Low Nitrogen Levels Research Articles

The impact of external plant carbon sources on nitrogen removal and microbial community structure in vertical flow constructed wetlands

The present study was developed to explore nitrogen removal performance and associated microbial mechanisms of action in vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) when using external carbon sources. These analyses ultimately revealed that alkali-soaked Phragmites australis (P. australis) could serve as an effective plant carbon source, exhibiting the lower levels of total nitrogen (TN) release and the highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) of all tested carbon sources. Nitrogen removal efficiency improved following the addition of plant carbon sources, and under carbon/nitrogen (C/N) rations of 2, 4, 5, and 7, the VFCW system was able to remove 43.69%–75.76% TN, with the highest removal rate being observed at a C/N of 5. The abundance of denitrifying microorganisms such as Thiobaillus and Halomonas were also more enriched in VFCW1 than VFCW0, with stronger correlations in the microbial network community. A qPCR approach was used to analyze functional genes involved in denitrification, revealing that the addition of plant carbon sources was associated with increases in total gene abundance and the abundance of the denitrifying gene nirS, whereas no corresponding increase in amoA or nxrA abundance was observed. Higher total gene, amoA, and nxrA abundance were observed in the upper levels of these VFCW systems as compared to the lower layers, whereas nirS exhibited the opposite abundance pattern. Overall, these findings suggested that short-range denitrification is likely to be the primary denitrification process active in this VFCW system.

Influence of Nitrogen and Plant growth regulators on Growth and Yield of Zaid finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.)

A field experiment was conducted during Zaid season of 2022 at the Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (UP) India. To study the Response of Nitrogen and plant growth regulators on growth and yield of zaid finger millet. The treatments consist of Nitrogen 40,60,80 kg/ha and plant growth regulators Salicylic acid 40ppm, Benzyl Amino Purine 50ppm, Chlormequat chloride 200 ppm. There were 10 treatments each replicated thrice. During the experiment, the soil in the experimental plot had a sandy loam texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.8), had a low level of organic carbon (0.35%) and had a low level of available Nitrogen (163.42 kg/ha), available Phosphorus (21.96 kg/ha) and available Potassium (256.48 kg/ha). Results revealed that the higher plant height (79.76 cm), number of tillers/plant (7.85/plant), plant dry weight (25.92g/plant), seed yield (3.25 t/ha), straw yield (4.81 t/ha) and Harvest index (40.34%) were significantly influenced with application of nitrogen 80 kg/ha + salicylic acid 40 ppm.

Nitrogen-Doped Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Floating-Catalyst CVD Process

Due to the properties of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT), thin film SWCNTs have been used for many versatile applications. Direct synthesis of the nanotube films with desired electronic structures without prerequisite of post treatment process then becomes one important step. Here, we present the synthesis of nitrogen-doped SWCNTs by floating-catalyst chemical vapor deposition process. With low nitrogen level incorporated into the sp2 carbon network, substitutional and pyridinic nitrogens become predominance. The electronic structure of N-doped SWCNT film could be changed into n-type doping. The localized structures of carbon and nitrogen bonding environments were also revealed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The formation of p-n junction was also obtained from the I-V characteristic of N-doped SWCNT heterojunction diode revealing n-type behavior of the sample.

Effects of paricalcitol combined with hemodiafiltration on bone-metabolism-related indexes in patients with diabetic nephropathy and chronic renal failure.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is frequently seen in the development of diabetes mellitus, and its pathogenic factors are complicated. Its current treatment is controversial, and there is a lack of a relevant efficacy prediction model. To determine the effects of paricalcitol combined with hemodiafiltration on bone-metabolism-related indexes in patients with DN and chronic renal failure (CRF), and to construct an efficacy prediction model. We retrospectively analyzed 422 patients with DN and CRF treated in Cangzhou Central Hospital between May 2020 and May 2022. We selected 94 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were assigned to a dialysis group (n = 45) and a joint group (n = 49) in relation to therapeutic regimen. The clinical efficacy of the two groups was compared after treatment. The changes in laboratory indexes after treatment were evaluated, and the two groups were compared for the incidence of adverse reactions. The predictive value of laboratory indexes on the clinical efficacy on patients was analyzed. The dialysis group showed a notably worse improvement in clinical efficacy than the joint group (P = 0.017). After treatment, the joint group showed notably lower serum levels of serum creatinine, uric acid (UA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) than the dialysis group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the joint group had lower serum levels of phosphorus, procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide (PINP) and intact parathyroid hormone than the dialysis group, but a higher calcium level (P < 0.001). Both groups had a similar incidence of adverse reactions (P > 0.05). According to least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis, UA, BUN, phosphorus and PINP were related to treatment efficacy. According to further comparison, the non-improvement group had higher risk scores than the improvement group (P < 0.0001), and the area under the curve of the risk score in efficacy prediction was 0.945. For treatment of CRF and DN, combined paricalcitol and hemodiafiltration can deliver higher clinical efficacy and improve the bone metabolism of patients, with good safety.

