CF Treatment Research Articles

Changes of Cinnamomum camphora root characteristics and soil properties under ozone stress in South China.

High O3 exposure affects the forest growth and soil characteristics. Although there is substantial evidence that O3 does impose a stress on forest trees, the effects of O3 on roots and soil of evergreen broad-leaved tree species in South China remain unknown. The effects of ozone (O3) fumigation on the root biomass, root morphology, root nutrient, soil physical, and chemical properties were examined in Cinnamomum camphora seedlings grown under four O3 treatments (charcoal-filtered air (CF) or O3 at 1×, 2× and 4× ambient concentration). O3 significantly decreased root biomass and root carbon (C). Regardless of O3 level, elevated O3 significantly resulted in reduced root surface area, volume, number of forks, and specific root length (SRL). The percentages of fine to total root in terms of root surface area and root volume of seedlings under the CF and 1 × O3 treatments were significantly higher than those of seedlings under the 4 × O3 treatment, indicating that high O3 level impaired the growth performance of fine roots. O3 affected root growth and structures, which increased soil bulk density and reduced soil total porosity and void ratio. The soil pH under all O3 fumigation treatments significantly increased compared with CF treatment, whereas the organic matter significantly decreased. In conclusion, although the increased O3 level enhanced root N and P under 2 and 4 × O3 treatments compared with 1 × O3 treatment as compensation mechanisms to prevent O3-induced decrease in root C gain and root functions, O3 still decreased the root biomass and root tips, and changed the soil physical and chemical properties.

SUN-LB026 Do CFTR Modulators Treat Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes?

Background: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators are a recent advancement in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and were initially approved for their beneficial effect on lung function. There have also been few reports of their positive role in glycemic control in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes related to cystic fibrosis. Clinical Case: Ms. A is a 27yr old female who presented to our Endocrinology Clinic for cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD). She was diagnosed with diabetes in 2015. By August 2017 her diabetes had deteriorated and she presented to the hospital with severe hyperglycemia. She had blood glucose levels over 400 mg/dL and HbA1c of 10.8% without diabetic ketoacidosis. Physical exam at that time was unremarkable. Her BMI was 21.5 kg/m2. She then started a multiple daily injection program that included Glargine and prandial Aspart insulins. Four months later her hemoglobin A1c improved to 7.9%. Past medical history was significant for cystic fibrosis with homozygous F508 deletion. Her cystic fibrosis had been complicated by bronchiectasis, recurrent sinusitis, pneumonia, pancreatic insufficiency and staphylococcus aureus bacteremia with sepsis. Earlier in 2018, the patient was started on treatment with Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) and then Symdeko (tezacaftor/ivacaftor). Interestingly, subsequently Ms. A noticed an improvement of her blood glucose levels and also started having episodes of hypoglycemia. After about 10 months of use of CFTR modulators, she stopped using Glargine as well as prandial Aspart insulins and just required a couple of units of Aspart occasionally when her blood glucose levels were above target. That happened sporadically. On her last follow up in Dec 2018, Ms. A was feeling well and denied symptoms of hyperglycemia. Her HbA1c at that time was 7.0%, despite the fact that she was not taking long-acting insulin or scheduled prandial insulin for a couple months. Conclusion: CFRD is a distinct form of diabetes mellitus sharing features of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In the recent years, CFTR modulators got approved for the treatment of CF showing improvement in lung function. There is limited evidence that suggests that treatment with CFTR modulators may have a beneficial effect on glycemic control in patients with CFRD with one case report showing resolution of CFRD1. Our case supports this hypothesis. The long-term effect of these medications on progression of CFRD and associated complications is still unknown. Further studies are needed to clarify these questions.

