Implantable Electrochemical Microsensors for In Vivo Monitoring of Animal Physiological Information

In vivo monitoring of animal physiological information plays a crucial role in promptly alerting humans to potential diseases in animals and aiding in the exploration of mechanisms underlying human diseases.Currently,implantable electrochemical microsensors have emerged as a prominent area of research.These microsensors not only fulfill the technical requirements for monitoring animal physiological information but also offer an ideal platform for integration.They have been extensively studied for their ability to monitor animal physiological information in a minimally invasive manner,characterized by their bloodless,painless features,and exceptional performance.The development of implantable electrochemical microsensors for in vivo monitoring of animal physiological information has witnessed significant scientific and technological advancements through dedicated efforts.This review commenced with a comprehensive discussion of the construction of microsensors,including the materials utilized and the methods employed for fabrication.Following this,we proceeded to explore the various implantation technologies employed for electrochemical microsensors.In addition,a comprehensive overview was provided of the various applications of implantable electrochemical microsensors,specifically in the monitoring of diseases and the investigation of disease mechanisms.Lastly,a concise conclusion was conducted on the recent advancements and significant obstacles pertaining to the practical implementation of implantable electrochemical microsensors.

Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress scoring system for predicting complications following abdominal surgery: A metaanalysis spanning 2004 to 2022

BACKGROUND Postoperative complications remain a paramount concern for surgeons and healthcare practitioners.AIM To present a comprehensive analysis of the Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress(E-PASS)scoring system’s efficacy in predicting postoperative complications following abdominal surgery.METHODS A systematic search of published studies was conducted,yielding 17 studies with pertinent data.Parameters such as preoperative risk score(PRS),surgical stress score(SSS),comprehensive risk score(CRS),postoperative complications,post-operative mortality,and other clinical data were collected for meta-analysis.Forest plots were employed for continuous and binary variables,withχ2 tests assessing heterogeneity(P value).RESULTS Patients experiencing complications after abdominal surgery exhibited significantly higher E-PASS scores compared to those without complications[mean difference and 95%confidence interval(CI)of PRS:0.10(0.05-0.15);SSS:0.04(0.001-0.08);CRS:0.19(0.07-0.31)].Following the exclusion of low-quality studies,results remained valid with no discernible heterogeneity.Subgroup analysis indicated that variations in sample size and age may contribute to hetero-geneity in CRS analysis.Binary variable meta-analysis demonstrated a correlation between high CRS and increased postoperative complication rates[odds ratio(OR)(95%CI):3.01(1.83-4.95)],with a significant association observed between high CRS and postoperative mortality[OR(95%CI):15.49(3.75-64.01)].CONCLUSION In summary,postoperative complications in abdominal surgery,as assessed by the E-PASS scoring system,are consistently linked to elevated PRS,SSS,and CRS scores.High CRS scores emerge as risk factors for heightened morbidity and mortality.This study establishes the accuracy of the E-PASS scoring system in predicting postoperative morbidity and mortality in abdominal surgery,underscoring its potential for widespread adoption in effective risk assessment.

Seed Storability in Rice: Physiological Foundations, Molecular Mechanisms, and Applications in Breeding

Long-term storage of crop seeds is critical for the conservation of germplasm resources, ensuring food supply, and supporting sustainable production. Rice, as a major food staple, has a substantial stock for consumption and production worldwide. However, its food value and seed viability tend to decline during storage. Understanding the physiological responses and molecular mechanisms of aging tolerance forms the basis for enhancing seed storability in rice. This review outlines the latest progress in influential factors, evaluation methods, and identification indices of seed storability. It also discusses the physiological consequences, molecular mechanisms, and strategies for breeding aging-tolerant rice in detail. Finally, it highlights challenges in seed storability research that require future attention. This review offers a theoretical foundation and research direction for uncovering the mechanisms behind seed storability and breeding aging-tolerant rice.

