Decreasing methane emission of rice by better crop management

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of water management techniques for maintaining rice production and reducing methane emission in a Crowley silt loam paddy soil receiving high rice straw additions. A 2 × 5 factorial experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with two water management practices; alternately flooded and drained and continuously flooded, and five rates of rice straw incorporation as subplot treatments (0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 t ha–1), with four replications. Rice yield was significantly greater in the alternately flooded and drained treatment as compared with the continuously flooded treatment. High rice straw application (12 and 24 t ha–1) reduced rice yield in both water management treatments. Methane emission increased with increase in the rice straw application rate. However, emissions were lower in the alternately flooded and drained treatment plots. The results demonstrate that draining a field for a short period of time during the growing season can enhance rice growth and rice yield while reducing methane emission

Age-related changes in general and sexual health in middle-aged and older men: results from the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS)

ABSTRACT Introduction.  Limited information is available concerning the general and sexual health status of European men. Aim.  To investigate the age-related changes in general and sexual health in middle-aged and older men from different countries of the European Union. Methods.  This is a cross-sectional multicenter survey performed on a sample of 3,369 community-dwelling men aged 40–79 years old (mean 60 ± 11 years). Subjects were randomly selected from eight European centers including centers from nontransitional (Florence [Italy], Leuven [Belgium], Malmö[Sweden], Manchester [United Kingdom], Santiago de Compostela [Spain]) and transitional countries (Lodz [Poland], Szeged [Hungary], Tartu [Estonia]). Main Outcome Measures.  Different parameters were evaluated including the Beck's Depression Inventory for the quantification of depressive symptoms, the Short Form-36 Health Survey for the assessment of the quality of life (QoL), the International Prostate Symptom Score for the evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms, and the European Male Ageing Study sexual function questionnaire for the study of sexual function. Results.  More than 50% of subjects reported the presence of one or more common morbidities. Overall, hypertension (29%), obesity (24%), and heart diseases (16%) were the most prevalent conditions. Around 30% of men reported erectile dysfunction (ED) and 6% reported severe orgasmic impairment, both of which were closely associated with age and concomitant morbidities. Only 38% of men reporting ED were concerned about it. Furthermore, concern about ED increased with age, peaking in the 50–59 years age band, but decreased thereafter. Men in transitional countries reported a higher prevalence of morbidities and impairment of sexual function as well as a lower QoL. Conclusion.  Sexual health declined while concomitant morbidities increased in European men as a function of age. The burden of general and sexual health is higher in transitional countries, emphasizing the need to develop more effective strategies to promote healthy aging for men in these countries

Chironomidae (Diptera) and Vegetation in a Created Wetland and Implications for Sampling

Although invertebrate communities are used in the evaluation of created freshwater wetlands, spatial patterns of invertebrate community structure are frequently ignored. Invertebrate distributions are generally associated with plant community distribution in natural aquatic ecosystems. In this study, 180 core samples were collected to examine associations between chironomid (Diptera) genera and emergent vegetation communities in a single created freshwater herbaceous wetland in central Florida. Three of the five common genera were significantly more abundant (p \u3c 0.05, Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test) in areas with greater than 50% cover by emergent vegetation than in open water, but no differences were found between areas dominated by Pontederia cordata and areas dominated by mixed emergent vegetation. Samples from an area of open water and an area with over 80% cover by P. cordata showed significant differences in abundances of all common chironomid genera (P \u3c 0.05, Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test). Results suggest that sampling designs for studies comparing benthic invertebrate communities from natural and created wetlands should consider the possible associations between vegetation and invertebrate communities