Efficacy of combined use of acetylcysteine and methylprednisolone in the treatment of paraquat poisoning

Purpose: To investigate the clinical impact of combined application of acetylcysteine and methylprednisolone in treating paraquat poisoning (PQP).Methods: The clinical data of 92 PQP patients who received treatment in our hospital for 1 year were analyzed. The patients were equally divided into control group (CG) and study group (SG), based on treatment plans. All patients underwent routine acute-phase treatment, while SG was additionally treated with acetylcysteine in combination with methylprednisolone. After treatment, the renal function, pulmonary fibrosis indices and inflammatory factor levels of both groups were determined.Results: During the 1 - 4 weeks of treatment, there was no statistical difference in the survival rates of patients at various time periods (p &gt; 0.05). After treatment, there were markedly lower levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr) in SG than in CG. There was lower incidence of pulmonary fibrosis in SG than in CG, although the difference was not significant. Patients in SG had lower HRCT scores and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) than those in CG (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: Acetylcysteine in combination with methylprednisolone significantly reduces the degree of pulmonary fibrosis and improves renal function and inflammatory levels. It has a positive implication for early treatment of patients, especially for the prognosis of patients with mild-to-moderate poisoning. Therefore, the combined therapy has potential for clinical application.

Interkingdom network analyses reveal microalgae and protostomes as keystone taxa involved in nutrient cycling in large freshwater lake sediment.

Few studies have explored the role of interkingdom interactions between bacteria and microeukaryotes in nutrient cycling in lake ecosystems. We conducted sediment sampling from 40 locations covering Hongze Lake and analyzed their chemical properties. Intra- and interkingdom networks were constructed using 16S and 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Microeukaryotic intranetworks were more complex in spring than in autumn, while no clear variation in the complexity of bacterial intranetworks was found between autumn and spring. Larger and more complex bacterial-microeukaryotic bipartite networks emerged in spring than in autumn, correlated with lower carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus levels in spring, likely resulting in intense microbial competition. Bacteria and microeukaryotes played different topological roles in interkingdom networks, with microeukaryotes contributing to the networks' greater complexity. Seven keystone modules were identified in spring and autumn nutrient cycling. Importantly, keystone taxa in these modules belonged to photoautotrophic microalgae or predatory protostomes, indicating that these organisms are key drivers in lake sediment nutrient cycling. Our results suggested that nutrient content variation in autumn and spring changes interkingdom networks' topological structure between bacteria and microeukaryotes. Microalgae and protostomes are essential in freshwater lake nutrient cycling and may be targeted to modulate nutrient cycling in large freshwater ecosystems.

Local and Bayesian Survival FDR Estimations to Identify Reliable Associations in Whole Genome of Bread Wheat.

Estimating the FDR significance threshold in genome-wide association studies remains a major challenge in distinguishing true positive hypotheses from false positive and negative errors. Several comparative methods for multiple testing comparison have been developed to determine the significance threshold; however, these methods may be overly conservative and lead to an increase in false negative results. The local FDR approach is suitable for testing many associations simultaneously based on the empirical Bayes perspective. In the local FDR, the maximum likelihood estimator is sensitive to bias when the GWAS model contains two or more explanatory variables as genetic parameters simultaneously. The main criticism of local FDR is that it focuses only locally on the effects of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in tails of distribution, whereas the signal associations are distributed across the whole genome. The advantage of the Bayesian perspective is that knowledge of prior distribution comes from other genetic parameters included in the GWAS model, such as linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis, minor allele frequency (MAF) and call rate of significant associations. We also proposed Bayesian survival FDR to solve the multi-collinearity and large-scale problems, respectively, in grain yield (GY) vector in bread wheat with large-scale SNP information. The objective of this study was to obtain a short list of SNPs that are reliably associated with GY under low and high levels of nitrogen (N) in the population. The five top significant SNPs were compared with different Bayesian models. Based on the time to events in the Bayesian survival analysis, the differentiation between minor and major alleles within the association panel can be identified.

