Application of NIRS in Nutrient Composition Evaluation of \u3cem\u3eLathyrus sativus\u3c/em\u3e

Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) Analysis has applied to measure nutrient composition successfully in many forage species (Jerry et al. 2003). Lathyrus sativus, an annual legume, is the only edible legume among Lathyrus with crude protein up to 30% (Jackson and Yunus 1984). It has high drought tolerance, and can grow well in barren soil. Thus, this species has a great potential as a crude protein source for livestock in arid and semi-arid area. To introduce this species into a grassland system in Northwest of China, developing a rapid method to deter-mine nutrient composition of various accessions is necessary. This study is aimed at calibrating an NIRS in-strument to predict nutritional traits of L. sativus straw and green manure from 50 accessions

Step pyrolysis of N-rich industrial biowastes: Regulatory mechanism of NOx precursor formation via exploring decisive reaction pathways

Step pyrolysis of N-rich industrial biowastes was used to explore decisive reaction pathways and regulatory mechanisms of NOx precursor formation. Three typical ones involving medium-density fiberboard waste (MFW), penicillin mycelia waste (PMW) and sewage sludge (SS) were employed to compare the formation characteristics of NOx precursors during one-step and two-step pyrolysis. Results demonstrated that considerable NH3-N pre-dominated NOx precursors for one-step pyrolysis at low temperatures, depending on primary pyrolysis of labile amide-N/inorganic-N in fuels. Meanwhile, NOx precursors differed in the increment of each species yield while resembled in the total yield of 20-45 wt.% among three samples at high temperatures, due to specific prevailing reaction pathways linking with distinctive amide-N types. Subsequently, compared with one-step pyrolysis uniformly (800 degrees C), by manipulating intensities of reaction pathways at different stages (selecting differential intermediate feedstocks), two-step pyrolysis was capable of minimizing NOx precursor-N yield by 36-43% with a greater impact on HCN-N (75-85%) than NH3-N (9-37%), demonstrating its great capacity on regulating the formation of NOx precursors for industrial biowaste pyrolysis. These observations were beneficial to develop effective insights into N-pollution emission control during their thermal reutilization

Effects of Cultivar and Maternal Environment on Seed Quality in \u3cem\u3eVicia sativa\u3c/em\u3e

Production of high quality seeds is of fundamental importance for successful crop production. However, knowledge of the effects of increased temperature resulting from global warming on seed quality of alpine species is limited. We investigated the effect of maternal environment on seed quality of three cultivars of the leguminous forage species Vicia sativa, giving particular attention to temperature. Plants of each cultivar were grown at 1700 and 3000 m a.s.l., and mass, germination, electrical conductivity (EC) of leakage and longevity were determined for mature seeds. Seeds of all three cultivars produced at the low elevation had a significantly lower mass and longevity but higher EC of leachate than those produced at the high elevation, suggesting that increased temperatures decreased seed quality. However, seed viability did not differ between elevations. The effects of maternal environment on seed germination strongly depended on cultivar and germination temperature. At 10 and 15°C, seeds of “Lanjian 3” produced at high elevation germinated to higher percentages and rates than those produced at low elevation, but the opposite trend was observed at 20°C. However, for seeds of “Lanjian 1” and “Lanjian 2,” no significant effect of elevation was observed in germination percentage. Our results indicate that the best environment for the production of high quality seeds (e.g., high seed mass, low EC, high seed longevity) of V. sativa is one in which temperatures are relatively low during seed development

Time to Clinical Benefit of Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering in Patients 60 Years and Older With Hypertension

