Preparation of Layered Potassium Titanate Whiskers with Large Length-diameter Ratio by KDC Method

Pure K2Ti4O9 whiskers were prepared by KDC（Kneading-Drying-Calcination） method with TiO2 and K2CO3 as raw materials. The influences of TiO2/K2CO3 molar ratio（RT/K）, calcination temperature（TC） and cooling process on phase composition and morphology of the whiskers were investigated by TG-DSC（thermo gravimetric-differential scanning calorimeter）, XRD（X-ray diffraction）, and SEM（scanning electron microscope）. Pure K2Ti4O9 potassium titanate whiskers with large length-diameter ratio（r）（over 250） can be obtained at RT/K = 2.9 and TC = 950 ℃.

The Effect of Water and Salt Stress on Paspalum dilatatum,a Constituent of Pampas Natural Grasslands

The effects of the salt stress on plant growth are usually increased by the water stress.We studied the impact of both stresses in simultaneous pulses of drought and salinity on Paspalum dilatatum.This forage species is native to South America,spread in grasslands in many tropical,subtropical,and temperate areas of the world,and very common in grasslands of the Flooding Pampas of Argentina.Mimicking what happens in nature.We compared a pot experiment,a non-stressed control against water stress for a month(midpoint between field capacity and wilting point),and two saline stresses(moderate,6 d·Sm^(−1)and strong,12 d·Sm^(−1)),also for a month.Aerial biomass(green leaf;non-leaf green material,and dry material)and roots were harvested,weighed,and analyzed for nitrogen,phosphorus,and cations.The biomass of all components significantly decreased when both stresses were applied.Water plus strong saline stress reduced by half the total biomasses,compared to the control.The proportion of aerial biomass/root biomass ratio as well as aerial green component/dry materials ratio tend to decrease when subjected to both stresses.Nitrogen concentration in plants was not significantly affected,but phosphorus concentration increased in aerial biomass components,from 0.10 to 0.18 mg·kg^(−1)between the extreme treatments,but did not change in roots.Sodium concentration in plants increased(i.e.,in green leave sodium(Na)increased from 0.27 to 2.01 mg·kg^(−1)between the extreme treatments),whereas other cations either did not change or decreased,affecting the ratios between them.Sodium performance allows us to infer that the Na accumulation of P.dilatatum behaves in an intermediate range,compared to very tolerant to salts or non-salt tolerant species of the Paspalum genus.In agreement,when salts were applied in the form of a pulse,P.dilatatum tolerated higher salinity than that found by other authors for the same species,using continuous salinity.

Characteristics of Milankovitch Cycles in the Mid-Permian Liangshan and Qixia Formations of the Sichuan Basin——Examples from Well-Long17 and Well-Wujia1

The Liangshan and Qixia formations in the Sichuan Basin of central China were formed in the earlier middle Permian. Based on outcrop observation of the Changjianggou section at Shangsi, Guangyuan region and 3 rd -order sequence division in typical drillings, one-dimensional spectrum analysis has been used to choose the better curve between the natural gamma ray spectrometry log（ln （Th/K）） in Well-Long17 and the gamma ray log（GR） in Well-Wujia1, respectively, for identifying Milankovitch cycles in Sequence PSQ1 which comprises the Liangshan and Qixia formations, and then to identify the variation in the Milankovitch cycle sequences. On this basis, the system tract and 4 th -order sequence interfaces in Sequence PSQ1 were found via two-dimensional spectral analysis and digital filtering. Finally, a high-frequency sequence division program was established. Among these cycles, long eccentricity （413.0 ka） and short eccentricity （123.0 ka） are the most unambiguous, and they are separately the major control factors in forming 4 th -order （parasequence sets） and 5 th -order （parasequences） sequences, with the average thicknesses corresponding to the main cycles being 11.47 m and 3.32 m in Well-Long17, and 14.21 m and 3.79 m in Well-Wujia1, respectively. In other words, the deposition rate in the beach subfacies is faster than that of the inner ramp facies. The ln（Th/K） curve is more sensitive than the GR as the index of relatively ancient water depth in carbonate deposition. One-dimensional spectrum analysis of ln（Th/K） curve could distinguish the Milankovitch cycle sequences that arose from the Precession cycle （20.90 ka）, with a much higher credibility. Sequence PSQ1 in Well-Long17 contains 10 4 th -order sequences, and the growth span of Sequence PSQ1 consisting of the Liangshan and Qixia formations is about 4.13 Ma. The single deposition thickness of the long eccentricity cycle sequence has the characteristics of thinning and then thickening in the two-dimensional spectrum, which could be used to identify the system tract interface of the 3 rd -order sequence. The precession sequence thickness remains stationary. As a result, the early deposition rate in the mid-Permian of the Sichuan basin was very slow, remaining nearly stationary, and this reflects a sustained depositional environment. Whole-rock carbon and oxygen isotope curves could also prove this point. Milankovitch cycle sequence studies provide a basis for paleoenvironmental analysis and, as such, can be used to analyze ancient climate change, calculate deposition rate and deposition time, and carry out fine isochronous stratigraphic correlation.

Daily Intake of a Commercially Available Vegetable Juice Has Beneficial Effects on Metabolic Syndrome-Related Biomarkers in Young, Healthy Japanese Adults

Adequate vegetable intake is important in reducing the risk of lifestyle-related diseases;however, intake amongst young Japanese adults is poor. This study aimed to assess the effect of daily intake of a commercially available vegetable juice on nutritional status and metabolic syndrome-related markers in healthy young adults. Fifty-one healthy adults (14 men, 37 women), age 20 - 22 years were recruited, and their food and nutritional intake was surveyed using an FFQ based on Food Groups. Subjects were divided into either a control group, who were not administered vegetable juice, or an intervention group, who consumed 200 mL vegetable juice daily for 2 months. Anthropometric data, serum carotenoid concentrations, blood and urinary parameters were measured at baseline and at 2 months. The average intake of vegetables in all subjects at baseline was approximately 140 g/day, less than half the dose recommended by the Japanese government. Total serum carotenoid concentration in the intervention group doubled from baseline after 2 months. In particular, serum concentrations of α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene were increased. In the intervention group, 24-hour urinary potassium excretion increased significantly, and 24-hour urinary sodium to potassium ratio decreased significantly. Waist circumference and systolic blood pressure also decreased significantly. Daily intake of a commercial vegetable juice for 2 months improved nutritional status in young adults with inadequate vegetable intake, shown by improved serum carotenoid and urine potassium levels. In addition, intake of vegetable juice may be beneficial in reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Comprehensive screening and selection of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) germplasm for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage and during plant ontogeny

The okra germplasm was screened for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage and during plant ontogeny. Substantial variation existed in okra for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage. An 80 mmol/L NaCI concentration was suitable for discriminating tolerant and non-tolerant okra genotypes. The pooled ranking of the genotypes, based on individual rankings for each trait （root and shoot length, germination percentage, and relative Na^＋ and K%＋） in individual NaCI concentrations, was effective for selecting tolerant genotypes. Genotypes selected at the seedling stage maintained their tolerance to NaCI during plant ontogeny, suggesting that screening of the germplasm entries and advanced breeding materials for salt tolerance at the seedling stage is effective. Among 39 okra genotypes, five were identified as the most tolerant genotypes and showed potential for use in breeding programs that focus on the development of salt-tolerant, high-yield okra cultivars.