Optimizing water and nitrogen management strategies to improve their use efficiency, eggplant yield and fruit quality.

With improvement in living standards, consumer preferences for vegetables are changing from quantity- to quality-oriented. Water and nitrogen supply, as two major determinants of vegetable crop yield and quality, can be optimally managed to improve the yield and quality. To evaluate the response in yield, fruit quality, and water and nitrogen utilization of eggplant to different water and nitrogen management strategies, a 2-year (2021 and 2022) field trial under mulched drip irrigation was conducted. The growth period was divided into seedling, flowering and fruit set, fruit development, and fruit ripening stages. Three irrigation levels were applied during the flowering and fruit set stage: W0, adequate water supply (70%-80% of field water capacity, FC); W1, mild water deficit (60%-70% FC); and W2, moderate water deficit (50%-60% FC). In addition, three nitrogen application rates were applied: N1, low nitrogen level (215 kg ha-1); N2, medium nitrogen level (270 kg ha-1); and N3, high nitrogen level (325 kg ha-1). The irrigation and nitrogen rates were applied in all combinations (i.e., nine treatments in total). Adequate water supply throughout the reproductive period in combination with no nitrogen application served as the control (CK). The yield of the W1N2 treatment was significantly increased by 32.62% and 35.06% in 2021 and 2022, respectively, compared with that of the CK. Fruit soluble protein, soluble solids, and vitamin C contents were significantly higher under W1 than W2. Fruit quality was significantly higher under the N2 rate compared with the other nitrogen rates. The W1N2 treatment showed the highest water productivity, with a significant increase of 11.27%-37.84% (2021) and 14.71%-42.48% (2022) compared with that under the other treatments. Based on the average water-deficit degree and nitrogen application rate, W0 and N1 had the highest partial factor productivity of nitrogen. Assessment of the results using the TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution) method indicated that mild water deficit in combination with the medium nitrogen application rate (W1N2) was the optimal water and nitrogen management strategy for cultivated eggplant. The present findings contribute novel insights into the sustainable cultivation of eggplant in an oasis arid environment.

Loss of Dact2 alleviates cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity through regulation of the Igfl-MAPK pathway axis.

Wnt signaling is a principal pathway regulating the essential activities of cell proliferation. Here, we investigated the effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling on in vivo drug-induced renal injury through the deletion of Dact2, a Wnt antagonist, and deciphered the underlying mechanism. Wild-type (WT) and Dact2 knockout (KO) mice were administered a single intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin to induce renal injury. The injury was alleviated in Dact2 KO mice, which showed lower levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. RNA sequencing revealed 194 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between WT and Dact2 KO mouse kidney before cisplatin treatment. Among them, higher levels of Igf1, one of the Wnt target genes responsible for "Positive regulation of cell proliferation" in KO mice, were confirmed along with the induction of Ki67 expression. In RNA-seq analysis comparing WT and Dact2 KO mice after cisplatin treatment, genes related to "Apoptosis" and "Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity" were among the downregulated DEGs in KO mice. These results were corroborated in western blotting of proteins related to apoptosis and proapoptotic MAPK pathway; the expression of which was found to be lower in cisplatin-treated KO mice. Importantly, β-catenin was found to directly bind to and regulate the transcription of Igf1, leading to the alleviation of cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity by the Wnt agonist, CHIR-99021. In addition, Igf1 knockdown accelerated cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity, accompanied by the MAPK upregulation. Our findings suggest that Dact2 knockout could protect cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by inhibiting apoptosis, possibly through the regulation of the Igf1-MAPK axis associated with Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Revitalizing sub-optimal drylands: Exploring the role of biofertilizers