Macroaggregates as biochemically functional hotspots in soil matrix: Evidence from a rice paddy under long-term fertilization treatments in the Taihu Lake Plain, eastern China

Abundance and allocation of organic matter, microbial community and their extracellular enzyme activities in soil aggregates had been increasingly concerned for mediating biogeochemical cycle and biodiversity provided by soil. In this study, the variations of soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation and extracellular enzyme activities in aggregate size fractions of a rice paddy with long-term fertilization treatments were analyzed. These treatments included no fertilizer application (NF) as a control, chemical fertilizer only (CF), chemical fertilizer combined with swine manure (CFM), and with straw residue return (CFS). Hereby, size fractions of soil aggregates respectively of >2000 μm (large macroaggregates), 250–2000 μm (macroaggregates), 53–250 μm (microaggregates), 2–53 μm (fine aggregates), and <2 μm (fine clay) were obtained from undisturbed soil cores following water-dispersion and subsequent wet-sieving using a low energy separation protocol. Of these aggregate fractions, SOC and total nitrogen (N) contents were determined with wet digestion and soil enzyme activities were analyzed with substrate-induction incubation assays. Contents of SOC and total N were both highest in macroaggregates, followed by large macroaggregates and microaggregates, but depleted in fine microaggregates. Activities of carbon-degrading enzymes and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase were markedly enriched in soil aggregate fractions in size >53 μm. Whereas, activity of phenol oxidase was generally concentrated in soil aggregate fractions in size between 2 and 2000 μm while that of peroxidase in size between 53 and 2000 μm. Activity of β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase was both significantly elevated under CFS and that of peroxidase under CF, CFM and CFS treatments, but phenol oxidase activity was suppressed under CFS treatment. The enzyme activities of β-xylosidase, β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase varied greatly (CVs up to 50%), rather with size fractions than with treatments, while those of α-Glucosidase and phenol oxidase varied moderately (CVs up to 35%), rather with treatments than with size fractions. However, those of acid phosphatase and peroxidase changed slightly (CVs up to 20%), regardless of both size fractions and fertilization treatments. Thus, abundance and enrichment of all the soil enzyme activities analyzed depended not on SOC although the overall extracellular enzyme activity was generally well correlated to SOC abundance, among aggregate size fractions. Only activities of carbon-degrading enzymes were greatly enriched in macroaggregates, which were seen reduced under combined organo/mineral fertilization. This study highlighted macroaggregates as biochemically active micro- hotspots and lower activities of carbon-degrading enzymes with SOC accumulation under long-term rational fertilization in the rice paddy.

Nitrous oxide emissions from an Andosol upland field amended with four different types of biochars

The application of biochar can affect the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil. Although laboratory studies reported that biochar applications can reduce N2O emissions, the number of field-based studies is still limited. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of four different types of biochars and their interactions with a variety of environmental parameters on N2O emissions from an Andosol field over a 2-year period (2015–2016). The field experiment consisted of five treatments: chemical (mineral) fertilizer without biochar (CF), chemical fertilizer with rice husk biochar (RH), chemical fertilizer with chipped bamboo biochar (BA), chemical fertilizer with chipped hardwood biochar (HW), and chemical fertilizer with chipped wood briquette biochar made from a mixture of softwood and hardwood sawdust (SH). Biochar was applied at a rate of 25 t ha−1. The NH4+–N and NO3−–N adsorption capacity of biochars before application was also measured. NH4+–N adsorption capacity differed among the biochars, while biochars showed very little NO3−–N absorption capacity. The cumulative N2O emission of biochar treatment to that of the CF treatment during the N2O peak period (17 days) after biochar and fertilizer application increased with the increase of NH4+–N adsorption capacity of the biochar. However, biochar application did not affect the cumulative N2O emission over 2 years in the field condition. The lack of significant differences may have been due to Andosol CEC (31.3 cmol(+) kg−1), which was higher than that of the biochars (4.52–19.65 cmol(+) kg−1), and also high pH-buffering capacity of Andosol.

Characteristics of the mutation spectrum identified by comprehensive investigation of the &lt;i&gt;CFTR &lt;/i&gt;gene in the Russian patients

