Reduced nitrogen application rate with dense planting improves rice grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency: A case study in east China

Dense planting could be a feasible method for reducing nitrogen(N) application rates without compromising rice grain yield in northeast and central China. It is still unclear whether reduced N application with dense planting(RNDP) can achieve higher rice yield and N use efficiency(NUE) in Jiangsu, east China. Three japonica inbred rice(JI) and three indica hybrid rice(IH) cultivars were grown in a field experiment. Their grain yield, NUE, and related traits were compared under two cultivation treatments:conventional high-yielding practice(CHYP) and RNDP. JI showed similar yields under the two treatments,while IH showed lower yield under RNDP than under CHYP, and the partial factor productivity of N and N use efficiency for grain yield increased(P < 0.05) in both JI and IH under RNDP. Compared with CHYP,RNDP reduced spikelets per panicle but increased panicles per m2 and filled-kernel percentage of JI and IH, and JI's kernel weight was increased(P < 0.05) under RNDP. Shoot biomass weight and nonstructural carbohydrate(NSC) content in the stem at heading and maturity of JI and IH were reduced under RNDP, while harvest index and NSC remobilization reserve were increased(P < 0.05) under RNDP, especially for JI. Our results suggest that RNDP could achieve a higher rice grain yield and NUE, particularly for JI, a dominant rice cultivar type in Jiangsu. For JI, the increased panicles per m2, sink-filling efficiency, harvest index, and NSC remobilization after heading under RNDP contributed to a grain yield similar to that under CHYP.

Increased plant density and reduced N rate lead to more grain yield and higher resource utilization in summer maize

Planting at an optimum density and supplying adequate nitrogen（N） to achieve higher yields is a common practice in crop production, especially for maize（Zea mays L.）; however, excessive N fertilizer supply in maize production results in reduced N use efficiency（NUE） and severe negative impacts on the environment. This research was conducted to determine the effects of increased plant density and reduced N rate on grain yield, total N uptake, NUE, leaf area index（LAI）, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation（IPAR）, and resource use efficiency in maize. Field experiments were conducted using a popular maize hybrid Zhengdan 958（ZD958） under different combinations of plant densities and N rates to determine an effective approach for maize production with high yield and high resource use efficiency. Increasing plant density was clearly able to promote N absorption and LAI during the entire growth stage, which allowed high total N uptake and interception of radiation to achieve high dry matter accumulation（DMA）, grain yield, NUE, and radiation use efficiency（RUE）. However, with an increase in plant density, the demand of N increased along with grain yield. Increasing N rate can significantly increase the DMA, grain yield, LAI, IPAR, and RUE. However, this increase was non-linear and due to the input of too much N fertilizers, the efficiency of N use at NCK（320 kg ha^（–1）） was low. An appropriate reduction in N rate can therefore lead to higher NUE despite a slight loss in grain production. Taking into account both the need for high grain yield and resource use efficiency, a 30% reduction in N supply, and an increase in plant density of 3 plants m^（–2）, compared to LD（5.25 plants m^（–2））, would lead to an optimal balance between yield and resource use efficiency.

Reduced order observer based identification of base isolated buildings

The objective of this study is to identify system parameters from the recorded response of base isolated buildings,such as USC hospital building,during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.Full state measurements are not available for identification.Additionally,the response is nonlinear due to the yielding of the lead-rubber bearings.Two new approaches are presented in this paper to solve the aforementioned problems.First,a reduced order observer is used to estimate the unmeasured states.Second,a least squares technique with time segments is developed to identify the piece-wise linear system properties.The observer is used to estimate the initial conditions needed for the time segmented identification.A series of equivalent linear system parameters are identified in different time segments.It is shown that the change in system parameters,such as frequencies and damping ratios,due to nonlinear behavior of the lead-rubber bearings,are reliably estimated using the presented technique.It is shown that the response was reduced due to yielding of the lead-rubber bearings and period lengthening.

Using Reduced Graphene Oxide to Generate Q-Switched Pulses in Er-Doped Fiber Laser

Using the reduced graphene oxide（rGO） as a saturable absorber（SA） in an Er-doped fiber（EDF） laser cavity,we obtain the Q-switching operation. The rGO SA is prepared by depositing the GO on fluorine mica（FM） using the thermal reduction method. The modulation depth of rGO/FM is measured to be 3.2%. By incorporating the rGO/FM film into the EDF laser cavity, we obtain stable Q-switched pulses. The shortest pulse duration is3.53 μs, and the maximum single pulse energy is 48.19 nJ. The long-term stability of working is well exhibited.The experimental results show that the rGO possesses potential photonics applications.

Statin use and risk of liver cancer: A meta-analysis of 7 studies involving more than 4.7 million patients

AIM： To pool data currently available to determine the association between statin use and the risk of liver cancer.METHODS： A computerized literature search was conducted to identify those relevant studies between Janu-ary 1966 and March 2013. Stata 11.0 （Stata Corp, College Station, Texas） was used for statistical analyses. Pooled relative risk （RR） estimates with 95%CI were calculated for overall analysis and subgroup analyses, using the random- and fxed-effects models. Heteroge-neities between studies were evaluated by Cochran’s Q test and I^2 statistic. The Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s regression asymmetry test were used to detect the publication bias.RESULTS： Seven studies were included in our meta-analysis according to the selection criteria, including four cohort studies and three case-control studies. These studies involved 4725593 people and 9785 liver cancer cases. The overall analysis showed that statin use was statistically associated with a signifcantly reduced risk of liver cancer （random-effects model, RR=0.61, 95%CI： 0.49-0.76, P 〈 0.001; fxed-effects mod-el, RR=0.64, 95%CI： 0.57-0.71, P 〈 0.001）; however, significant heterogeneity was found between studies （Cochran’s Q statistic=19.13, P=0.004; I^2 = 68.6%）. All subgroup analyses provided supporting evidence for the results of overall analysis. Begg’s （Z=0.15, P=0.881） and Egger’s test （ t=-0.44, P=0.681） showed no signifcant risk of having a publication bias.CONCLUSION： Statin use was associated with the reduced risk of liver cancer. To clearly clarify this relationship, more high quality studies are required.