Abstract Indonesia has a dry land area of 79.69%, with low soil productivity (physical, chemical, and biological), as well as uneven and unpredictable rainfall. The dryland potential is optimally utilized using biofertilizers that can produce microbes to increase soil fertility. This research aims to determine the effects of biofertilizers on dryland improvement and crop production. The study was conducted from February to May 2021 in Central Java, Indonesia. Using a randomized block design in peanut cultivation. Six biofertilizers (Controlled, Agrimeth, BioNutrient, Gliocompost, Agrimeth + BioNutrient, Agrimeth + BioNutrient + Gliocompost) were applied with four replications. The performance of each biofertilizer was assessed based on chemical soil parameters, soil microbe population, plant growth, and yields. The soil in the study area belonged to the Inceptisols group and exhibited moderately acidic pH, low organic carbon content, and low nitrogen levels. However, it had high potential and available phosphorus, as well as moderate potential and high available potassium. BioNutrient and Gliocompost increased available phosphate by 12 and 19%, respectively, due to the presence of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Aspergillus sp. Agrimeth influenced the population of Azospirillum (45–63%) and enhanced phosphate-solubilizing bacteria. Agrimeth + BioNutrient + Gliocompost promoted the growth of the Azospirillum and Trichoderma populations (17–18%), resulting in a 45.04% increase in profits. Biofertilizer inoculation positively affected peanut development, root nodule formation, and yield. This novelty showed the potential of biofertilizers in improving dryland conditions, increasing crop productivity, and contributing to sustainable agriculture in the long term.

Optimizing biomass yield of three herbaceous forage legumes through dual inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Rhizobia

The production of forage legumes under Sub-Saharan region of Eastern Cape Province (South Africa) had been limited by several factors which includes low levels of soil nitrogen and phosphorus. The current study aimed at investigating the effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Rhizobium inoculation on growth and yield of three forage legumes, namely, Vigna unguiculata, Lablab purpureus and Mucuna pruriens. The field trials were established over two growing seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) to measure growth parameters such as seedling survival, plant height, stem diameter and plant vigor as well as mycorrhizal dependency, nodulation and forage yield. The results showed that the dual inoculation of AMF and Rhizobia bacteria significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05) seedling survival, plant height, stem diameter, plant vigor, nodule numbers, active nodulation rate and dry matter yield. However, nodule dry weight and dry matter content of forage legumes were significantly reduced by the dual inoculation of AMF and Rhizobia. In conclusion, the dual inoculation resulted in high forage production compared to single inoculation and un-inoculated forages in both seasons. Therefore, the dual inoculation could be an ideal alternative in attempts to reduce the overreliance of chemical fertilizer application on forage production under semi-arid regions.

Effects of temperature and nutrients on microscopic stages of the bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana, Phaeophyceae).

Warming ocean temperatures have been linked to kelp forest declines worldwide, and elevated temperatures can act synergistically with other local stressors to exacerbate kelp loss. The bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana is the primary canopy-forming kelp species in the Salish Sea, where it is declining in areas with elevated summer water temperatures and low nutrient concentrations. To determine the interactive effects of these two stressors on microscopic stages of N. luetkeana, we cultured gametophytes and microscopic sporophytes from seven different Salish Sea populations across seven different temperatures (10-22°C) and two nitrogen concentrations. The thermal tolerance of microscopic gametophytes and sporophytes was similar across populations, and high temperatures were more stressful than low nitrogen levels. Additional nitrogen did not improve gametophyte or sporophyte survival at high temperatures. Gametophyte densities were highest between 10 and 16°C and declined sharply at 18°C, and temperatures of 20 and 22°C were lethal. The window for successful sporophyte production was narrower, peaking at 10-14°C. Across all populations, the warmest temperature at which sporophytes were produced was 16 or 18°C, but sporophyte densities were 78% lower at 16°C and 95% lower at 18°C compared to cooler temperatures. In the field, bottom temperatures revealed that the thermal limits of gametophyte growth (18°C) and sporophyte production (16-18°C) were reached during the summer at multiple sites. Prolonged exposure of bull kelp gametophytes to temperatures of 16°C and above could limit reproduction, and therefore recruitment, of adult kelp sporophytes.

Transcriptomic analysis of humic acid in relieving the inhibitory effect of high nitrogen on soybean nodulation.

