Agroforestry has been widely practiced in the Loess Plateau region of China because of its prominent effects in reducing soil and water losses, improving land-use efficiency and increasing economic ...returns. However, the agroforestry practices may lead to competition between crops and trees for underground soil moisture and nutrients, and the trees on the canopy layer may also lead to shortage of light for crops. In order to minimize interspecific competition and maximize the benefits of tree-based intercropping systems, we studied photosynthesis, growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by measuring photosynthetically active radiation, net photosynthetic rate, soil moisture and soil nutrients in a plantation of apple (Malus pumila M.) at a spacing of 4 m × 5 m on the Loess Plateau of China. The results showed that for both intercropping systems in the study region, soil moisture was the primary factor affecting the crop yields followed by light. Deficiency of the soil nutrients also had a significant impact on crop yields. Compared with soybean, peanut was more suitable for intercropping with apple trees to obtain economic benefits in the region. We concluded that apple-soybean and apple-peanut intercropping systems can be practical and beneficial in the region. However, the distance between crops and tree rows should be adjusted to minimize interspecies competition. Agronomic measures such as regular canopy pruning, root barriers, additional irrigation and fertilization also should be applied in the intercropping systems.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
It has been found that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) modulates the feeding of some insects, and this phenomenon was found in
(Pallas) by our previous study. An understanding of the 5-HT system in this ...beetle is helpful for utilizing 5-HT to modulate its predation to improve biological control efficiency, especially in greenhouses in winter in north China. This is because 5-HT influences diapause in insects by modulating the synthesis and release of prothoracic hormone (PTTH) and, therefore, influences feeding. To elucidate the molecular basis of the
5-HT system, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), multiple sequence alignment, and phylogenetic tree construction were used to identify the 5-HT receptor in
, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression pattern of these receptor genes in different developmental stages and in the nervous system (brain + ventral nerve cord), digestive tract, pectoral muscles, and gonads of the adult ladybird. The results showed that four 5-HT receptors were identified in
, named
,
,
and
. The four receptors were expressed at high levels in the adult stage, especially in 2-day-old adults, with expression levels of 18.72-fold (male) and 14.21-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HT
, 32.27-fold (male) and 83.58-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HT
, 36.82-fold (male) and 119.35-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HT
, and 165.47-fold (male) and 115.59-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HT
. The level of expression decreased with the advance of day-age in adults. The levels of expression of
,
and
were low at the egg, larval, and pupal stages, and
was not expressed in the larval stage. The four receptors were expressed in the nervous system, digestive tract, pectoral muscles, and male and female gonads. The
was expressed at a high level in the pectoral muscle (6.75-fold of that in the nervous system),
in male gonads (1.02-fold of that in the nervous system) and the nervous system,
in male gonads (5.74-fold of that in the nervous system), and
in the digestive tract (1.81-fold of that in the nervous system). The results of this study will lay a foundation for research on the function of the 5-HT receptor by RNA interference in the regulation of predation by
.
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The conformation of N-spirocyclic cations has a high alkaline stability and the construction of microphase-separated structures with poly(biphenyl piperidine) (PBP) is one way to improve the ...performance of AEM. Here, a variety of N-spirocyclic cations were prepared and formed into polycationic side chains with the PBP main chain via the -(CH2)4- spacer group. The ion transport efficiency was greatly enhanced by the synergistic effect of the main chain piperidine cations, and the hydroxide conductivity and peak power density of the MDSU-MPBP membrane reached 132.7 mS cm-1 and 295.2 mW cm-2 at 80 °C, respectively. The BM-DSU cation was degraded to a single cation mainly by the SN2 reaction after 96 h in a 5 M NaOH/D2O solution at 80 °C. The N-spirocyclic mono-cation has extremely high alkali resistance, especially the MDSU cation without significant degradation at 80 °C for 1008 h. The B-MDSU double cation tends to undergo the SN2 reaction at the C2 and C4 positions. The asymmetrically grafted main-chain piperidine cations exhibit poor chemical stability due to the electron-absorbing effect of the phenyl group. the degradation of the MDSU cations increases the hydrophobicity of the side chains, and the MDSU-MPBP membrane has the best alkali resistance, with a conductivity residual of more than 92.8% after immersion in a 5 M NaOH solution at 80 °C for 480 h.