Rationale: Cystic fibrosis (CF; OMIM 219700) is a common hereditary disease caused by mutations in the CFTR gene (OMIM 602421). The distribution and frequencies of the CFTR gene mutations vary considerably between countries and ethnic groups. By now about 11% alleles of the CFTR gene remain unidentified after testing for frequent mutations in the Russian patients. A full determination of the mutation spectrum in the CFTR gene is necessary to optimize medical and genetic assistance to the population and to implement the achievements of targeted therapy in the treatment of CF patients.Materials and methods: The sample included 121 Russian CF patients, in whom testing for 34 routinely analyzed mutations did not identify one (n = 107) or both (n = 14) mutant alleles. Assessment of the coding sequence of the CFTR gene, including the regions of exon-intron junctions, 5’- and 3’-untranslated regions was performed by the Sanger sequencing method; in addition, the search for large rearrangements was conducted by the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) method.Results: In addition to the previously identified, 88 more variants were determined, including 28 missense mutations, 15 nonsense mutations, 18 frameshift mutations (14 deletions, 4 insertions), 14 splicing mutations, 1 in-frame insertion, 1 in-frame deletion, 1 in/del mutation, and 10 large rearrangements (7 deletions, 3 duplications). Twenty three (23) novel variants were sequenced. Four (4) complex mutant alleles were found. Sixty (60) variants are found once each. One hundred and thirty four (134) of 135 tested mutant alleles were identified.Conclusion: Consequent use of the sequencing and MLPA methods has allowed for identification of a high proportion of the tested mutant alleles in CF patients from Russia (134/135, &gt; 99%), to detect a significant diversity of the CFTR mutation spectrum (88 additional variants, 32 of them novel), a number of repeated mutations (c.2353C&gt;T, c.1240_1244delCAAAA, c.1766+1G&gt;A and c.3929G&gt;A) encountered in 5 or more unrelated patients, which could be included in the panel of routinely analyzed variants in the Russian CF patients; and a high proportion of large rearrangements of the CFTR gene.

Effects of Moisture Content and Additives on the Fermentation Quality and Degradation of Glycoalkaloids in Potato (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Solanum tuberosum&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;) Vine Silage in Tibet

The objectives of this research were to evaluate the effects of raw material moisture content and additives on the fermentation quality and degradation of glycoalkaloids in potato vine silage and to explore new approaches for feedstuff preservation with the aim of providing a source of sustainable livestock feed. Potato vine was partially wilted to three different target moisture contents [approx. 75% (M1), 65% (M2), and 55% (M3)] and treated with (1) formic acid [1.5% fresh weight (FW), FA]; (2) pre-fermented juices (5.0 mL kg−1 FW, PFJ); (3) corn flour (100 g kg−1 DM, CF); (4) potato pulp (30% FW, PP); and (5) no additives (control). After 45 days of ensiling with polyethylene (100 mL), the fermentation quality, chemical composition, and concentration of glycoalkaloids were determined. The results showed that silage quality and glycoalkaloid concentration were significantly influenced by moisture content and additives (P < 0.05). Lactic acid (LA), pH, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) increased slightly with decreasing moisture content; in contrast, the concentration of LA/AA declined. LA content was highest and pH and acetic acid (AA) were lowest at M1 compared with M2 and M3. Little to no butyric acid (BA) was detected in the presence of additives. The FA-treated silage exhibited a significantly reduced pH value and ammonia-N/total-N (NH3-N/TN) content (P < 0.05) and an increased concentration of LA and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs). PP-treated silage provided sufficient fermentation substrate, and the DM and WSC contents increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with the PFJ and CF treatments. Supplementation with PFJ resulted in the pH of the ensiled forage stabilizing at approximately 4.40. With the addition of CF, the LA:AA ratios of the different moisture content treatments were 2.42, 2.15, and 1.75, respectively, which were significantly lower than 3:1 in the other treatments at all moisture contents. The potato glycoalkaloid content of the PV silage increased with decreasing moisture level. Glycoalkaloid concentration was significantly reduced to 0.55, 4.57, and 7.73 100 mg g−1, respectively (P < 0.05), in the different moisture treatments by the addition of FA. In conclusion, the best quality PV silage was produced at 75% moisture content with the addition of FA. Additive ensiling thus constitutes an effective approach for potato vine preservation.

