Twenty-Three Years of Insect Pollinator-Dependent Crop Studies in Agro-Ecological Zones of Cameroon (2011-2020)

Cultivation of pollinator-dependent crops has expanded globally, increasing our reliance on insect pollination. This essential ecosystem service is provided by a wide range of managed and wild pollinators whose abundance and diversity are thought to be in decline, threatening sustainable food production. In Cameroon, several studies on pollinator-dependent crops carried out in different agro-ecological zones (AEZ) have been published in national and international journals, in order to present the importance and impact of flowering insects on fruit and seed yields of plant species. We proposed to produce a review article highlighting the different flowering insects and their importance for different plants according to AEZ, without however focusing on the quality of the journal (predator or non-predator) and how the different insects were identified (scientific names given in the publications). Thus, from 1997 to 2020, we collected 116 published papers from which only 26 were kept for this review. The results show that Hymenoptera, including the Apidae, followed by Megachilidae, are the most excellent pollinators of plant species in Cameroon, and they are present in different agro-ecological zones. The majority of publications focused on bees, particularly the honeybee Apis mellifera.

Efficiency of soil and water conservation practices in different agro-ecological environments in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia

In developing countries such as Ethiopia, research to develop and promote soil and water conservation practices rarely addressed regional diversity. Using a water-balance approach in this study, we used runoff plots from three sites, each representing a different agro-ecological environment, e.g., high, mid and low in both elevation and rainfall, in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia to examine the runoff response and runoff conservation efficiency of a range of different soil and water conservation measures and their impacts on soil moisture. The plots at each site represented common land use types（cultivated vs. non-agricultural land use types） and slopes（gentle and steep）. Seasonal runoff from control plots in the highlands ranged 214–560 versus 253–475 mm at midlands and 119–200 mm at lowlands. The three soil and water conservation techniques applied in cultivated land increased runoff conservation efficiency by 32% to 51%, depending on the site. At the moist subtropical site in a highland region, soil and water conservation increased soil moisture enough to potentially cause waterlogging, which was absent at the lowrainfall sites. Soil bunds combined with Vetiveria zizanioides grass in cultivated land and short trenches in grassland conserved the most runoff（51% and 55%, respectively）. Runoff responses showed high spatial variation within and between land use types, causing high variation in soil and water conservation efficiency. Our results highlight the need to understand the role of the agro-ecological environment in the success of soil and water conservation measures to control runoff and hydrological dynamics. This understanding will support policy development to promote the adoption of suitable techniques that can be tested at other locations with similar soil, climatic, and topographic conditions.

高分辨MRI在肛瘘诊断及Parks分型中的应用价值

目的 探讨高分辨MRI在肛瘘诊断及Parks分型中的应用价值。方法 选取肛瘘接受手术治疗患者108例,均行MRI检查,以手术结果为金标准,分析患者MRI特征及Parks分型。结果 108例中总计检出内口112个、瘘管124个、外口112个、肛周脓肿35个,与手术确诊结果对比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),其中括约肌间型64例、经括约肌型30例、括约肌上型11例、括约肌外型3例,与手术确诊结果对比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论 MRI应用于肛瘘诊断并进行Parks分型,能清晰显示出内口、外口、瘘管、脓肿位置以及数目信息。

Agro-ecological engineering in China: a way towards sustainable agriculture

Sustainable development, as a “hot topic”, concerns not only economic development but also environmental protection. Agriculture, the base of other economic activities, has faced many difficulties that include over growth population, land decrease, and land degradation and so on. Therefore, how to increase the food supply, to meet the over\|growth population demands, is the main task all over the world at present, especially in the developing countries, such as China, but we also must protect agricultural environment for medium\| and long\|term development simultaneously. Hence, sustainable development in agriculture is the most important estate that we must concern. Its sustainable development determines the sustainability of other economic development to a great extent. Despite Chinese government has paid much attention to develop agricultural production and obtained great successions, there are also many shortcomings in Chinese agriculture. Therefore, China must seek new approaches for its development and environmental protection that suit local conditions and are based on local resources. Agro ecological engineering, the application of ecological engineering in agriculture, is very thriving in China in recent decades. In this paper, the ecological, economic and social benefits of agro\|ecological engineering are analyzed. The principles are discussed. The results indicated that agro\|ecological engineering can meet the farmer′s short\|, medium\| and long\|term benefits. In the meanwhile, it also concerns not only economic benefits but ecological and social benefits. Therefore, agro\|ecological engineering is a way that leads to sustainable agriculture in the future in China.