Determining Optimal Strategies to Reduce Maternal and Child Mortality in Rural Areas in Western China: an Assessment Using the Lives Saved Tool

China, as a whole, is about to meet the Millennium Development Goals for reducing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR), but the disparities between rural area and urban area still exists. This study estimated the potential effectiveness of expanding coverage with high impact interventions using the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). It was found that gestational hypertension, antepartum and postpartum hemorrhage, preterm birth, neonatal asphyxia, and neonatal childhood pneumonia and diarrhea are still the major killers of mothers and children in rural area in China. It was estimated that 30% of deaths among 0-59 month old children and 25% of maternal deaths in 2008 could be prevented in 2015 if primary health care intervention coverage expanded to a feasible level. The LiST death cause framework, compared to data from the Maternal and Child Mortality Surveillance System, represents 60%-80% of neonatal deaths, 40%-50% of deaths in 1-59 month old children and 40%-60% of maternal deaths in rural areas of western China.

Warm-Mix Asphalt and Pavement Sustainability: A Review

Within the past two decades or so, the asphalt paving industry has responded positively to increasing global concerns over shrinking natural resource reserves and worsening environmental conditions through the development and deployment of warm-mix asphalt technologies. Such technologies make it possible to produce and place asphalt concrete at reduced temperatures compared to conventional hot-mix methods. Several studies have reported on the potential of warm-mix asphalt with regard to improved pavement performance, efficiency and environmental stewardship. This paper reviews several of those studies in the context of pavement sustainability. Overall, warm-mix asphalt provides substantial sustainability benefits similar to or, in some cases, better than conventional hot-mix asphalt. Sustainability benefits include lower energy use, reduced emissions, and potential for increased reclaimed asphalt pavement usage. Growth in utilization of warm-mix asphalt worldwide may, in the not-too-distant future, make the material the standard for asphalt paving. Regardless, there are concerns over some aspects of warm-mix asphalt such as lower resistance to fatigue cracking, rutting and potential water-susceptibility problems, particularly with mixes prepared with water-based technologies, which require further research to address.

Characterization of various surface Co-sites on reduced Co-Mo/Al_2O_3 and Ru-Co-Mo/Al_2O_3 catalysts using IR and MS spectroscopies

An investigation on adsorption of NO on reduced Co-Mo/Al_2O_3 and Ru-Co-Mo/Al_2O_3 catalysts has been performed using FT-IR and MS spectroscopies. IR spectra of NO adsorption showed two bands at 1895 and 1800 cm_(-1), and NO--TPD profiles gave rise to several peaks at 353, 423 and 473 K, which are assigned to various Co-sites on the surface. Compared with Co-Mo/Al_2O_3, the adsorption rate, binding energy, and amount of NO adsorbed on Ru-Co-Mo/Al_2O_3 are very high.

Complementary effect of zoo compost with mineral nitrogen fertilisation increases wheat yield and nutrition in a low-nutrient soil

Excess nitrogen(N) fertiliser use in agriculture is associated with water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.While practices and programs to reduce N fertiliser application continue to be developed,inefficient fertiliser use persists.Practices that reduce mineral N fertiliser application are needed in a sustainable agricultural ecosystem to control leaching and gaseous losses for environmental management.This study evaluated whether fully or partially replacing mineral N fertiliser with zoo compost(Perth Zoo) could be a good mitigation strategy to reduce mineral N fertiliser application without affecting wheat yield and nutrition.To achieve this,a glasshouse experiment was conducted to assess the complementary effect of zoo compost and mineral N fertiliser on wheat yield and nutrition in a sandy soil of southwestern Australia.Additionally,a chlorophyll meter was used to determine whether there was a correlation between chlorophyll content and soil mineral N content,grain N uptake,and grain protein content at the tillering(42 d after sowing(DAS)) and heading(63 DAS) growth stages.The standard practice for N application for this soil type in this area,100 kg ha^(-1),was used with a soil bulk density of 1.3 g cm^(-3) to calculate the amount of mineral N(urea,46% N) and Perth Zoo compost(ZC)(0.69% N) for each treatment.Treatments comprised a control(no nutrients added,T1),mineral N only(100 kg N ha^(-1),T2),ZC only(100 kg N ha^(-1),T7),and combinations of mineral N and ZC at different rates(mineral N at 100 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^(-1)(T3),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^(-1)(T4),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^(-1)(T5),and mineral N at 50 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^(-1)(T6)).The T6 treatment significantly increased grain yield(by 26%) relative to the T2 treatment.However,the T7 treatment did not affect grain yield when compared to the T2 treatment.All treatments with mineral N and ZC in combination significantly improved the 1 000-grain weight compared to the T2 treatment.Chlorophyll content was better correlated with soil mineral N content(r = 0.61),grain N uptake(r = 0.62),and grain protein content(r = 0.80) at heading(63 DAS) than at tillering(42 DAS).While ZC alone could not serve as an alternative to mineral N fertiliser,its complementary use could reduce the mineral N fertiliser requirement by up to 50% for wheat without compromising grain yield,which needs to be verified in the field.Chlorophyll content could be used to predict soil mineral N at the heading stage,and further studies are warranted to verify its accuracy in the field.Overall,the application of ZC as part of integrated nutrient management improved crop yield with reduced N fertiliser application.