Nitrogen fertilizer intake promotes soybean growth before the formation of nodules, but excess nitrogen has an inhibitory effect on soybean nodulation. It is important to balance nitrogen levels to meet both growth and nodulation needs. the nitrogen level suitable for soybean growth and nodulation was studied, the role of humic acid (HA) in alleviating the inhibition of high nitrogen on soybean nodulation was analyzed, and transcriptomic analysis was performed to understand its mechanism. The results showed that a lower level of nitrogen with 36.4 mg urea per pot could increase the number of nodules of soybean, and a higher level of nitrogen with 145.9 mg urea per pot (U4 group) had the best growth indicators but inhibited nodulation significantly. HA relieved the inhibitory effect at high nitrogen level, and the number of nodules increased by 122.1% when 1.29 g HA was added (H2 group) compared with the U4 group. The transcriptome analysis was subsequently performed on the H2 and U4 groups, showing that there were 2995 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) on the 25th day, accounting for 6.678% of the total annotated genes (44,848) under the test conditions. These DEGs were enriched in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway-plant, flavonoid biosynthesis, and plant hormone signal transduction based on the -log10 (P adjusted) value in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG). HA balanced the nitrogen level through the above pathways in soybean planting to control the number of nodules.

Potential role of algae extract as a natural stimulating for wheat production under reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates and water deficit

Deficit irrigation is a good strategy to increase water use efficiency. For this purpose, two field experiments were conducted during the winter seasons of 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 at Research and Production Station of the National Research Centre, El-Nubaria El-Behera Governorate, Egypt, to evaluate the response of wheat plant to algae extract foliar application (1.5 g/L) under different nitrogen fertilizerrates (80, 60 and 40 kg/faddan) amounting to 100%, 75% and 50% of the recommended rate and water deficit (100% and75% of ETc). Results show that, water deficit (75% of ETc) significantly decreased vegetative growth, yield and its components compared to unstressed plants. On the other hand, fertilizing wheat plants with 75 and 100% of the nitrogen dose significantly enhanced plant growth, yield and its components compared to fertilizing with 50% ofthe recommended nitrogen dose. Furthermore, algae extract treatment significantly increased the previous parameters. As for the third order interaction, results showed that, the highest values of yield components were recorded under 100% ETc and treated with (algae extract) under 100% of the recommended nitrogen dose. Moreover, under drought stress and lower nitrogen levels (60 and 40 kg/faddan), algae extract could alleviate partially the reduced effect of drought stress and lower nitrogen levels on growth and productivity. It could be concluded that foliar spray with 1.5 g/L of algae extract were found to be highly recommendedfor improving wheat growth and productivity under reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates (60 kg/faddan) and water deficit (75% of ETc).

Composting and vermicomposting of sewage sludge at various C/N ratios: Technological feasibility and end-product quality

Even though sewage sludge (SS) contains a high level of pollutants, it is rich in essential plant nutrients and has the potential to enhance soil fertility. However, the SS must be further treated through pre-composting plus vermicomposting to make it safe for use on food crops. More research and data are needed to determine how different carbon-to-nitrogen ratios (C/N) affect the feasibility and quality of composting vs vermicomposting of SS. Therefore, in this study we comprehensively evaluated the feasibility and end-product quality of compost and vermicompost produced from SS under different C/N ratios. SS was mixed with pelletized wheat straw (PWS) at various proportions to produce C/N ratios of 6:1, 18:1, 28:1, and 38:1, then pre-composted for 14 days followed by vermicomposting using the earthworm Eisenia andrei for 120 days. Agrochemical properties were measured at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. Results revealed significantly higher levels of agrochemicals in vermicompost compared to compost, including total potassium (37–88%) and magnesium (4.3–12%), nitrate nitrogen (71–98%), available potassium (53–88%), available phosphorus (79%), available magnesium (54–453%), available boron (48–303%), and available copper (2.5–82%). However, lower levels of ammonium nitrogen by (59–85%), available iron (2.3–51.3%), available manganese (29.7–52.2%), available zinc (10.5–29.8%), total carbon (0.75–4.5%), and total nitrogen (1.6–22.2%) were measured. Comparison of the various C/N ratios, showed that vermicompost with an 18:1 C/N ratio outperformed compost and demonstrated the highest earthworm population (165 pieces/kg). Thus, vermicomposting SS at an 18:1 C/N ratio is strongly recommended as a sustainable technology for producing high-quality vermicompost from SS.