Importance Recent guidelines recommend a systolic blood pressure (BP) goal of less than 150 mm Hg or even 130 mm Hg for adults aged 60 years or older. However, harms from intensive BP treatments occur immediately (eg, syncope, fall), and benefits for cardiovascular event reduction emerge over time. Therefore, harms with low chance of benefit need to be clearer, particularly for those with limited life expectancy. Objective To estimate the time needed to potentially derive clinical benefit from intensive BP treatment in patients 60 years and older. Design, Setting, and Participants This secondary analysis included individual patient data from published randomized clinical trials with 27 414 patients 60 years or older with hypertension. Patient-level survival data were reconstructed when the original data were not available. Published trials were identified by searching PubMed until October 15, 2021. Exposures Intensive BP lowering vs standard BP lowering with the treat-to-target design. Main Outcomes and Measures Major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) defined by each trial, which was broadly similar with all trials including myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality. Results Six trials (original data from 2 trials and reconstructed data from 4 trials) with 27 414 participants (mean age, 70 years; 56.3% were women) were included in the analysis. Intensive BP treatment with a systolic BP target below 140 mm Hg was significantly associated with a 21% reduction in MACE (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.71-0.88; P < .001). On average, 9.1 (95% CI, 4.0-20.6) months were needed to prevent 1 MACE per 500 patients with the intensive BP treatment (absolute risk reduction [ARR], 0.002). Likewise, 19.1 (95% CI, 10.9-34.2) and 34.4 (95% CI, 22.7-59.8) months were estimated to avoid 1 MACE per 200 (ARR, 0.005) and 100 (ARR, 0.01) patients, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance In this analysis, findings suggest that for patients 60 years and older with hypertension, intensive BP treatment may be appropriate for some adults with a life expectancy of greater than 3 years but may not be suitable for those with less than 1 year

Application of Prochloraz-nano-titanium Dioxide Complex Fresh-keeping Agent in Refrigeration of Dioscorea alata Lirm. sp.

Prochloraz diluents (450×, 475×, 500×) were added with different concentrations of nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2) (0.8%, 1.0%) respectively to prepare complex fresh-keeping agents, which were applied in the refrigeration of Dioscorea alata Lirm. sp. With rot index, weight loss rate, browning degree (BD), total soluble solids (TSS) content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and peroxidase (POD) activity, DPPH• scavenging rate as evaluation indexes, the preservation effect of the prepared fresh-keeping agents on D. alata during the cold storage period was analyzed. The results showed that prochloraz added with nano-titanium dioxide significantly prolonged the storage life, reduced the rot rate and weight loss rate, and slowed the loss of pulp of D. alata. The preservation effect of complex fresh-keeping agent of prochloraz diluent (475×) and nano-titanium dioxide (1.0%) was better than that of other treatments

N-Dimethylation and N-Functionalization of Amines Using Ru Nanoparticle Catalysts and Formaldehyde or Functional Aldehydes as the Carbon Source

N-methylated amines are essential bioactive compounds and have been widely used in the fine and bulk chemical industries, as well as in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and dyes. Developing green, efficient, and lowcost catalysts for methylation of amines by using efficient and easily accessible methylating reagents is highly desired yet remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report the selective N-dimethylation of different functional amines with different functional aldehydes under easy-to-handle and industrially applicable conditions using carbon-supported Ru nanoparticles (Ru/C) as a heterogeneous catalyst. A broad spectrum of amines could be efficiently converted to their corresponding N,N-dimethyl amines with good compatibility of various functional groups. This method is widely applicable to N-dimethylation of primary amines including aromatic, aliphatic amines with formaldehyde, and synthesis of tertiary amines from primary, secondary amines with different functional aldehydes. The advantage of this newly described method includes operational simplicity, high turnover number, the ready availability of the catalyst, and good functional group compatibility. This Ru/C catalyzed N-dimethylation reaction possibly proceeds through a two-step N-methylation reaction process

Microbial Nitrogen-Cycle Gene Abundance in Soil of Cropland Abandoned for Different Periods.

In Inner Mongolia, steppe grasslands face desertification or degradation because of human overuse and abandonment after inappropriate agricultural management. The soils in these abandoned croplands exist in heterogeneous environments characterized by widely fluctuating microbial growth. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of microbial genes encoding proteins involved in the nitrogen cycle was used to study Azotobacter species, nitrifiers, and denitrifiers in the soils from steppe grasslands and croplands abandoned for 2, 6, and 26 years. Except for nitrifying archaea and nitrous oxide-reducing bacteria, the relative genotypic abundance of microbial communities involved in nitrogen metabolism differed by approximately 2- to 10-fold between abandoned cropland and steppe grassland soils. Although nitrogen-cycle gene abundances varied with abandonment time, the abundance patterns of nitrogen-cycle genes separated distinctly into abandoned cropland versus light-grazing steppe grassland, despite the lack of any cultivation for over a quarter-century. Plant biomass and plant diversity exerted a significant effect on the abundance of microbial communities that mediate the nitrogen cycle (P < 0.002 and P < 0.03, respectively). The present study elucidates the ecology of bacteria that mediate the nitrogen cycle in recently abandoned croplands