Effects of nitrogen application rate and topdressing times on yield and quality of Chinese cabbage and soil nitrogen dynamics

ABSTRACTA good understanding of the relationship between vegetable quality and soil N balance is very important for proper nitrogen (N) management for crop productions. In this study, a field experiment was carried out to investigate the N application rate and times on Chinese cabbage yield and quality, N use efficiency, soil nitrate-N concentration, and soil pH. The experiment was implemented in a two-way factorial design and the two factors comprises of number of N applications (once, twice and three times, denoted as T1, T2 and T3) and N rates (15%, 30% and 45% less than conventional rates (CF), denoted as F1, F2 and F3, respectively). The treatments were also compared with a no-fertilizer blank and a control (CF) with a conventional N management practice. The results showed that the highest yield of cabbage (164.65 t hm−2), Vitamine C content (14.80 g 100 g−1 fresh mass), soluble sugar content (2.33 mg kg−1), plant N uptake (119.2 kg hm−2) were obtained under T3F1 treatment. Compared with CF treatment, T3F1 treatment significantly increased vegetable yield, vitamin C and soluble sugar content in fruit, and nitrogen use efficiency by 10.97%, 13.76% and 17.68%, and 18.76%, respectively. Nitrate-N content in cabbage was reduced by 7.55% in T3F1 treatment. With the reduced N application rate, soil pH gradually changed from 6.25 to 7.26. T3F1 treatment is a most suitable N management practice for vegetable production, in terms of higher vegetable yield and quality, soil N content, depressed soil acidification and nutrient uptake by Chinese cabbage.

Effects of different agricultural organic wastes on soil GHG emissions: During a 4-year field measurement in the North China Plain

Large quantities and many varieties of agricultural organic wastes are produced in China annually. Applying agricultural organic wastes to soil plays an essential role in coping with the environmental pollution from agricultural wastes, solving the energy crisis and responding global climate change. But there is little information available on the effects of different agricultural organic wastes on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The objectives of this study were to investigate and compare the impacts of different organic wastes on soil GHG emissions during a 4-year field experiments in the North China Plain, as well as analyze the influential factors that may be related to GHG emissions. The treatments were: crop straw (CS), biogas residue (BR), mushroom residue (MR), wine residue (WR) and pig manure (PM) returning to soil, as well as a control with no organic waste applied to soil but chemical fertilizer addition only (CF). The results showed that compared with CF treatment, organic material applied to soil significantly increased GHG emissions and emissions followed the order of WR(27,961.51 kg CO2-eq/ha/yr) > PM(26,376.50 kg CO2-eq/ha/yr) > MR(23,366.60 kg CO2-eq/ha/yr) > CS(22,434.44 kg CO2-eq/ha/yr) > BR (22,029.04 kg CO2-eq/ha/yr) > CF(17,402.77 kg CO2-eq/ha/yr), averagely. And considering the affecting factors, GHG emissions were significantly related to soil temperature and soil water content. Different organic wastes also affected soil total organic carbon (TOC), microbial carbon (MBC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) contents, which related to GHG emissions. Further analysis showed that characteristics of organic wastes affected GHG emissions, which included C-N ratio, lignin, polyphenol, cellulose and hemicellulose. Our study demonstrates that biogas residue returning to soil emitted minimum GHG emissions among these different types of organic wastes, which provided a better solution for applying organic wastes to mitigate soil GHG emissions.

Cystic Fibrosis Mortality in Childhood. Data from European Cystic Fibrosis Society Patient Registry

Data collected in the European Cystic Fibrosis Society Patient Registry (ECFSPR) database were used to investigate whether risk factors for death in childhood and adolescents CF patients have different impact in countries of different income. In this way, it is possible to recognize where interventions could improve the quality of care and survival in these patients. We matched deceased and alive patients by age, country, year of follow-up. Multivariable logistic models were developed. In the years of this study, the ECFSPR collected information on 24,416 patients younger than 18 years: 7830 patients were from countries with low/middle income and 16,586 from countries with high income; among these the dead are 102 and 107 (p < 0.001), respectively. The use of oxygen, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) below 40% and BMI standard deviation score (SDS) below −2 represent risk factors for death. However, some patients from countries with high income remain alive even if their values of FEV1% and BMI-SDS were low, and some deceased patients from countries with high income had high values of FEV1% (>60%). Evaluation of mortality in pediatric age may reflect the availability of resources for CF diagnosis and treatment in some countries.