Effects of Phosphate Fertilizer Application on the Growth and Yield of Tartary Buckwheat under Low-Nitrogen Condition

This study aimed to clarify the effect of phosphorus fertilizer on the senescence and yield of Tartary buckwheat under low-nitrogen treatment. A two-year field experiment to investigate the characteristics was conducted on Tartary buckwheat (Qianku 5) under four phosphorus fertilizer application rates, 0(CK), 40(LP), 80(MP), and 120 kg·ha−1 (HP), in the absence of nitrogen treatment. Compared with CK, MP treatment increased the plant height, node number of main stem, branch number of main stem, root-morphology items, root activity, enzyme activity related to root nitrogen metabolism, leaf chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activity by an average of 27.82%, 36.00%, 31.76%, 70.63%, 103.16%, 45.63%, 19.42%, and 45.48%, respectively. MP treatment significantly decreased the malondialdehyde content by 23.54% compared with that of CK. Among all treatments, the HP treatment had the highest content. The grain number per plant, grain weight per plant, and yield under MP treatment were 1.54, 1.65, and 1.53 times those of CK, respectively. In summary, the appropriate phosphate fertilizer treatment (80 kg·ha−1) can delay senescence, promote the growth, and increase the yield of Tartary buckwheat at low nitrogen levels. Such treatment is recommended for use in production to jointly achieve the high yield and high nitrogen conservation of Tartary buckwheat.

Metabolic and inflammatory profiles, gut microbiota and lifestyle factors in overweight and normal weight young thai adults.

Obesity among young adults, especially those living in developing countries is increasing. A high body mass index (BMI) is one of the major causes of several diseases worldwide, constituting an important risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Investigations describing the relationship between BMI, clinical and gut microbiota characteristics and lifestyle factors of overweight young adults, especially from Southeast Asian countries are limited. Metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers, fecal microbiota profiles and lifestyle factors were compared between overweight Thai young adults (n = 30, mean age 33 ± 9.48) and those with normal weight (n = 30, mean age 27 ±7.50). This study was registered with the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20220204007). Health status including body composition, fasting glucose and insulin, lipid profiles, liver and kidney function, inflammatory biomarkers, blood pressure and fecal microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing data was determined. Dietary intake was assessed using a 3-day dietary record and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), with physical activity levels compared using the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). The overweight group had significantly higher BMI, waist-hip ratio, body fat mass, % body fat, skeletal mass, triglyceride level, C-reactive protein, insulin and blood pressure, with lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and blood urea nitrogen compared to the normal weight group. Significant differences in fecal microbiota composition at the family and genus levels were observed between the two groups. In our clinical setting, we also observed that unhealthy diets with high consumption of food rich in fat and sugar, processed meat and alcohol, and physical inactivity were associated with an increased prevalence of overweight in Thai young adults. Results provided the big picture of health and lifestyle characteristics of overweight young Thai people. Young adults should be encouraged to engage in health-promoting activities that maintain healthy bodyweight.

Pharmacokinetics and 28-day repeated-dose toxicity of enniatin B after oral administration in mice.

Enniatins are emerging mycotoxins that contaminate foods. The present study investigated the oral pharmacokinetics and 28-day repeated-dose oral toxicity of enniatin B (ENNB) in CD1 (ICR) mice. In the pharmacokinetic study, male mice received a single oral or intravenous dose of ENNB [30mg/kg body weight (BW) and 1mg/kg BW, respectively]. After oral dosing, ENNB exhibited 139.9% bioavailability, a 5.1-h elimination half-life, 5.26% fecal excretion from 4 to 24h post-dose, and upregulation of Cyp7a1, Cyp2a12, Cyp2b10, and Cyp26a1 in the liver 2h post-dosing. In the 28-day toxicity study, ENNB was administered to male and female mice by oral gavage at 0, 7.5, 15, and 30mg/kg BW/day. Females (7.5 and 30mg/kg) showed dose-unrelated decreased food consumption without accompanying changes in clinical parameters. Males (30mg/kg) showed low red blood cell counts and high blood urea nitrogen levels and absolute kidney weights; however, other related parameters including the histopathology of systemic organs/tissues were unchanged. These results suggest that ENNB may not induce toxicity after 28 days of oral administration in mice, despite high absorption. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of ENNB after 28 days of repeated oral doses was 30mg/kg BW/day for both sexes of mice.