The Dynamic Analysis of Agro-ecological Economic System on the Basis of Emergy: A Case Study of Wu'an City in Hebei Province

Using the method of emergy analysis, we analyze the input and output of agroecological economic system, and select five indicators (net emergy yield ratio, emergy investment ratio, environmental loading ratio, emergy sustainability index, and dominance of emergy yield system) for assessment. The results show that the emergy input-output in Wu'an City is in general on the rise; the emergy investment ratio rises constantly, but the net emergy yield ratio decreases, and the comparative advantage in the prices of agricultural products is gradually lost. At the same time, with increase in the non-renewable industrial support emergy, the environmental pressures are also mounting. In the future agricultural development, it is necessary to pay more attention to the coordination between agricultural development and ecological environment, achieving sustainable development of agriculture.

Discussions and Recommendations about Establishing Agro-ecological Compensation Mechanism in Jiangsu Province

Establishing agro-ecological compensation mechanism is the objective requirement for protecting agricultural ecological environment on the prerequisite of stabilizing and benefiting farmers,to realize protection in the process of development and promote development through protection.This study analyzed existing problems in the practice of establishing agro-ecological compensation mechanism in Jiangsu Province,including failure to form systematic compensation system due to limited technological reserve,failure to bring into play expected compensation effect due to scant attention,and failure to set up perfect input mechanism due to insufficient financing channel.In line with these problems,it came up with feasible policy recommendations,including strictly implementing top frame design for agro-ecological compensation and giving impetus to standardized and institutionalized work,building pilot demonstration area for agro-ecological compensation,setting up diversified agro-ecological compensation approaches,establishing long-term security mechanism for agro-ecological compensation,and strengthening propaganda and education of agro-ecological compensation.It is expected to provide reference for establishing agro-ecological compensation mechanism in Jiangsu Province,and also provide system guarantee for promoting ecological progress and agricultural modernization in Jiangsu Province.

PARK2介导的帕金森病中帕金蛋白对α-突触核蛋白的作用

帕金森病(PD)是常见的神经退行性疾病之一,主要表现为运动障碍,伴有主要运动症状,如运动迟缓、僵直性和静息性震颤,还可能表现为多种非运动症状,如自主神经功能障碍、认知障碍、睡眠障碍和神经精神症状〔1〕。

Path Planning and Tracking Control for Parking via Soft Actor-Critic Under Non-Ideal Scenarios

Parking in a small parking lot within limited space poses a difficult task. It often leads to deviations between the final parking posture and the target posture. These deviations can lead to partial occupancy of adjacent parking lots, which poses a safety threat to vehicles parked in these parking lots. However, previous studies have not addressed this issue. In this paper, we aim to evaluate the impact of parking deviation of existing vehicles next to the target parking lot(PDEVNTPL) on the automatic ego vehicle(AEV) parking, in terms of safety, comfort, accuracy, and efficiency of parking. A segmented parking training framework(SPTF) based on soft actor-critic(SAC) is proposed to improve parking performance. In the proposed method, the SAC algorithm incorporates strategy entropy into the objective function, to enable the AEV to learn parking strategies based on a more comprehensive understanding of the environment. Additionally, the SPTF simplifies complex parking tasks to maintain the high performance of deep reinforcement learning(DRL). The experimental results reveal that the PDEVNTPL has a detrimental influence on the AEV parking in terms of safety, accuracy, and comfort, leading to reductions of more than 27%, 54%, and 26%respectively. However, the SAC-based SPTF effectively mitigates this impact, resulting in a considerable increase in the parking success rate from 71% to 93%. Furthermore, the heading angle deviation is significantly reduced from 2.25 degrees to 0.43degrees.