Effects of the Veterinary Antibiotic Sulfamethazine on Ammonia Volatilization from a Paddy Field Treated with Conventional Synthetic Fertilizer and Manure

Veterinary antibiotics have been widely detected in croplands due to the application of animal excrements as fertilizer. However, their effects on ammonia (NH3) volatilization remain unclear. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of sulfamethazine on NH3 volatilization from a paddy field when conventional synthetic fertilizer or manure was applied as basal fertilizer. Five different treatments were conducted in this study: without application of fertilizers and antibiotics (CK), compound fertilizer used as basal fertilizer with and without the addition of sulfamethazine (CF+SD and CF respectively), and pig manure used as base fertilizer with and without the addition of sulfamethazine (CM+SD and CM respectively). Urea was used for topdressing in the CF, CF+SD, CM, and CM+SD treatments. The results showed that regardless of the fertilizer type applied, sulfamethazine did not affect the seasonal pattern of NH3volatilization. However, it promoted the NH3 volatilization rate in the topdressing stage significantly (P<0.01). During the observation period, the proportions of applied N lost as NH3-N in the CF+SD and CM+SD treatments were 1.65 and 2.78 times higher than those in the CF and CM treatments, respectively. The promoting effect of sulfamethazine was more obvious in the pig manure treatment than in the compound fertilizer treatment. Sulfamethazine significantly increased the soil urease activity (P<0.05). Furthermore, the NH3 volatilization rate was positively correlated with urease activity and soil ammonia nitrogen content (P<0.05). This indicates that sulfamethazine can increase the NH3 volatilization rate by changing the soil urease activity and inorganic nitrogen content. Controlling the misuse of veterinary antibiotics and environmental and ecological risks posed by the antibiotic residues in farmland excrements are urgent problems in China that need to be solved.

Effect of zeolite application on phenology, grain yield and grain quality in rice under water stress

Plant growth and grain yield of various upland crops in response to zeolite application have been extensively studied, but little information is available on the impact of zeolite application on rice grown in the lowlands under water stress. A two-year experiment was conducted using lysimeters in the field to evaluate the influence of zeolite application (15 t ha–1) on phenology, grain yield and grain quality in a local rice cultivar (Shennong 9765) under three irrigation regimes (CF, continuous flooding irrigation; IAWD, improved alternate wetting and drying irrigation; and AWD, alternate wetting and drying irrigation). Regardless of water supply, zeolite application significantly increased leaf area index (LAI) at all the measured stages except for tillering, SPAD values at the jointing–booting and heading–flowering stages, photosynthetic rate (Pn) at heading–flowering stage, and grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Moreover, zeolite addition significantly increased the head rice rate and decreased the chalk rice rate and chalkiness. The IAWD and CF treatments had similar SPAD values and Pn at the heading–flowering stage, and grain yield, while the AWD treatment significantly reduced those values, relative to the CF treatment. The IAWD and AWD treatments significantly increased WUE, milled rice rate, head rice rate, peak viscosity, and breakdown, but decreased water use, LAI, chalky rice rate, chalkiness, cool viscosity, and setback. These results suggest that the adoption of IAWD with 15 t ha–1 of zeolite application could reduce irrigation water use, increase grain yield and improve grain quality in rice.

Proteasome inhibition blocks necroptosis by attenuating death complex aggregation

Proteasome inhibitors have achieved clinical success because they trigger intrinsic and extrinsic cell death to eliminate susceptible human cancers. The ubiquitin-proteasome protein degradation system regulates signaling pathways by controlling levels of components such as cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (cIAP)1 and cIAP2 in TNF-mediated cell death. Here, we sought to evaluate the contribution of necroptosis to the cell death pattern induced by the specific proteasome inhibitor Carfilzomib (Cf). Proteasome inhibitor-sensitive multiple myeloma cell lines die in response to Cf by apoptosis in combination with serine protease-dependent death, without any contribution of RIPK3-dependent necroptosis. Proteasome inhibition leads to the induction of apoptotic markers such as activated caspase-3 rather than necroptotic markers such as phosphorylated-MLKL in all cell lines tested. In HT-29 cells, Cf attenuates the late RIPK1 interaction with TNFR1 during TNF-induced necroptosis without altering the sensitivity of cIAP antagonists. Cf treatment results in decreased translocation of death signaling components RIPK1, FADD, caspase-8, cFLIP, and RIPK3 to detergent insoluble fractions. Our results show that proteasome inhibition with Cf impairs necroptosis and favors apoptosis even in cells with intact necroptotic machinery. Following the induction of TNFR1-mediated necroptosis, proteasome activity stabilizes effective aggregation and activation of ripoptosome/necrosome complexes.

