Mo Yan’s \u3cem\u3eRadish\u3c/em\u3e: Between the Real and the Surreal

In their article “Mo Yan’s Radish: Between the Real and the Surreal” Xiaoyue Li and Xuefang Feng argue that Radish, a novella written by Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan skillfully combines realism with surrealism, the flexible swing between which is made possible by the choice of children’s perspective, and the effect is too significant to be ignored. Their analysis concludes that the transparent golden radish symbolizes humanity, the lack of which projects the protagonist’ sufferings, and that the surrealist description of the radish reveals the magic function of humanity in brightening up life in times of miseries

A Highly Selective Colorimetric Sensor for Cysteine in Water Solution and Bovine Serum Albumin

A simple colorimetric sensor, 2-bromonaphthalene-1,4-dione, has been developed for the Cysteine detection. The sensor showed its best performance in a mixture of ethanol and HEPES (5 : 5, v/v) solution at pH of 7.0. The results of UV-vis and fluorescence indicated that 2-bromonaphthalene-1,4-dione was selective and sensitive for Cysteine detection without the interference of other amino acids (Cysteine, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartinie, Glutamine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Phenylalanine, Valine, Tryptophan, and Hydroxyproline). 2-Bromonaphthalene-1,4-dione also showed binding ability for Cysteine in bovine serum albumin and could be used as a potential colorimetric sensor among eighteen kinds of natural amino acids. Importantly, the recognition of CySH could be observed by naked eye

Bufei Yishen Granules Combined with Acupoint Sticking Therapy Suppress Inflammation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Rats: Via JNK/p38 Signaling Pathway

The present study was initiated to explore the mechanism of the effects of Bufei Yishen granules combined with acupoint sticking therapy (Shu-Fei Tie) on inflammation regulated by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK signaling in COPD rats. Seventy-two rats were divided into healthy control (Control), Model, Bufei Yishen (BY), acupoint sticking (AS), Bufei Yishen + acupoint sticking (BY + AS), and aminophylline (APL) groups (n=12 each). COPD rats were exposed to cigarette smoke and bacteria and were given the various treatments from weeks 9 through 20; all animals were sacrificed at the end of week 20. MCP-1, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-10 concentrations in BALF and lung tissue as well as JNK and p38 mRNA and protein levels in lung were measured. The results showed that all the four treatment protocols (BY, AS, BY + AS, and APL) markedly reduced the concentrations of IL-2, IL-6, and MCP-1 and levels of JNK and p38 MAPK mRNA, and the effects of Bufei Yishen granules combined with acupoint sticking therapy were better than acupoint sticking therapy only and aminophylline. In conclusion, the favorable effect of Bufei Yishen granules combined with Shu-Fei Tie may be due to decreased inflammation through regulation of the JNK/p38 signaling pathways

Influence of Micro-Furrow Depth and Bottom Width on Surface Water Flow and Irrigation Performance in the North China Plain

Improving traditional surface irrigation technology and vigorously promoting water-saving surface irrigation are important ways to improve the efficiency of water resource utilization. In our study, we propose a new technology of surface irrigation, micro-furrow irrigation, which combines the advantages of furrow irrigation and border irrigation. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of micro-furrow depth and bottom width on surface water flow and irrigation performance. Field experiments were conducted from 2019 to 2020 in Zhengzhou City, northern China. This work designed three bottom widths, BW1 (18 cm), BW2 (12 cm), and BW3 (6 cm), respectively, and three depths, D1 (15 cm), D2 (10 cm), and D3 (5 cm), respectively. Moreover, border irrigation was set as control treatment (CK). Additionally, field experiments were validated and simulated using the WinSRFR 5.1 model (Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, USA). The results showed a significant negative correlation between depth and advance time and between depth and recession time. However, no significant correlation was found between bottom width and advance time, nor between bottom width and recession time. The advance times of micro-furrow irrigation were 1.23–4.77 min less than those of border irrigation. Concerning irrigation performance, compared to that of border irrigation, the application efficiency and distribution uniformity increased by 8–30% and −5–18%, respectively. However, the requirement efficiency decreased by 0–40%. Compared to that of border irrigation, the irrigation quota increased 21.61% under BW3D3 but decreased by 10.46–57.94% under other treatments. Therefore, micro-furrow irrigation can meet irrigation requirements despite low irrigation quota. Comprehensively considering the advance time, recession time, irrigation performance, and irrigation quota, we recommend a micro-furrow shape with a depth of 10 cm or 15 cm and bottom width of 6 cm

Effects of Burial Furrow Parameters on Soil Water Movement under Subsurface Stalk Composite Pipe Irrigation

Stalk composite pipe (SCP), a novel product used for subsurface irrigation, is primarily composed of crop stalks, soil, and water. In subsurface SCP irrigation (SSI), comprehending the effects of burial furrow parameters on soil water movement is critical. However, the precise effects are not known. Here, we aimed to assess the effects of varying burial furrow dimensions, including widths of 15, 20, and 25 cm, depths of 10, 15, and 20 cm, and backfilling-soil bulk densities of 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 g cm−3, on wetted distance and soil water movement. We conducted an indoor soil bin experiment and numerical simulation using HYDRUS-2D in 2020–2021 in Zhengzhou City, Northern China. Wider burial furrows resulted in increased wetted distance and soil water content, ultimately leading to greater effect in a horizontal direction. In the horizontal profile, the average soil water content of the SSI treatments, which used burial furrow widths of 15, 20, and 25 cm, were 1.121, 1.230, and 1.280 times higher, respectively, than those of CK. The burial furrow depth had minimal effect on the wetted distance, whereas adjusting the burial furrow depth primarily affected the saturation depth. The speed of wetting-front migration was affected by the backfilling-soil bulk density. For a given soil and crop, it is advisable to determine first the burial furrow width and backfilling-soil bulk density. Subsequently, the burial furrow depth should be established based on the distribution of the crop’s roots. Our findings offer a scientific basis for using SSI

Characteristics and Impacts of Water–Thermal Variation on Grain Yield in the Henan Province, China, on Multiple Time Scales

Water and thermal resources are changing significantly because of climate change, further affecting important crops, such as grains, worldwide. Previous studies on climate change trends and their impacts on grain yield were mainly conducted on a single time scale, with few studies conducted on multiple time scales. Therefore, here, climate data and grain yield statistics from 1978–2021 in the Henan Province were used to assess how water and thermal changes impact grain yield on multiple time scales. Water and thermal variation were analyzed using the least squares method, Mann-Kendall method, and wavelet analysis method, and grain yield impacts were analyzed using gray correlation method. Results showed increasing trends for ≥0 °C and ≥10 °C accumulated temperature and precipitation, with decreased precipitation in spring. The lowest daily minimum temperature increase was 2–3 times the highest daily maximum temperature. Additionally, grain yield fluctuations were caused by climate change. Climate change affected grain yield on all time scales, fluctuating more in autumn than in summer, which was mainly due to changes in temperature followed by precipitation and extreme precipitation. This study provides a scientific basis for the maintenance of food security under climate change