Dysfunction of synaptic endocytic trafficking in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is characterized by the selective degeneration of dopamine neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway and dopamine deficiency in the striatum.The precise reasons behind the specific degeneration of these dopamine neurons remain largely elusive.Genetic investigations have identified over 20 causative PARK genes and 90 genomic risk loci associated with both familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease.Notably,several of these genes are linked to the synaptic vesicle recycling process,particularly the clathrinmediated endocytosis pathway.This suggests that impaired synaptic vesicle recycling might represent an early feature of Parkinson's disease,followed by axonal degeneration and the eventual loss of dopamine cell bodies in the midbrain via a"dying back"mechanism.Recently,several new animal and cellular models with Parkinson's disease-linked mutations affecting the endocytic pathway have been created and extensively characterized.These models faithfully recapitulate certain Parkinson's disease-like features at the animal,circuit,and cellular levels,and exhibit defects in synaptic membrane trafficking,further supporting the findings from human genetics and clinical studies.In this review,we will first summarize the cellular and molecular findings from the models of two Parkinson's disease-linked clathrin uncoating proteins:auxilin(DNAJC6/PARK19)and synaptojanin 1(SYNJ1/PARK20).The mouse models carrying these two PARK gene mutations phenocopy each other with specific dopamine terminal pathology and display a potent synergistic effect.Subsequently,we will delve into the involvement of several clathrin-mediated endocytosis-related proteins(GAK,endophilin A1,SAC2/INPP5 F,synaptotagmin-11),identified as Parkinson's disease risk factors through genome-wide association studies,in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.We will also explore the direct or indirect roles of some common Parkinson's disease-linked proteins(alpha-synuclein(PARK1/4),Parkin(PARK2),and LRRK2(PARK8))in synaptic endocytic trafficking.Additionally,we will discuss the emerging novel functions of these endocytic proteins in downstream membrane traffic pathways,particularly autophagy.Given that synaptic dysfunction is considered as an early event in Parkinson's disease,a deeper understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying synaptic vesicle endocytic trafficking may unveil novel to rgets for early diagnosis and the development of interventional therapies for Parkinson's disease.Future research should aim to elucidate why generalized synaptic endocytic dysfunction leads to the selective degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease.

内眦开大术联合改良Park法重睑成形术在双侧单睑伴内眦赘皮患者中的应用效果观察

目的观察内眦开大术联合改良Park法重睑成形术在双侧单睑伴内眦赘皮患者中的应用效果。方法选取82例于2020年9月至2023年9月在贵州医科大学附属乌当医院就诊的有求美需求的双侧单睑伴内眦赘皮患者,均为女性,按照治疗方式不同分为研究组和对照组,各41例(82只眼)。对照组采取内眦开大术联合传统Park重睑成形术,研究组采取内眦开大术联合改良Park法重睑成形术。比较两组患者术中出血量、瘢痕消失时间、术后满意度和临床疗效。结果研究组术中出血量少于对照组,手术时间短于对照组,瘢痕消失时间早于对照组,术后总满意度高于对照组患者,术后7天眼睑宽度小于对照组,眼裂高度大于对照组,术后半年上睑提肌肌力大于对照组,临床疗效总有效率高于对照组,并发症总发生率小于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。结论内眦开大术联合改良Park法重睑成形术用于治疗双侧单睑伴内眦赘皮临床疗效较好,术中出血量少,术后并发症少,瘢痕消失时间早,恢复速度快,重睑形态对称自然,患者满意度高,值得临床应用。

PARK7基因对氧化应激的调控研究进展

在规模化养殖模式下,畜禽在生长过程中会不可避免地面对各种不利因素,导致体内产生氧化应激,严重影响其生长发育。畜禽体内存在多种抗氧化因子来应对氧化应激。其中,帕金森相关蛋白7(Parkinson’s Disease-Associated Protein 7,PARK7)基因是细胞氧化应激中重要的调控因子之一。PARK7通过自身半胱氨酸的氧化水平感受氧化应激信号,并通过Nrf2、ERK1/2和PI3K/Akt等途径促进抗氧化酶的生成,提高细胞的抗氧化能力,从而减轻氧化应激引起的损伤。本文对PARK7基因在氧化应激中的调控作用和通路进行综述,将有助于畜禽氧化应激的调节机制研究。