Deficit irrigation and fertilization strategies to improve soil quality and alfalfa yield in arid and semi-arid areas of northern China.

BackgroundIn the arid and semi-arid areas of northern China, overexploitation of fertilizers and extensive irrigation with brackish groundwater have led to soil degradation and large areas of farmland have been abandoned. In order to improve the soil quality of abandoned farmland and make reasonable use of brackish groundwater, we conducted field trials in 2013 and 2014.MethodsIn our study, we used three fertilization modes (CF, chemical fertilizer; OM, organic manure and chemical fertilizer; NF, no fertilizer) and three deficit irrigation levels (I0: 0 mm; I75: 75 mm; I150: 150 mm).ResultsThe results showed that the activities of soil urease, alkaline phosphatase, invertase, catalase, and dehydrogenase in the OM treatment were significantly improved compared with those in the CF and NF treatments under the three deficit irrigation levels. Compared with NF, the OM treatment significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC), water-soluble carbon (WSC), total nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen (MBC and MBN), and soil respiration rate, and significantly decreased soil C:N and MBC:MBN ratios and the metabolic quotient, thus improving the soil quality of abandoned farmland. Furthermore, the OM treatment increased alfalfa plant height, leaf area index, leaf chlorophyll content, and biomass yield. Under the CF and OM fertilization modes, the activities of urease and catalase in I150 were significantly higher than those in I0, whereas irrigating without fertilizer did not significantly increase the activity of these two enzymes. Regardless of fertilization, alkaline phosphatase activity increased with an increase in irrigation amount, whereas invertase activity decreased.DiscussionThe results showed that deficit irrigation with brackish groundwater under the OM treatment can improve soil quality. Over the two years of the study, maximum SOC, total nitrogen, WSC, MBC, and MBN were observed under the OM-I150 treatment, and the alfalfa biomass yield of this treatment was also significantly higher than that of the OM-I0 treatment. Therefore, the OM-I150 treatment could be used as a suitable measure not only to improve the quality of abandoned farmland soil but also to increase the alfalfa biomass yield in arid and semi-arid areas of northern China.

Phosphorus and potassium availability from cattle manure ash in relation to their extractability and grass tetany hazard

ABSTRACTDue to a decrease in phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) mining, manure is incinerated to concentrate P and K in ash. To understand the alternative use of manure-derived ash as P and K sources, laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between extractability and P and K uptake in cattle manure ash (CMA) and that between CMA application and a grass tetany hazard. The results showed that more P was extracted with 2% citric acid (90% of the total P) than with 2% formic acid (72–84% of the total P). Ninety-one percent of the total K was soluble in water. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to test P and K availability to Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus). Cattle manure ash or calcium dihydrogen phosphate (CF) was incorporated into sandy soil at 10, 20, and 50 g P2O5 m−2. Two combinations of CMA and CF were tested at 20 g P2O5 m−2. Potassium rates followed K content in CMA applied at different rates of P equivalent to 19, 38, or 96 g K2O m−2. In four harvests, there was no significant difference in the total yields between CMA and CF treatments. The total P uptake was significantly lower in the CMA treatment than in the CF treatment, while it was not in the combined CMA and CF treatments. The P uptake in response to different extraction methods indicated that the extraction of P by 2% formic acid without sonication is recommended to predict P availability in CMA. The potassium uptake from CMA application was comparable to that from the KCl application, and excessive K occurred at 38 and 96 g K2O m−2. The grass tetany hazard ratio higher than 2.2 was observed at the beginning period at the lowest application rates of CMA and CF. In conclusion, the combination use of CMA and CF was better than the single use of CMA. Moreover, CMA would be an available K source, but the grass tetany hazard still needs to be considered in application rates and pretreatments.