Advances in Wireless,Batteryless,Implantable Electronics for Real‑Time,Continuous Physiological Monitoring

This review summarizes recent progress in developing wireless,batteryless,fully implantable biomedical devices for real-time continuous physiological signal monitoring,focusing on advancing human health care.Design considerations,such as biological constraints,energy sourcing,and wireless communication,are discussed in achieving the desired performance of the devices and enhanced interface with human tissues.In addition,we review the recent achievements in materials used for developing implantable systems,emphasizing their importance in achieving multi-functionalities,biocompatibility,and hemocompatibility.The wireless,batteryless devices offer minimally invasive device insertion to the body,enabling portable health monitoring and advanced disease diagnosis.Lastly,we summarize the most recent practical applications of advanced implantable devices for human health care,highlighting their potential for immediate commercialization and clinical uses.

Exogenous calcium enhances the physiological status and photosynthetic capacity of rose under drought stress

Drought(water shortage)can substantially limit the yield and economic value of rose plants(Rosa spp.).Here,we characterized the effect of exogenous calcium(Ca^(2+))on the antioxidant system and photosynthesis-related properties of rose under polyethylene glycol 6000(PEG6000)-induced drought stress.Chlorophyll levels,as well as leaf and root biomass,were significantly reduced by drought;drought also had a major effect on the enzymatic antioxidant system and increased concentrations of reactive oxygen species.Application of exogenous Ca^(2+)increased the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of leaves,enhanced water-use efficiency,and increased the length and width of stomata following exposure to drought.Organ-specific physiological responses were observed under different concentrations of Ca^(2+).Application of 5 mmol·L^(-1)Ca^(2+)promoted photosynthesis and antioxidant activity in the leaves,and application of 10 mmol·L^(-1)Ca^(2+)promoted antioxidant activity in the roots.Application of exogenous Ca^(2+)greatly enhanced the phenotype and photosynthetic capacity of potted rose plants following exposure to drought stress.Overall,our findings indicate that the application of exogenous Ca^(2+)enhances the drought resistance of roses by promoting physiological adaptation and that it could be used to aid the cultivation of rose plants.

Semi-implantable device based on multiplexed microfilament electrode cluster for continuous monitoring of physiological ions

Modern medicine is increasingly interested in advanced sensors to detect and analyze biochemical indicators.Ion sensors based on potentiometric methods are a promising platform for monitoring physiological ions in biological subjects.Current semi-implantable devices are mainly based on single-parameter detection.Miniaturized semi-implantable electrodes for multiparameter sensing have more restrictions on the electrode size due to biocompatibility considerations,but reducing the electrode surface area could potentially limit electrode sensitivity.This study developed a semi-implantable device system comprising a multiplexed microfilament electrode cluster(MMEC)and a printed circuit board for real-time monitoring of intra-tissue K^(+),Ca^(2+),and Na^(+)concentrations.The electrode surface area was less important for the potentiometric sensing mechanism,suggesting the feasibility of using a tiny fiber-like electrode for potentiometric sensing.The MMEC device exhibited a broad linear response(K^(+):2–32 mmol/L;Ca^(2+):0.5–4 mmol/L;Na^(+):10–160 mmol/L),high sensitivity(about 20–45 mV/decade),temporal stability(>2weeks),and good selectivity(>80%)for the above ions.In vitro detection and in vivo subcutaneous and brain experiment results showed that the MMEC system exhibits good multi-ion monitoring performance in several complex environments.This work provides a platform for the continuous real-time monitoring of ion fluctuations in different situations and has implications for developing smart sensors to monitor human health.

Transcriptomic and physiological analyses identifying Lanzhou lily(Lilium davidii var.unicolor)drought adaptation strategies

Drought stress is the main limiting plant growth factor in arid and semiarid regions.The Lanzhou lily(Lilium davidii var.unicolor)is the only sweet-tasting lily grown in these regions of China that offers highly edible,medicinal,health,and ornamental value.The Tresor lily is an ornamental flower known for its strong resistance.Plants were grown under three different drought intensity treatments,namely,being watered at intervals of 5,15,and 25 d(either throughout the study or during specific growth stages).We measured the biomass,leaf area,photosynthetic response,chlorophyll content(SPAD value),and osmoregulation of both the Lanzhou lily and the Tresor lily(Lilium‘Tresor’).Additionally,we employed RNA sequencing(RNA-Seq)and qRT-PCR to investigate transcriptomic changes of the Lanzhou lily in response to drought stress.Results showed that under drought stress,the decreasing rate in the Lanzhou lily bulb weight was lower than the corresponding Tresor lily bulb rate;the net photosynthetic rate,transpiration rate,and stomatal conductance of the Lanzhou lily were all higher compared to the Tresor lily;osmoregulation constituents,such as glucose,fructose,sucrose,trehalose,and soluble sugar,in the Lanzhou lily were comparatively higher;PYL,NCED,and ERS genes were significantly expressed in the Lanzhou lily.Under moderate drought,the biosynthesis of flavonoids,circadian rhythms,and the tryptophan metabolism pathway of the Lanzhou lily were all significant.Under severe drought stress,fatty acid elongation,photosynthetic antenna protein,plant hormone signal transduction,flavone and flavonol biosynthesis,and the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway were all significant.The Lanzhou lily adapted to drought stress by coordinating its organs and the unique role of its bulb,regulating photosynthesis,increasing osmolyte content,activating circadian rhythms,signal transduction,fatty acid elongation metabolism,and phenylalanine and flavonoid metabolic pathways,which may collectively be the main adaptation strategy and mechanisms used by the Lanzhou lily under drought stress.