Agro-Ecological Assessment of Non-Traditional Export Crops in North East Trinidad

North-East Trinidad is a low income, underutilized, agro-ecological significant and agricultural community with great potential for producing non-traditional crops for domestic usage and export. Diversification is critical to agro-ecological transitions to ensure food security and nutrition while conserving, protecting and enhancing natural resources. The growing demand for agro-ecological and food security solutions suggest that efforts be made to utilize sustainable agriculture, and agro-ecological methods by utilizing available rural landscapes and communities in an effort to fulfill these demands. Surveys of sustainable agriculture, organic farmers and agro-ecological interests were conducted in the impoverished region of North-East Trinidad. Survey results reported over 180 farmers with >1 - 10 acres of available farmland supported a high agricultural production capacity. The highest average per capita for vegetables was tomato (2.3 acres), for tubers was yam (1.03 acres), and for tree crops was green fig (900 plants). Livestock production was limited with duck production being highest (165). There is an increasing earning potential for small farmers and leaseholders, from utilization of non-traditional export crops and expanding agro-ecological land usage, increasing sustainable agriculture production in the area.

改良Park法重睑术治疗上睑松弛的疗效观察

目的探讨改良Park法重睑术治疗上睑松弛的临床疗效。方法以2023年1月至2023年12月在郑州缔莱美医疗美容医院就诊的31例上睑松弛患者为研究对象,所有患者均行改良Park法重睑术治疗,分析手术效果和手术并发症发生情况。结果31例患者中手术效果为完全改善18例,明显改善12例,有改善1例,无效0例,明显改善率为96.77%。术后感染2例(6.45%)、血瘀3例(9.68%)、重睑皱褶过窄2例(6.45%)、重睑线不对称1例(3.23%)。结论改良Park法重睑术治疗上睑松弛临床疗效较好,且不会造成严重的术后并发症,其临床应用价值较高。

改良Park法重睑术与传统切开法重睑术治疗上睑松弛伴臃肿患者的效果对比

目的探讨改良Park法重睑术与传统切开法重睑术治疗上睑松弛伴臃肿患者的效果。方法45例上睑松弛伴臃肿患者按治疗方法的不同分为对照组(传统切开法重睑术)和观察组(改良Park法重睑术),比较两组的手术情况、眼睑形态、修复满意度及并发症。结果观察组的手术时间、拆线时间及术后恢复时间均短于对照组,术后3个月的眼睑形态评分及修复满意度评分均高于对照组(P<0.05)。两组的并发症总发生率相比,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论与传统切开法重睑术相比,改良Park法重睑术治疗上睑松弛伴臃肿的效果更显著,安全性更高,可改善患者眼睑形态,提高修复满意度。

改良Park法重睑术治疗上睑下垂的临床效果观察

目的探讨改良Park法重睑术治疗上睑下垂的临床效果。方法选取2020年10月至2023年10月郑州东方整形美容医院收治的上睑下垂患者70例为研究对象,根据手术方法不同将患者分为两组。其中研究组35例患者行改良Park法重睑术,对照组35例患者行传统Park重睑术。比较两组患者手术相关指标(手术矫正时间、手术出血量、拆线时间、术后康复时间及瘢痕消失时间)、临床疗效及术后并发症情况。结果研究组患者的手术矫正时间、手术出血量、拆线时间、术后康复时间、瘢痕消失时间及术后并发症发生率低于对照组,临床疗效优于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论改良Park法重睑术治疗上睑下垂,可缩短手术时间、减少出血量,促进患者术后恢复,临床疗效好,并发症较少。

The Spatio-Temporal Variability of Rainfall over the Agro-Ecological Zones of Ghana

