Effects of sand burial and overstory tree age on seedling establishment in coastal Pinus thunbergii forests in the northern Shandong Peninsula, China

Coastal Pinus thunbergii (Japanese black pine) forests in the northern Shandong Peninsula of China recently experienced widespread natural regeneration failure. This study identifies critical factors that affect natural regeneration of P. thunbergii. Seeds from trees of various ages (13-32 years) were used to investigate the effects of age and burial depth in sand on germination and seedling establishment. Results show that seed density in 2-5 cm soil decreased with increased distance from the shoreline. Sand burial decreased seed germination but did not affect the relative growth rate of seedlings at depths from 0.5 to 3 cm. Germination, leaf mass ratio, and relative growth rates were higher with seedlings originating from older trees, all of which enhanced seedling resistance to sand burial. Tree age and seed burial were found to be determining factors for natural regeneration of the coastal P. thunbergii forest. Silvicultural treatments that promote quality of seed sources and mitigation of sand burial can be used in the future to improve the regeneration of these coastal forests

Recovering tradition in globalising rural China:Handicraft Birdcages in Da’ou village

This article explores a historic rural craft tradition as the focus of economic development through the valorisation of the local cultural heritage, or culture economy. The case‐study traces the revival of bamboo birdcage making in Da’ou village in Shandong Province, where the craft knowledge of making birdcages once prized by the Chinese imperial court has been passed on through generations and protected from outsiders. Since economic reforms in the 1980s, the birdcage craft has again become the major activity in Da’ou village, responding to new urban market demands, and bringing prosperity. Yet, through a conceptualisation of cultural heritage as a ‘prosaic third space’, the article reveals the dynamics and tensions involved in the incorporation of the birdcage tradition in local economic development strategies and the promotion of e‐commerce and tourism, and the processes of abstraction initiated. As such, it raises questions about the relationship between craft, knowledge and place that resonate beyond China. The research is based on semi‐structured interviews conducted in 2016 with respondents including local leaders, craftspeople, suppliers, and sellers

Podwyższone stężenia lipokaliny-2 w surowicy krwi są związane ze wskaźnikami metabolizmu glukozy i metabolizmu kostnego w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2

Introduction: The role of lipocalin 2 (LCN2) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) needs to be fully elucidated. Moreover, bone has been demonstrated to modulate glucose metabolism via LCN2. We thus performed this study to investigate the associations of LCN2 with indexes of glucose metabolism in T2DM. The associations of LCN2 with bone metabolism were examined concurrently. Material and methods: Total 288 Chinese Han subjects entered in this study including 146 patients with T2DM and 142 subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Insulin resistance was assessed by HOMA-IR andWstęp: Wyjaśnienie roli lipokaliny-2 (lipocalin 2; LCN2) w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2 jest niezbędne, w szczególności, że zostało dowiedzione, iż kość moduluje metabolizm glukozy za pośrednictwem LCN2. Niniejsze badanie przeprowadzono, aby zbadać, w jaki sposób LCN2 jest powiązana ze wskaźnikami metabolizmu glukozy w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2. Jednocześnie zbadano powiązania LCN2 z metabolizmem kostnym. Materiał i metody: W badaniu wzięło udział 288 Chińczyków Han, w tym 146 pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 2 i 142 pacjentów z prawidłową tolerancją glukozy. Insulinooporność oceniano za pomocą wskaźnika HOMA-IR, natomiast funkcję komórek beta trzustki za pomocą HOMA-β. W przypadku pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 2 oznaczano również markery obrotu kostnego, N-końcowy propeptyd prokolagenu typu I, C-końcowy usieciowany telopeptyd łańcucha alfa kolagenu typu I, gęstość mineralną kości (bone mineral density; BMD) odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa i szyjki kości udowej. Wyniki: Stężenia LCN2 w surowicy krwi w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2 były wyższe niż u osób z prawidłową tolerancją glukozy (p = 0,005). Ponadto, LCN2 była dodatnio skorelowana ze stężeniem insuliny w surowicy krwi na czczo (r = 0,262, p = 0,001), wskaźnikiem HOMA-IR (r = 0,185, p = 0,026) i HOMA-β (r = 0,306, p < 0,001), odpowiednio, oraz ujemnie skorelowana z osoczowym stężeniem glukozy na czczo (r = –0,218, p = 0,006). Dodatkowo, BMD szyjki kości udowej (β = –0,176, p = 0,033), N-końcowy propeptyd prokolagenu typu I (β = 0,181, p = 0,026) oraz C-końcowy usieciowany telopeptyd łańcucha alfa kolagenu typu I (β = –0,168, p = 0,037) były niezależnymi czynnikami predykcyjnymi dla LCN2 w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2. Wnioski: Lipokalina-2 była powiązana ze wskaźnikami metabolizmu glukozy. Ponadto, BMD oraz markery obrotu kostnego były nie­zależnymi czynnikami predykcyjnymi dla LCN2 w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2. Można sądzić, że LCN2 może odgrywać rolę w procesie wzajemnego wpływu homeostazy kości i homeostazy glukozy