Leaf thermal tolerance and sensitivity of temperate tree species are correlated with leaf physiological and functional drought resistance traits

Climate change is causing more frequent and severe climatic events,such as extreme heat and co-occurring drought,potentially accelerating tree mortality.Which tree species will cope better with those extreme events is still being researched.This study focuses on heat as a physiological stress factor and interspecifi c variation of thermal tolerance and sensitivity traits in 15 temperate coniferous and broad-leaved tree species.We investigate(1)whether thermal tolerance and sensitivity traits correlate with a droughtrelated physiological trait,particularly the leaf turgor loss point(πtlp,wilting point),and(2)how thermal tolerance and sensitivity traits co-vary within diff erent tree-functional types classifi ed by morphological and physiological traits of the leaf,i.e.,leaf mass per area(LMA)and percentage loss of area(PLA).The study was carried out in the Traunstein Forest Dynamics Plot of the ForestGEO network in Germany.The temperature response of the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II(F_(v)/F_(m))on leaf discs was determined,from which various physiological leaf traits were estimated,one of which is the breaking point temperature(T_(5)),the temperature at which F_(v)/F_(m)declines by 5%.Additionally,the temperature of 50%(T_(50))and 95%(T_(95))decline in F_(v)/F_(m)was evaluated.The decline width between T_(50)and T 5(DW T_(50)−T_(5))was taken as an indicator of the species’thermal sensitivity.The breaking point temperature ranged from 35.4±3.0 to 47.9±3.9℃among the investigated tree species and T 50 ranged between 46.1±0.4 and 53.6±0.7℃.A large interspecifi c variation of thermal tolerance and sensitivity was found.European ash(Fraxinus excelsior L.)was the most heat-sensitive species,while Wild cherry(Prunus avium L.)was the least heat-sensitive species.Species with a more negativeπtlp tended to have a higher breaking point temperature than species with a less negativeπtlp.A lower thermal sensitivity characterized species with a higher LMA,and high PLA was found in species with low thermal sensitivity.Accordingly,species with thicker and tougher leaves have lower thermal sensitivity which coincides with a lower wilting point.We conclude that species that develop drought-adapted foliage can cope better with heat stress.Further,they might be able to maintain transpirational cooling during combined heat and drought stress,which could lessen their mortality risk during climatic extremes.

Operations of Knapsack Sprayer and Its Impacts on Physiological Parameters of Selected Operators