Characterization and suitability assessment of the soils of Iwo series for cocoa production in rainforest area Southwestern, Nigeria

Characterization and soil suitability assessment is a vital tool for understanding the nature and status of soils. It is one of the strategies for achieving food security as well as sustainable environment. This study was conducted to assess the suitability of the soils of Iwo series for sustainable production of cocoa. The study was carried out in 2022, in an area located approximately between 7°32' N and 7°33' N and longitudes 4°32' E and 4°40' E within the Teaching and Research Farm (T&amp;R-F) of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Kajola, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Three profile pits were established, described and sampled with one at different physiographical units following the guideline for soil profile description according to FAO/UNESCO guideline. The soil samples collected were analyzed for particle size distribution, pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable bases, and organic matter using standard method. Land characteristics obtained were matched with the crop requirements for cocoa to obtain the soils’ suitability classes using parametric method. The results showed that all the soils are well drained and deep. The texture of the soils ranged from sandy loam to sandy clay loam at the surface and sandy clay loam to clay at subsurface. Soil reaction ranged from highly acidic to slightly acidic (4.2-5.8 water and 3.9- 5.7 pHCaCl2) with low to moderate amounts of organic matter (0.4 to 1.74%) and available nitrogen (0.02-0.14%). Available phosphorus varied from 0.52-24.77 mg/kg in all the horizons in the profiles with the highest values at the surface soil horizons, an indication that soil organic matter contributes significantly to the available P in these soils. The exchangeable bases were low and the relative abundance of the exchangeable bases followed the order: Ca&gt; Mg &gt; Na&gt;K at the exchangeable site. Suitability evaluation of the soils was carried out using parametric approach and the result showed that the soils of mapping units A and B are presently not suitable (N1) while mapping unit C is marginally suitable for cocoa production. With the appropriate fertility management, the soils of mapping unit A were classified as marginally suitable (S3) while soils of mapping unit B and C were classified as moderately (S2) for cocoa production. The limiting factors were mainly low soil fertility (low level of available phosphorus, macro-nutrients, nitrogen and organic matter). Therefore, combined application of organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizers should be encouraged for optimum productivity.

Assessment of soil health in uncontrolled grazing areas in the Administrative Post of Luro, Lautem, East Timor

Abstract. Costa DD. 2023. Assessment of soil health in uncontrolled grazing areas in the Administrative Post of Luro, Lautem, East Timor. Intl J Trop Drylands 7: 46-54. Uncontrolled grazing practices have been judged as the main cause of soil degradation in grassland areas. This study was conducted to provide baseline information on soil health in uncontrolled grazing areas in the administrative post of Luro, municipality of Lautem, East Timor (Timor Leste). Furthermore, 40 soil samples were collected from eight uncontrolled grazing areas using the core method; five points sampling per each site (four in corners and one in in the center) sampling points distances were 100 to 150 m apart, and each point represented three different soil layers (0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, and 10-20 cm). All soil samples were transported to the laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universidade Nacional Timor Lororsae, East Timor. Samples preparation and analysis followed the procedure and guidelines of McKenzie et al. (2002) and Liu et al. (2019) for physical properties, while Soil Organic Matter (SOM) analysis used Loss-On-Ignition (LOI) adopted from Nakhli et al. (2019). In addition, all soil chemical properties were analyzed using Kjeldhal and Bray-1 method following the soil analysis guidelines of JICA (2014). The study showed that soil physical properties in the uncontrolled grazing areas in Luro are characterized by high bulk density, poor porosity, and low organic matter content. Furthermore, soil pH remains neutral in areas where uncontrolled grazing is practiced but with very low nitrogen and potassium levels. In contrast, phosphorus is very high in the Cotamuto and Lakawa but very low in the Afabubo areas. Furthermore, low literacy levels and livelihoods are key socioeconomic factors that directly influence uncontrolled grazing practices. Hence, promoting sustainable grazing methods among communities towards raising livestock for their livelihood is recommended.