Effects of controlled-release fertilizer on nitrous oxide and nitric oxide emissions during wheat-growing season: field and pot experiments

Outdoor pot and field experiments were conducted to study the effect of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) on nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO) emissions and wheat yields during the 2011–2013. Three treatments, namely conventional N fertilizer (CF; urea and compound fertilizer, 300 kg N ha−1), CRF (210 kg N ha−1, which is 70% of the N applied in the CF treatment), and check (CK, 0 N), were applied in three replicates. The soil temperature, soil moisture, N uptake by wheat, wheat yield, and variations in NO3–N, NH4–N, N2O, and NO emissions were measured. Results showed that the average total N2O and NO emissions in the CRF treatment in the pot and field experiments decreased by 26.5 and 19.4%, respectively. The average N2O and NO emission factors decreased by 32.1 and 24.8%, respectively, compared with the CF treatment. However, the CRF wheat yields were insignificantly lower than those from the CF treatment. Results indicated that CRF could improve the efficiency of fertilizer N use, reduce labor cost, and increase economic benefit without sacrificing the yield.

Corni Fructus attenuates testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia by suppressing 5α-reductase and androgen receptor expression in rats.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESBenign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is a major cause of abnormal overgrowth of the prostate mainly in the elderly. Corni Fructus has been reported to be effective in the prevention and treatment of various diseases because of its strong antioxidant effect, but its efficacy against BPH is not yet known. This study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Corni Fructus water extract (CF) in testosterone-induced BPH rats.MATERIALS/METHODSTo induce BPH, rats were intraperitoneal injected with testosterone propionate (TP). Rats in the treatment group were orally administered with CF with TP injection, and finasteride, which is a selective inhibitor of 5α-reductase type 2, was used as a positive control.RESULTSOur results showed that the increased prostate weight and histopathological changes in BPH model rats were suppressed by CF treatment. CF, similar to the finasteride-treated group, decreased the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone by TP treatment in the serum, and it also reduced 5α-reductase expression and concentration in prostate tissue and serum, respectively. In addition, CF significantly blocked the expression of the androgen receptor (AR), AR co-activators, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in BPH rats, and this blocking was associated with a decrease in prostate-specific antigen levels in serum and prostate tissue.CONCLUSIONSThese results suggest that CF may weaken the BPH status through the inactivation of at least 5α-reductase and AR activity and may be useful for the clinical treatment of BPH.

Long-term Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Standard Therapy

The purpose of this study was to report the therapeutic results obtained from prospective protocols at the Hematology Service of our hospital, over the course of this century, before new drugs were used. All patients underwent chemotherapy (only one recent group also received rituximab). All LCL patients taken care of at the Hematology Service of the National Medical Center (CMN) “20 de Noviembre”, ISSSTE. Patients included in this study were diagnosed with LCL and met the following criteria: persistent lymphocytosis above 5 × 109/L, for more than three months; typical lymphocytic morphology, with less than 10% of immature forms; immunophenotype of B strain with CD5, CD19, CD 79a, CD 20, CD22, CD23, CD24, CD25 + low-intensity SmIg; 30%+ lymph cells in the bone marrow. From 2001 to late 2016, 2’857patients were taken care of de novo. Out of these patients, 61 were diagnosed with LCL (2.1%). Twenty-four patients suffered from chronic diseases when LCL was diagnosed; Diabetes Mellitus type 2 in 14 patients; uremia in 4 patients, heart disease in 3 patients; the remaining ones were systemic high blood pressure (2) and rheumatoid arthritis (1). Until 2004, the first-line therapeutic treatment was CL only. CF was applied for the next four years (until 2008). Lastly, CFR is used until 2016. The lack of remission is only noticed when no treatment was administered or CL or CF treatment was administered. The best responses were achieved with CFR (p=0.0001). CL toxicity was found once only (neutropenia). There were two incidents with CF: neutropenia and pancytopenia. CFR was related to two cases of pancytopenia (p= 0.52). In the multivaried analysis, lymphocytic leukocytosis was a negative predictor for SLP and SG and lymph cell count for the bone marrow. Therefore, lymphocytic leukocytosis is the most frequent variable related to the forecast. It seems reasonable that being a benchmark of the neoplastic level it may be used as a reliable indicator. However, this finding has not been consistent, although other authors have reported it. Compared against the new forecasting data and new drugs, the variables herein are applicable only if used as per the treatments used herein. With new drugs, new forecast data are to be used.