The study was aimed at determining the impacts of operating Manually Operated Hand Lever Knapsack Sprayers (MOHLKS) on physiological responses of the operators as dependent on anthropometric variations and sex. Twenty eight subjects, (4 female, 24 male) Mean ± SD: Age 22.5 ± 1.92, 24.29 ± 2.2 years;Body Mass Index 24.6 ± 4.8, 21.7 ± 2.4 kg/m2 were employed in the study. Selected anthropometric parameters of weight and height were used to determine body mass index (BMI), with these are arm-reach forward, elbow to fingertip, hand length and hand width were measured to establish human variations in diversity. Subjects undertook the operation at 5 replicates each, before and after which information about operators’ body pain locations and body physiological changes of heart rates were obtained. Measured parameters were used in the determination of expended energy (EE), physiological cost (PC), oxygen intake (VO2) and aerobic power (VO2max). Alongside with these were operational parameters of stroke, pace and time taken to get the operation done and environmental factors of temperature and relative humidity. The results revealed on the average that the BMI (24.61 ± 4.78 kg/m2) in female operators was higher, this corresponded to PC and VO2, while the VO2max (34.83 ± 3.30 ml/min/kg) in males is higher. More EE was obtained in female subjects (3.53 ± 3.76 kCal/min) as compared to male subjects (3.42 ± 7.48 kCal/min). The main effects plot of operational factors on EE displayed the stroke made by the subjects during spraying operation as parameter with largest effect on EE. Regression equation for EE and PCI is given as PCI = 1.97 + 25.2 EE, while the P-value at α = 0.05 is 0.000 and R2 = 98.8%. Post operational body pain showed that 19 out of 28 subjects incurred at least one type of body pain, with shoulder pain as most frequent. The results of the study suggest that early incidence of fatigue may occur in female operators as compared to the males, and in addition, cumulative trauma at shoulder, back, and upper and lower arm may result over time. Hence, it is recommended that the tank volume should be reduced and the straps for the shoulders should be supported with additional cushion.

Effects of Antimony Stress on Root Growth,Antimony Accumulation and Physiological Characteristics of Ramie(Boehmeria nivea(L.) Gaudich.)

[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the toxicity of heavy metal antimony(Sb) to ramie(Boehmeria nivea(L.) Gaudich.) and the tolerance response in ramie. [Methods] A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of Sb stress on root growth and Sb accumulation and transport of the root system of cultivated ramie Zhongzhu No.1, as well as on the physiological characteristics of ramie leaves. [Results] The plant height and root dry weight and volume of Zhongzhu No.1 showed an effect of "promoting at low concentrations and inhibiting at high concentrations" with the increase of Sb concentration, and decreased significantly at the concentration of 4 000 mg/kg, but no obvious toxic growth symptoms were observed. The content of Sb in roots(289.7-508.6 mg/kg) and the root-shoot transfer factor(0.09-0.57) of Zhongzhu No.1 increased with the increase of soil Sb concentration, but the change of Sb bioconcentration factor in roots was opposite, indicating that high concentrations of Sb in soil could promote the absorption of Sb in roots and the transport of Sb to the aboveground part, but the Sb enrichment capacity of roots was relatively reduced with the increase of soil Sb. Sb stress had a certain impact on the physiological characteristics of ramie leaves. With the increase of Sb treatment concentration, MDA, POD and SOD showed a change trend of "first increasing and then decreasing", while CAT gradually increased, indicating that Sb stress caused changes in the physiological characteristics of ramie leaves, thereby affecting plant growth and development. [Conclusions] This study provides a theoretical basis for ecological restoration of ramie in mining areas.

Photosynthetic and water-related physiological characteristics of Periploca sepium in response to changing soil water conditions in a shell sand habitat

This study was performed to observe the effects of water on photosynthesis and water-related physiology in dominant shrubs in shell sand habitats.Four-year-old Periploca sepium seedlings were used as model species.A gradient of 12 water levels was established by artificially supplying the shell sand with water up to saturation and then allowing natural evapotranspiration to occur.The photo synthetic,chlorophyll fluorescence and stem sap flow parameters of P.sepium were measured under a range of water conditions.The different soil water conditions were classified according to the responses of these parameters.(1)With the increase in the relative water content(RWC)of the shell sand,the parameters of leaf photosynthesis,chlorophyll fluorescence and water-related physiology in P.sepium showed significant critical responses.The net photo synthetic rate(Pn),transpiration rate(Tr),instantaneous water use efficiency(WUE),potential water use efficiency(WUEi),maximum photochemical efficiency(Fv/Fm),actual photochemical efficiency(ΦPSII)and daily accumulation of stem sap flow all increased first and then decreased with increasing RWC,but the corresponding water conditions associated with their maximum values were not the same.An RWC of 69.40%was determined to be the optimal water condition for photosynthesis and water-related physiological activity in P.sepium.At an RWC of 36.61%,the mechanism of photosynthetic inhibition in P.sepium changed from stomatal limitation to nonstomatal limitation;this was also the minimum water requirement for maintaining normal photo synthetic processes.An RWC of 50.27%resulted in the highest WUE in P.sepium,indicating that moderate drought stress increased WUE.(2)Based on the quantitative relationship between the photo synthetic parameters of P.sepium and the shell sand water gradient,the soil water availability was classified into 6 water grades.The RWC range for maintaining strong photosynthesis and high WUE in P.sepium was 63.22-69.98%.(3)Gas exchange in P.sepium was inhibited under drought and waterlogging stresses.Under these conditions,the photosynthetic electron transport chain was blocked,and the dissipation of light energy as heat increased,which ultimately led to a decline in photo synthetic productivity;moreover,transpiration and dissipation were aggravated,and water transmission and utilization processes in P.sepium were hindered.A significant negative feedback regulation mechanism in the photosynthetic and water-related physiological processes of P.sepium was observed;this mechanism allowed P.sepium growing in shell sand to be highly adaptable to water stress.