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•The continuity of the transport site distribution is critical to the performance of poly(biphenyl piperidine) membranes.•The 3-methyl-3,6-diazaspiro5.5undecan-6-ium (MDSU) cation is extremely alkaline stability.•The B-MDSU double cation is degraded mainly by the SN2 reaction at the C2 and C4 positions.•Electron absorption by the phenyl group is the main factor in the degradation of the asymmetric piperidine cation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A bead-on-string electrospinning strategy is proposed to solve the dilemma of unstable conduction channel while improving the OH− conductivity of anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Here, poly (aryl ...ether ketone)-based AEMs are synthesized via N-spirocyclic quaternary ammonium modification, and then processed by electrospinning and sparingly soluble techniques. N-spirocyclic cations are induced to orient during electrospinning, as evidenced by the long-range ordered aggregation of ion clusters through EDX. Therefore, the electrospun membrane exhibits significantly higher conductivity (74 mS cm−1 at 80 °C) and alkaline stability, the conductivity remains above 97% after being kept in a solution of 2 mol/L KOH at 80 °C for 720 h. The swelling of the beaded membrane is only 12%, and the tensile strength is about 24.9 MPa. This work provides a simple and effective method to densify nanofiber mats.
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•Solvent plays an important role in cation induction during electrospinning.•The infiltration method realizes the densification of the nanofiber mat.•The bead-on-string electrospun membrane shows better performance.•The three-dimensional ion transport channel has higher alkaline stability.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a natural predatory enemy insect widely distributed in north China and has been widely used in agricultural practice. Owing to a low daily ...average temperature from December to February of the following year in greenhouses and the facultative diapause of adult H. axyridis, the application of this ladybird in greenhouses in north China is limited. It is of great importance to regulate its predatory ability to improve its biological control efficiency in greenhouses. The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was found to play a regulatory role in the predation of H. axyridis in our previous study, but the 5-HT receptor of H. axyridis has not been clearly identified so far, and its expression characteristics are poorly understood. In this study, the 5-HT receptor gene of H. axyridis was cloned and identified by phylogenetic tree construction and multiple sequence alignments. The expression patterns of each receptor in different developmental stages and tissues were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The results showed that H. axyridis expressed four 5-HT receptor subtypes, named 5-HT1AHar, 5-HT1BHar, 5-HT2Har, and 5-HT7Har. All 4 receptors were expressed at high levels in the adult stage, especially in 2-day-old adults, with expression levels of 18.72-fold (male) and 14.21-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HT1AHar, 32.27-fold (male) and 83.58-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HT1BHar, 36.82-fold (male) and 119.35-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HT2Har, and 165.47-fold (male) and 115.59-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HT7Har. The level of expression for each receptor gene decreased with the advance of day-age in adults. The levels of expression of 5-HT1BHar, 5-HT2Har, and 5-HT7Har were low at the egg, larval, and pupal stages, and 5-HT1AHar was not expressed in the larval stage. The four receptors were expressed in the nervous system, digestive tract, pectoral muscles, and male and female gonads of adults. The 5-HT1AHar was expressed at a high level in the pectoral muscle (6.75-fold of that in the nervous system), 5-HT1BHar in male gonads (1.02-fold of that in the nervous system) and the nervous system, 5-HT2Har in male gonads (5.74-fold of that in the nervous system), and 5-HT7Har in the digestive tract (1.81-fold of that in the nervous system). The results of this study will lay a foundation for research on the function of the 5-HT receptor by RNA interference in the regulation of predation by H. axyridis. It has been found that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) modulates the feeding of some insects, and this phenomenon was found in Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) by our previous study. An understanding of the 5-HT system in this beetle is helpful for utilizing 5-HT to modulate its predation to improve biological control efficiency, especially in greenhouses in winter in north China. This is because 5-HT influences diapause in insects by modulating the synthesis and release of prothoracic hormone (PTTH) and, therefore, influences feeding. To elucidate the molecular basis of the H. axyridis 5-HT system, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), multiple sequence alignment, and phylogenetic tree construction were used to identify the 5-HT receptor in