Rainfall variability plays an important role in many socio-economic activities such as food security, livelihood and farming in Ghana. Rainfall impact studies are thus very crucial for proper management of these key sectors of the country. This paper examines the seasonal and annual rainfall variability in the four agro-ecological zones of Ghana from the CHIRPS V2 rainfall time series spanning a period of 1981-2015. The rainfall indices were computed with the aid of the FClimDex package whereas the trends of these indices were further tested using the Mann Kendall trend test. The results show good agreement (r ≥ 0.7) between CHIRPS V2 and gauge in almost all portions of country although high biases were observed especially in DJF season over parts of the Northeastern (NE) portions of the country. The mean seasonal rainfall climatology over the country is observed to be in the range of 20 - 80 mm, 60 - 200 mm, 100 - 220 mm and 40 - 180 mm in DJF, MAM, JJA and SON seasons respectively with high intensities of rainfall dominating Southwestern portions of the country. The trend analysis revealed positive trends of consecutive dry days in the Transition, Forest and Coastal zones and negative trends in the Savannah zone of the country. Decreasing trends of consecutive wet days are observed over the Savannah, Transition and Coastal zones whereas increasing trends dominate the Forest zone. Savannah, Forest and Transition zones show weak increasing trends of the number of heavy rainfall days whilst weak decreasing trends are observed over the Coastal zone of the country. Similarly, weak increasing trends of the number of very heavy rainfall days are observed over all the agro-ecological zones except in the Transition zone. It is observed that the annual wet day rainfall total has increasing trend in the Savannah and Forest zones of the country whereas decreasing trends cover the remainder of the zones. The trends of these indices in the agro-ecological zones were all significant at a significant value of 0.05. This paper assessed the performance of the CHIRPS V2 rainfall data over the region and reports on the biases in seasonal rainfall amounts which are limited in previous studies. These findings have adverse impacts on rain-fed agricultural practices, water resource management and food security over the country.

显微镜下改良Parks切口斜视矫正术治疗水平共同性斜视患儿的效果及其对泪膜功能的影响

目的探探讨显微镜下改良Parks切口斜视矫正术治疗水平共同性斜视患儿的效果及其对泪膜功能的影响。方法选取我科2017年6月至2019年11月期间95例水平共同性斜视患儿作为研究对象,按照随机数字表法分成两组,均行斜视矫正术,对照组47例给予术中作角膜缘梯形结膜瓣切口,观察组48例给予显微镜下改良Parks切口,1个月后对比两组患儿视功能改善效果、手术效果、泪膜功能。结果观察组治疗后总有效率95.83%高于对照组89.36%(χ^(2)=0.6632,P=0.4154);观察组水平共同性斜视患儿手术时间明显短于对照组(t=11.9892,P=0.0000);观察组患儿治疗后泪液分泌量高于对照组(t=15.0051,P=0.0000),泪膜破裂时间较对照组上升(t=9.2228,P=0.0000),角膜荧光染色评分较对照组降低(t=10.7815,P=0.0000)。结论显微镜下改良Parks切口斜视矫正术治疗水平共同性斜视效果确切,能够显著矫正眼部,改善患儿视功能及泪膜功能,安全可靠,值得应用。

PARK9基因rs207663位点突变与早期帕金森病认知改善治疗应答相关性

目的探讨PARK9基因rs207663位点突变与早期帕金森病认知改善治疗应答相关性。方法选取2020年10月至2023年10月于邯郸市第四医院神经内科接受治疗的100例早期帕金森病患者为研究组,以100例健康体检者为对照组。检测PARK9基因rs207663位点基因多态性,比较2组等位基因、基因型分布,以及分析不同基因型患者经治疗后的疗效情况。结果PARK9基因rs207663位点存在3种基因型:GG、GA、AA,研究组GG基因型、G等位基因频率高于对照组(40.0%vs 26.0%,P<0.05;63.0%vs 50.0%,P<0.01)。治疗后,3种基因型简易智能状态检查量表(MMSE)、蒙特利尔认知评估量表(MoCA)评分均呈增加趋势,其中GG基因型MMSE评分低于GA基因型[(22.95±1.34)分vs(23.89±1.68)分,P<0.05],GG基因型MoCA评分低于GA基因型[(24.86±1.83)分vs(25.12±1.48)分,P<0.05]。GA基因型总资产、安全选项次数、负反馈利用率均高于GG基因型[(-1541.50±537.24)元vs(-3102.00±1274.38)元,P<0.01;(9.24±3.27)次vs(7.11±2.14)次,P<0.05;(0.51±0.23)vs(0.35±0.15),P<0.05];AA基因型风险选项次数低于GA基因型,GA基因型风险选项次数低于GG基因型,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论PARK9基因rs207663位点多态性与早期帕金森病认知改善治疗应答存在显著相关性,其中GG基因型患者治疗应答较差,GG基因型患者偏爱高风险和高回报选项,负反馈利用率较低。