Influence of Colletotrichum truncatum on the Physiological and Chemical Quality in Different Varieties of Soy Seed

The literature highlights that a severe infection by the fungus Colletotrichum truncatum may be capable of inflicting considerable damage to seeds after harvest, potentially affecting their chemical composition and physiological quality. Taking into account that currently there is no categorization in terms of susceptibility and tolerance on this pathogen, the present work is presented with the main objective of “Evaluate the influence of Pathogenicity of C. truncatum on the physiological quality (germination, vigor, viability) and biochemical components in different varieties of soybean seeds (Glycine max)” most planted in the region. The work was carried out in the Agrotec laboratory, located in the Municipality of San Alberto (Alto Paraná), using a completely randomized experimental design, with AxB factorial arrangement, where A indicates ten most planted soybean varieties in the region and B with or without artificial inoculation of Colletotrichum truncatum, with twenty treatments and four repetitions. The variables evaluated were: germination, vigor, viability and chemical composition. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and the Tukey test at 5% error. The results showed a significant statistical difference, accepting the alternative hypothesis proposed “The pathogenicity of Colletotrichum truncatum influences the physiological quality (germination, vigor, viability) and biochemical components (saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) in different varieties of soybean seeds (Glycine max)”.

Rhizobacteria facilitate physiological and biochemical drought tolerance of Halimodendron halodendron (Pall.) Voss

Growth-promoting bacteria(GPB)have shown promising effects on serving plants against environmental constraints such as drought.Nevertheless,simultaneous effects of different GPB have less been considered for arid land plants and under field conditions.We investigated the effects of single and combined application of GPB,including free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria(NFB),phosphate solubilizing bacteria(PSB),potassium solubilizing bacteria(KSB),a combination of NFB,PSB,and KSB(NPK),and control,at three drought stress treatments.In order to better understand the interactions between drought and GPB,we measured the morphological,biochemical,and physiological plant traits.The target plant was salt tree(Halimodendron Halodendron(Pall.)Voss),a legume shrub native to arid lands of Central and West Asia.All biofertilizer treatments enhanced the growth,physiology,and biochemistry of salt tree seedlings,and there were significant differences among the treatments.KSB and PSB treatments increased photosynthetic pigments,but KSB treatment was more efficient in transpiration rate and stomatal regulation and increased the soluble carbohydrates.PSB treatment had the highest effect on root traits,such as taproot length,root volume,cumulative root length,and the ratio of root to shoot.NFB treatment enhanced root diameter and induced biomass translocation between root systems.However,only the application of mixed biofertilizer(i.e.,NPK treatment)was the most significant treatment to improve all plant morphological and physiological characteristics of salt tree under drought stress.Therefore,our results provided improvement of some specific plant traits simultaneous with application of three biofertilizers to increase growth and establishment of salt tree seedlings in the degraded arid lands.

Psychological and Physiological Health Benefits of a Structured Forest Therapy Program for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders

Mental health conditions in children and adolescents can be improved by slow mindful nature connection known as forest therapyor bathing.Forest therapy has recently received growing attention as an enabler of relaxation and preventive health care withdemonstrated clinical efficacy.However,it is not well-known that forest therapy also decreases mental health issues amongindividuals with mental health disorders.This study explored the psychological and physiological health benefits of structuredforest therapy programs for children and adolescents with mental health disorders.A one-group pre-test-posttest design wasemployed for our study participants.Twelve participants(aged 9–14 years)engaged in two one-hour guided standard sequenceforest therapy experiences.A Mindful Attention Awareness Scale(MAAS),Connectedness to Nature Scale(CNS),Profile ofMood States(POMS),place meanings(e.g.,functional,emotional,and cognitive attachment to the forest)questionnaire,andphysiological health assessment were administered to the participants.Our results showed that negative mood states weresignificantly reduced and that a positive mood state was significantly improved after the structured forest therapy programs.Also,mindfulness,nature connection,place meanings,and physiological health were significantly boosted after theinterventions.The results demonstrate substantial psychological and physiological health and well-being outcomes ofstructured forest therapy for similar individuals.