H. axyridis, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression pattern of these receptor genes in different developmental stages and in the nervous system (brain + ventral nerve cord), digestive tract, pectoral muscles, and gonads of the adult ladybird. The results showed that four 5-HT receptors were identified in H. axyridis, named 5-HT1AHar, 5-HT1BHar, 5-HT2Har, and 5-HT7Har. The four receptors were expressed at high levels in the adult stage, especially in 2-day-old adults, with expression levels of 18.72-fold (male) and 14.21-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HTsub.1A, 32.27-fold (male) and 83.58-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HTsub.1B, 36.82-fold (male) and 119.35-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HTsub.2, and 165.47-fold (male) and 115.59-fold (female) of that in eggs for 5-HTsub.7. The level of expression decreased with the advance of day-age in adults. The levels of expression of 5-HT1BHar, 5-HT2Har, and 5-HT7Har were low at the egg, larval, and pupal stages, and 5-HT1AHar was not expressed in the larval stage. The four receptors were expressed in the nervous system, digestive tract, pectoral muscles, and male and female gonads. The 5-HT1AHar was expressed at a high level in the pectoral muscle (6.75-fold of that in the nervous system), 5-HT1BHar in male gonads (1.02-fold of that in the nervous system) and the nervous system, 5-HT2Har in male gonads (5.74-fold of that in the nervous system), and 5-HT7Har in the digestive tract (1.81-fold of that in the nervous system). The results of this study will lay a foundation for research on the function of the 5-HT receptor by RNA interference in the regulation of predation by H. axyridis.
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ObjectiveAcupuncture has been widely used for the treatment of motion sickness (MS), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The aim of this research was to study the mechanism of acupuncture in ...the treatment of MS.MethodsTo observe the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of MS, 80 rats were randomised into five groups that were subjected to acceleration and either remained untreated (CTRL), or received restraint (REST), scopolamine (SCOP) or acupuncture at SP4 (sham) or PC6+ST36 (verum) acupuncture points. To study the mechanism underlying the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of MS, 48 rats were randomised into three groups: acupuncture+extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) 1/2 inhibitor (ERKinh), acupuncture+insulin receptor (IR) antagonist (IRant), and acupuncture+vehicle (VEH). After acceleration, the MS index (MSI) and spontaneous activity (SA) of the rats were recorded. Serum stress hormones, Fos-positive cells, c-fos mRNA in the vestibular nucleus, and IRβ-, p-IRβ-, ERK1/2- and p-ERK1/2-positive cells in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMV) were detected.ResultsAfter acceleration, MS symptoms in the PC6+ST36 and SCOP groups were reduced compared with the CTRL, REST, and SP4 groups. The number of p-IRβ- and p-ERK1/2-positive cells and insulin levels were higher in the PC6+ST36 group than in the CTRL, REST, and SP4 groups. After ERK1/2 inhibitor and IR antagonist treatment, MS symptoms in the VEH group were lower than in the ERKinh and IRant groups.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that acupuncture significantly alleviates MS through the IRβ-ERK1/2-dependent insulin receptor signalling pathway in the DMV
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Agroforestry has been widely practiced in the Loess Plateau region of China because of its prominent effects in reducing soil and water losses, improving land-use efficiency and increasing economic ...returns. However, the agroforestry practices may lead to competition between crops and trees for underground soil moisture and nutrients, and the trees on the canopy layer may also lead to shortage of light for crops. In order to minimize interspecific competition and maximize the benefits of tree-based intercropping systems, we studied photosynthesis, growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by measuring photosynthetically active radiation, net photosynthetic rate, soil moisture and soil nutrients in a plantation of apple (Malus pumila M.) at a spacing of 4 m 5 m on the Loess Plateau of China. The results showed that for both intercropping systems in the study region, soil moisture was the primary factor affecting the crop yields followed by light. Deficiency of the soil nutrients also had a significant impact on crop yields. Compared with soybean, peanut was more suitable for intercropping with apple trees to obtain economic benefits in the region. We concluded that apple-soybean and apple-peanut intercropping systems can be practical and beneficial in the region. However, the distance between crops and tree rows should be adjusted to minimize interspecies competition. Agronomic measures such as regular canopy pruning, root barriers, additional irrigation and fertilization also should be applied in the intercropping systems.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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