Preservation Potentials of Essential Oils of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum from Two Agro-Ecological Zones on Freshwater Smoke-Dried Oreochromis niloticus Fish Sold in Some Local Markets in Cameroon

Dried fish are susceptible to bacteria and fungi attack and are liable to chemical changes which cause losses in quality and reduction of shelf-life. It is important therefore to maintain the quality of fish because continuous consumption of contaminated fish and their products may predispose consumers to health hazards. Maintenance of high quality fish therefore calls for adequate and effective preservation techniques. The study examined the effectiveness of essential oils of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum from two Agro-ecological zones of Cameroon in limiting the microbial proliferation and preserving the quality of smoke-dried Oreochromis niloticus fish stored at 25˚C for two months. The plant materials were harvested from the Western Highlands and Monomodal Humid Forest agroecological zones of Cameroon. Extraction of the essential oil from the plants was done by hydro-distillation. The fish species (Oreochromis niloticus) used in this study was chosen based on a survey study on the most consumed species of freshwater smoke-dried fish in the Western Highlands and Monomodal Humid Forest Agro-ecological zones of Cameroon. Heterotrophic bacteria counts, fungi counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts were used to assess the level heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae respectively in the fish samples during storage and were done by culture techniques using total plate count agar, potato dextrose agar and violet red bile glucose agar respectively. Total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assays were used as spoilage indices to assess the nutritional quality of the fish during storage. From the survey study, Oreochromis niloticus was the most consumed smoke-dried fish in the Western Highlands (35.45%) and Monomodal Humid Forest (34.55%) agroecological zones. All the EOs caused a significant reduction in the microbial loads, total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance of smoke-dried Oreochromis niloticus as storage progressed. However, the reduction in these values was more pronounced in samples treated with essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Western Highlands, with heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae counts being 5.89, 6.97 and 4.59 log10 cfu/g respectively at the end of the storage period. This was followed by essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Monomodal Humid Forest with heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and Enterobacteriaceae counts being 6.11, 7.79 and 4.86 log10 cfu/g respectively at the end of the storage period. Also, essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Western Highlands was more effective in preserving the fish quality as lowest total volatile basic nitrogen (12.29 mg/100g), peroxide value (2.79 mEq O2·Kg−1) and thiobabituric reactive substance (1.695 mg MDA/Kg) values were observed for fish samples treated with this extract at the end of the storage period. This was followed by essential oils of O. gratissimum from the Monomodal Humid Forest with total volatile basic nitrogen (14.95 mgN/100g), Peroxide value (3.23 mEq O2·Kg−1) and thiobabituric reactive substance (2.354 mg MDA/Kg) at the end of the storage period. From the results obtained, essential oils from O. gratissimum were more effective than that from O. basilicum in the two agroecological zones and should be considered as natural alternative to chemical preservatives for further application in food preservation.

Smart Parking Management System “MOTAH”

With a surge in the university’s student and staff population, parking problems and congestion have rapidly intensified. The recent inclusion of women drivers, particularly during official working hours, has exacerbated these challenges. This pressing issue underscores the critical necessity for a structured approach to managing university entries and overseeing parking at the gates. The proposed smart parking management system aims to address these concerns by introducing a design concept that restricts unauthorized access and provides exclusive parking privileges to authorized users. Through image processing, the system identifies available parking spaces, relaying real-time information to users via a mobile application. This comprehensive solution also generates detailed reports (daily, weekly, and monthly), aiding university safety authorities in future gate management decisions.