Seed Dormancy and Seedlings Physiological Response to Topramezone in Green Foxtail(Setaria viridis)

Green foxtail(Setaria viridis)is a notorious weed in corn fields in Heilongjiang Province.To investigate the best method to break the seed dormancy of green foxtail and its physiological response to topramezone,this study selected newly harvested and one-year stored green foxtail seeds as research subjects.The seeds were treated with HCl,Na OH,gibberellic acid(GA),different water temperatures and polyethylene glycol(PEG)to study the seed dormancy and drought resistance of green foxtail.The results showed that newly harvested seeds exhibited dormancy,and treatments with HCl,NaOH and different water temperatures were unable to break the dormancy.Soaking the seeds in GA could overcome dormancy,but the seeds failed to germinate when exposed to 25%PEG concentration.When topramezone was applied at rates of 22.5 and 45.0 g a.i.·hm^(-2)at the 3-leaf and 5-leaf stages,respectively,the chlorophyll content reached the lowest value at 28 days after treatment(DAT).At the 7-leaf stage,the chlorophyll content reached the lowest value at 7 DAT.The activity of 4-hydroxyphenylpy-ruvate dioxygenase(HPPD)enzyme after topramezone application reached the maximum value at 7 DAT for different leaf ages,and the higher the leaf age,the higher the HPPD activity,which was an important factor contributing to the resistance of green foxtail to topramezone.

Substrate-induced changes in microbial community-level physiological profiles and their application to discriminate soil microbial communities

The addition of simple substrates could affect the microbial respiration in soils. This substrate-induced respiration is widely used to estimate the soil microbial biomass, but little attention has been paid to its influence on the changes of community-level physiological profiles. In this study, the process of microbial communities responding to the added substrate using sole-carbon-source utilization （BIOLOG） was investigated. BIOLOG is biased toward fast-growing bacteria; this advantage was taken to detect the prompt response of the active microbial communities to the added substrate. Four soil samples from agricultural fields adjacent to heavy metal mines were amended with L-arginine, citric acid, or D-glucose. Substrate amendments could, generally, not only increase the metabolic activity of the microbial communities, but also change the metabolic diverse patterns compared with no-substrate control. By tracking the process, it was found that the variance between substrate-induced treatment and control fluctuated greatly during the incubation course, and the influences of these three substrates were different. In addition, the application of these induced changes to discriminate soil microbial communities was tested. The distance among all samples was greatly increased, which further showed the functional variance among microbial communities in soils. This can be very useful in the discrimination of microbial communities even with high similarity.

Effect of continuous negative pressure water supply on the growth, development and physiological mechanism of Capsicum annuum L.

