic treatment of depression in patients with myocardial infarction

Depression is a common medical problem and is more prevalent among patients with coronary artery disease. Whether early detection and treatment of depression will enhance cardiovascular outcome is uncertain. Obviously, the safety and efficacy of the anti-depression drugs is an important link. This article reviews the patho-physiologic and behavioural links between depression and cardiovascular disease progression, the treatment of depression, and the potential benefits of anti-depressants in patients with coronary disease.

Understanding the pregnant women’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic:A qualitative study

Objective To explore and interpret the experiences of pregnant women in Macao region,China during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods Recruitment advertisements were published through multiple social platforms in Macao region,China.A purposive snowball sampling method was adopted to select interviewees.Eighteen women who were confirmed as pregnant from January to May 2020 participated in this qualitative study.Data was collected from November to December 2020 using in-depth personal interviews.One-to-one interviews were conducted by telephone to avoid personal contact.Thematic analysis was used to perform the data analysis and identify emergent themes.Results Five themes emerged from the data analysis:changes in daily life,psychological distress,unique experiences of pregnancy follow-up,trying to pay attention to health information but also feeling overwhelmed,and change in hygiene behaviors due to fear of infection.Six sub-themes were identified:being confined at home but understanding the reasons,financial pressures and timely support from the government,perceived risk of catching the infection,retaining optimism with various help and support,adequate personal protections,and obsessive hygiene behaviors.Conclusion During a pandemic,there is a risk of greater individual isolation,particularly for vulnerable groups such as women in pregnancy.The humanized attention to and support for the residents from the government buffered the adverse impact on the study participants.Preplanning for such events is needed to focus on psychological distress,financial constraints,and prenatal health services.Alternative service delivery,such as telemedicine,online counseling,and virtual reality(VR)technology,should be applied to offer pregnant women timely support and avoid a crisis.

Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot on Fruit Trees in Bulgaria

Phytophthora root and crown rot was found on the fruit trees in Bulgaria for the first time in the period 1998-1999. Monitoring of the disease spread from 2000 to 2007 points out incidence between 2 and 14 per cent, in some orchards and nurseries in the Southern part of Bulgaria. The following Phytophthora species were identified based on morphological and cultural characteristics, and temperature requirements： Phytophthora cactorum, Phytophthora citrophthora, Phytophthora drechsleri, Phytophthora cryptogea, Phytophthora hybrid specie and Pythium. Prevailing specie was P. cactorum. P. cryptogea and P. cactorum were confirmed by application of molecular methods. Nutritional requirements of P. cactorum and P. citrophthora were studied. Most Nitrogen sources stimulated the mycelial growth of P. cactorum to a higher extend, and reduced the colony size ofP. citrophthora. Different Carbon sources were utilized well by P. cactorum, and only saccharose and maltose had a stimulating effect on the mycelial growth of P. citrophthora. MgSO4.7H20 was the preferred sulfur source for both fungi, as L-cysteine and L-methionine only for P. cactorum. Phytophthora infection leads to physiological changes in the.host plant tissues. The tendency traced out is： about disorders in the amino acid metabolism, increase in the total sugars and slight reduction of the cellulose content. The total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content are reduced and the calcium and magnesium are increased. Photosynthesis of inoculated plants was suppressed and transpiration was increased.

Postoperative atrial fibrillation and vitamin D

To the Editor I have read the article entitled ＂Predictors of new-onset atrial fibrillation in elderly patients with coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass graft＂ by Anatol＇evna, et al. with great interest. The investigators reported that independent predictors of postoperative atrial fibrillation （POAF） after coronary artery bypass graft （CABG） in eld- erly patients were left atrium dimension （LA） and the in- creased postoperative concentration of Interleukin （IL）-6, IL-8 and superoxide dismutase.

Modeling of Organ Morphology and Biomass Dynamics in Rice

Physiological processes governing rice plant light capture and subsequent crop growth and development are intimately tied to canopy architecture. Conversely, the production and spatial orientation of organs are dependent on the underlying physiological processes. An integrated functional-architectural modeling system would allow greater refinement of intra- and inter-plant interactions, facilitate the incorporation of additional mechanistic processes, allow greater integration of processes across multiple structural scales, and improve the accuracy of predictions. The objective of this study is to quantify the physiological bases for organ morphological development of 3 rice cultivars （Banks, IR68886B, and their hybrid Banks × IR68886A）. Detailed organ morphological data were obtained through repeated field observations and destructive samplings over the growing season, including leaf length, width, area, mass, and leaf phyllochron; sheath length, diameter and mass; internode length, diameter and mass; panicle length; stem and tiller number. The result showed that the plant age （GDD, 〉 10 ℃ d） at the first full leaf initiation （node = 2） was 147.92, 154.35, 166.23 for Banks, IR68886B, and Banks × IR68886A respectively. Banks × IR68886A produced 18 nodes, while IR68886B produced 17 nodes, and Banks 16 nodes. The Specific Leaf Weight （SLW, mg cm2） was fairly constant （about 6 mg cm2） during the growing season for the 3 cultivars, and appears to slowly increase for the latter nodes. The leaf length and SLW of Banks × IR68886A was more than Banks and IR68886B. Specific internodes weight of Banks x IR68886A was higher than IR68886B ×and Banks. Growing duration for Banks × IR68886A is longer than Banks and IR68886B. Banks × IR68886A shows positive heterosis,, and the mid-parent heterosis （MPH） for panicle length was 26.74% and that for stem and tiller number was 135.00%. Results from the experiments were used to parameterize a rice functional-architectural model that simulates organ dynamics and renders organ growth in a 3-dimensional space over the rice growing season.

Novel Coronaviruses and Astroviruses in Bats

Zoonotic transmissions of emerging pathogens from wildlife to human have shaped the history of mankind. These events have also highlighted our poor understanding of microorganisms circulated in wild animals. Coronaviruses and astroviruses,which can be found from a wide range of mammals,were recently detected in bats. Strikingly,these bat viruses are genetically highly diverse and these interesting findings might help to better understand the evolution and ecology of these viruses. The discoveries of these novel bats viruses not only suggested that bats are important hosts for these virus families,but also reiterated the role of bats as a reservoir of viruses that might pose a zoonotic threat to human health.