An integrated proteomic and metabolomic study on the gender-specific responses of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis to tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), accounting for the largest production of brominated flame-retardants (BFRs) along the Laizhou Bay in China, is of great concern due to its diverse toxicities. In this study, we focused on the gender-specific responses of TBBPA in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis using an integrated proteomic and metabolomic approach. After exposure of TBBPA (10 mu g L-1) for one month, a total of 9 metabolites and 67 proteins were altered in mussel gills from exposed group. The significant changes of metabolites in female mussel gills from exposed group exhibited the disturbances in energy metabolism and osmotic regulation, while in male samples only be found the variation of metabolites related to osmotic regulation. iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis showed biological differences between male and female mussel gills from solvent control group. The higher levels of proteins related to primary and energy metabolism and defense mechanisms in male mussel gills meant a greater anti-stress capability of male mussels. Further analysis revealed that TBBPA exposure affected multiple biological processes consisting of production and development, material and energy metabolism, signal transduction, gene expression, defense mechanisms and apoptosis in both male and female mussels with different mechanisms. Specially, the responsive proteins of TBBPA in male mussels signified higher tolerance limits than those in female individuals, which was consistent with the biological differences between male and female mussel gills from solvent control group. This work suggested that the gender differences should be considered in ecotoxicology. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Abiotic factors influencing biomass accumulation of green tide causing Ulva spp. on Pyropia culture rafts in the Yellow Sea, China

Annually recurrent green-tides in the Yellow Sea have been shown to result from direct disposal into the sea of fouling Ulva from Pyropia aquaculture. The role abiotic factors play in Ulva biomass accumulation on rafts was studied to find ways to mitigate this problem. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was very high at all sites, but the highest Ulva biomass was associated with the lowest DIN and anthropogenic N. Under luxuriant background nutrient conditions, variability in temperature and periods of emersion, rather than pH, light and salinity determined Ulva biomass. Two dominant species of Ulva displayed differing tolerances to temperature and desiccation which helped explain why Ulva prolifera dominates floating green-tides. Rather than trying to mitigate green tides only by reducing nutrient pollution, an earlier harvest of Pyropia in southern Jiangsu Province especially before temperatures increase greatly above 10 degrees C during April, could reduce the biomass of U. prolifera disposed from rafts. Crown Copyright (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Optimization of NiFe2O4/rGO composite electrode for lithium-ion batteries

The combination of carbon compositing and the proper choice of binders in one system offer an effective strategy for improving electrode performance for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Here, we focus on the optimization of reduced graphene oxide content in NiFeO/reduced graphene oxide (abbreviated to NiFeO/rGO) composites and the proper choice of binders to enhance the cycling stability of the NiFeO electrode. The NiFeO/rGO composites were fabricated by a hydrothermal-annealing method, in which the mean size of spinel NiFeO nanoparticles was approximately 20\ua0nm. When tested as anode materials for LIBs, the NiFeO/rGO electrodes with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) binder exhibited excellent lithium-storage performance including high reversible capacity, good cycling durability and high-rate capability. The capacity could be retained as high as 1105\ua0mAh\ua0g at a current density of 100\ua0mA\ua0g for over 50 cycles, even cycled at higher current density of 1000\ua0mA\ua0g, a capacity of 800\ua0mAh\ua0gcan be obtained, whereas the electrode with the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder suffered from rapid capacity decay under the same test conditions. As a result, the NiFeO/rGO composites with CMC binder electrode in this work are promising as anodes for high-performance LIBs, resulting from the synergistic effect of optimal graphene content and proper choice of binder