Effects of continuous negative pressure water supply on water consumption, growth and development, as well as physiological mechanism and quality of Capsicum annuum L. were investigated in this paper. Meanwhile, the optimal negative pressure water supply conditions for growth of C. annuum L. were screened out to achieve the goals of water conservation, high yield and high quality, thus providing theoretical foundation for its field production. The pot experiment within the greenhouse was utilized; the continuous negative pressure water supply was adopted; the four treatments, artificial watering（CK）, –5 k Pa（T1）, –10 k Pa（T2）, and –15 k Pa（T3） were set; and the daily water consumption, yield, as well as the biomass, nitrate reductase, root activity, vitamin C, capsaicin, and nutrient uptakes of nitrogen（N）, phosphorus（P） and potassium（K） during various stages of its growth were determined. Compared with CK, when the water supply pressure was controlled at –5 to –15 k Pa in the experiment, the total water consumption of C. annuum L. reduced by 53.42 to 67.75%, the total water consumption intensity reduced by 54.29 to 67.14%, and the water use efficiency increased by 12.66 to 124.67%. The N accumulation in a single strain of C. annuum L. from the color turning stage to the red ripe stage increased by 15.99 to 100.55%, respectively, compared with that of CK; the P accumulation increased by 20.47 to 154.00% relative to that of CK, and the K accumulation increased by 64.92 to 144.9% compared with that of CK. Compared with CK, C. annuum L. yield was remarkably improved by 13.79% at T1, and contents of vitamin C, capsaicin as well as carotenoids at all growth stages were enhanced by 13.42–147.01%, 11.54–71.01%, and 41.1–568.06%, respectively. Nitrate reductase activity, root activity and chlorophyll（a＋b） were markedly increased by 335.78–500%, 79.6–140.68% and 114.95–676.19%, respectively, from immature stage to full ripe stage. Adopting the continuous negative pressure water supply for C. annuum L. has a significant water-saving effect, and the water supply pressure being stable at –5 k Pa contributes to its growth and development, improves yield, enhances root activity, promotes nutrient uptake, and improves its quality, thus achieving the effects of water conservation, high yield, high quality and high efficiency.

Morphological and physiological traits of large-panicle rice varieties with high filled-grain percentage

financed by the Special Program of Super Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, China （02318802013231）;the National Public Services Sectors （Agricultural） Research Projects, Ministry of Agriculture, China （201303102）;the Great Technology Project of Ningbo, China （2013C11001）

Basal physiological parameters in domesticated tree shrews(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)

Establishing non-human primate models of human diseases is an efficient way to narrow the large gap between basic studies and translational medicine.Multifold advantages such as simplicity of breeding,low cost of feeding and facility of operating make the tree shrew an ideal non-human primate model proxy.Additional features like vulnerability to stress and spontaneous diabetic characteristics also indicate that the tree shrew could be a potential new animal model of human diseases.However,basal physiological indexes of tree shrew,especially those related to human disease,have not been systematically reported.Accordingly,we established important basal physiological indexes of domesticated tree shrews including several factors:(1)body weight,(2)core body temperature and rhythm,(3)diet metabolism,(4)locomotor rhythm,(5)electroencephalogram,(6)glycometabolism and(7)serum and urinary hormone level and urinary cortisol rhythm.We compared the physiological parameters of domesticated tree shrew with that of rats and macaques.Results showed that(a)the core body temperature of the tree shrew was 39.59±0.05°C,which was higher than that of rats and macaques;(b)Compared with wild tree shrews,with two activity peaks,domesticated tree shrews had only one activity peak from 17:30 to 19:30;(c)Compared with rats,tree shrews had poor carbohydrate metabolism ability;and(d)Urinary cortisol rhythm indicated there were two peaks at 8:00 and 17:00 in domesticated tree shrews,which matched activity peaks in wild tree shrews.These results provided basal physiological indexes for domesticated tree shrews and laid an important foundation for diabetes and stress-related disease models established on tree shrews.

Impact of Asarum Essential Oils on Physiological and Biochemical Indicators of Two Agricultural Pests

[Objective]The paper was to study the effects of asarum essential oils on physiological and biochemical indices of two agricultural pests. [Method]Asarum essential oils were extracted by different methods,and their effects on physiological and biochemical indices related to the structure of body wall（ chitin and phenoloxidase）,the physiological and biochemical indices acting on the nervous system（ Acetylcholinesterase）,and the physiological and biochemical indices acting on the digestive system（ protease,amylase and lipase） of Ostrinia furnacalis and Mythimna seperata were studied. [Result]Asarum essential oils had no effect no chitin content of body wall under the experimental concentration,and had no inhibitory effect but activated effect on polyphenol oxidase activity. Asarum essential oils could act on the nervous system of insect,and had strong inhibitory effect against acetylcholinesterase activity of O. furnacalis larvae,with inhibition rates of 24. 86%- 38. 79%. Asarum essential oils showed a significant activated effect on pepsin activity in midgut,but the activated amplitude became smaller with the prolongation of treatment time. Asarum essential oils showed a significant inhibitory effect on activities of amylase and lipase,indicating that it could play an insecticidal effect by inhibiting activity of amylase and lipase,and it could act on digestive system of insect. [Conclusion]The study laid the foundation for further development of asarum as botanical pesticide.