The Mechanisms of High N2O Emissions from Greenhouse Vegetable Field Soils

Vegetable cultivation in China is characterized by high N application rate, multiple cropping, and frequent irrigation, which may have caused high N2O emission. However, the N2O emission characteristics and the underlying mechanisms responsible for N2O emission under high N application rate in the greenhouse vegetable field soils remains largely unknown. Thus, we conducted a field experiment to monitor N2O emissions using static chamber and gas chromatography techniques. Meanwhile, an incubation experiment was carried out to quantify soil gross N transformation rates and N2O emissions pathways via 15N tracing and N2O source partitioning methods, respectively. The experiment involved three treatments: Conventional farmland cultivated with soybean (CF), greenhouse vegetable field receiving only chemical N fertilizer (CGV), and greenhouse vegetable field receiving both organic manure and chemical N fertilizer (OGV). Our results showed that soil N2O emissions in the greenhouse vegetable fields, especially in OGV treatment, were significantly higher than those in CF treatment. Heterotrophic nitrification was the dominant pathway for N2O emissions accounting for up to 84.0% of the total N2O flux. The gross heterotrophic nitrification rate was 19.52 mg N kg−1 per day (accounting for 81% of the total nitrification rate) in OGV treatment, which was significantly higher than in CGV and CF treatment. As a consequence, the application of nitrification inhibitors might not be an effective mitigation options of N2O emissions from the greenhouse vegetable fields in China.

Gaseous losses of fertilizer nitrogen from a citrus orchard in the red soil hilly region of Southeast China

ABSTRACTThe gaseous losses of fertilizer nitrogen (N) applied to agroecosystems are a major contributor to a host of environmental problems, inefficient production systems, and decreased N-use efficiency. These losses lead to the wastage of resources, increasing the greenhouse effect and harming human health. The red soil hilly region of Southeast China houses the biggest orchard area of the world, and nitrogen fertilizers are usually heavily applied to the orchard systems in China. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the gaseous losses of the fertilizer N by ammonia (NH3) volatilization and denitrification losses using the venting method and acetylene inhibition method respectively, and to assess the potential environmental risk of NH3 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from this orchard system based on the recent orchard management practices. An experiment was conducted in an Ougan citrus (Citrus reticulata Blanco ‘Suavissima’) orchard in the red soil hilly region of Southeast China. Three fertilization treatments, including the control (no N fertilizer, CK), poultry manure (at a rate of 6.3 t/ha, OM), and conventional fertilization (OM 6.3 t/ha + chemical fertilizer 393 kg N/ha, CF), were used. In all treatments, the fertilizers were incorporated into the soil after application. The test results, which were continuously determined within one year, indicated that the NH3 volatilization losses accounted for 4.5% of the OM nitrogen (OM-N) and 2.9% of the CF nitrogen (CF-N), whereas the denitrification N losses accounted for 2.1% of the OM-N and 2.9% of the CF-N. Overall, the total gaseous N losses (including NH3 volatilization losses and denitrification N losses) were 5.8% in the CF treatment. A relatively higher N2O flux, accounting for 1.8% of the CF-N, emitted from the CF treatment.

Bioorganic fertilizer maintains a more stable soil microbiome than chemical fertilizer for monocropping

Understanding the responses of soil microbiome composition to various farming practices is important for selecting suitable managements to maintain soil functions. In this study, the influences of heavy chemical fertilizer application (CF) and reduced chemical fertilizer supplemented with organic (OF) or bioorganic fertilizer (BF, BF = OF + Trichoderma) on composition of soil microbiome were investigated for monocropping cucumber systems using a five-season continuous pot experiment. The MiSeq sequencing data indicated that the CF treatment resulted in the lowest fungal diversity and the BF treatment resulted in a relatively higher one close to the initial soil (CK). The BF and OF treatments had similar impacts on the composition of bacterial community, and the CF treatment significantly reduced bacterial diversity. Although both OF and BF treatments had better plant growth responses, they had less disturbance on the composition of fungal community relative to the CF treatment. The BF treatment is more predictable than the other treatments for postponing fungal diversity as the inoculated fungal species significantly (p < 0.05) affected the fungal community. In conclusion, the combination of bioorganic fertilizers with reduced chemical fertilizer application can maintain a diverse soil microbiome in cucumber monocropping.