Effects of different fertilization conditions and different geographical locations on the diversity and composition of the rhizosphere microbiota of Qingke (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants in different growth stages

IntroductionThe excessive use of chemical fertilizer causes increasing environmental and food security crisis. Organic fertilizer improves physical and biological activities of soil. Rhizosphere microbiota, which consist of highly diverse microorganisms, play an important role in soil quality. However, there is limited information about the effects of different fertilization conditions on the growth of Qingke plants and composition of the rhizosphere microbiota of the plants.MethodsIn this study, we characterized the rhizosphere microbiota of Qingke plants grown in three main Qingke-producing areas (Tibet, Qinghai, and Gansu). In each of the three areas, seven different fertilization conditions (m1–m7, m1: Unfertilized; m2: Farmer Practice; m3: 75% Farmer Practice; m4: 75% Farmer Practice +25% Organic manure; m5: 50% Farmer Practice; m6: 50% Farmer Practice +50% Organic manure; m7: 100% Organic manure) were applied. The growth and yields of the Qingke plants were also compared under the seven fertilization conditions.ResultsThere were significant differences in alpha diversity indices among the three areas. In each area, differences in fertilization conditions and differences in the growth stages of Qingke plants resulted in differences in the beta diversity of the rhizosphere microbiota. Meanwhile, in each area, fertilization conditions, soil depths, and the growth stages of Qingke plants significantly affected the relative abundance of the top 10 phyla and the top 20 bacterial genera. For most of microbial pairs established through network analysis, the significance of their correlations in each of the microbial co-occurrence networks of the three experimental sites was different. Moreover, in each of the three networks, there were significant differences in relative abundance and genera among most nodes (i.e., the genera Pseudonocardia, Skermanella, Pseudonocardia, Skermanella, Aridibacter, and Illumatobacter). The soil chemical properties (i.e., TN, TP, SOM, AN, AK, CEC, Ca, and K) were positively or negatively correlated with the relative abundance of the top 30 genera derived from the three main Qingke-producing areas (p < 0.05). Fertilization conditions markedly influenced the height of a Qingke plant, the number of spikes in a Qingke plant, the number of kernels in a spike, and the fresh weight of a Qingke plant. Considering the yield, the most effective fertilization conditions for Qingke is combining application 50% chemical fertilizer and 50% organic manure.ConclusionThe results of the present study can provide theoretical basis for practice of reducing the use of chemical fertilizer in agriculture

AlH₃ as High-Energy Fuels for Solid Propellants: Synthesis, Thermodynamics, Kinetics, and Stabilization

Aluminum hydride (AlH3) has attracted wide attention due to its high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen capacity. AlH3 can easily release hydrogen when heated at relatively low temperature. Such high hydrogen density and low dehydrogenation temperature make it one of the most promising high-energy fuels for solid propellants. In particular, AlH3 as a component of solid propellants may greatly increase the specific impulse of rocket engines. However, AlH3 exhibits low chemical and thermal stability in an ambient atmosphere. In this paper, the research progress about the synthesis, dehydrogenation thermodynamics, and kinetics, the stabilization of AlH3 over the past decades are reviewed, with the aim of exploring more a economical synthesis and suitable stabilization methods for large-scale use in solid propellants. Finally, some suggestions regarding future research directions in this filed are proposed

Injectable calcium phosphate cement and fibrin sealant recombined human bone morphogenetic protein-2 composite in vertebroplasty: an animal study

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is currently the most commonly-used material, but it may induce adjacent vertebral fracture due to low degradation and high strength. Our study evaluated the feasibility of injectable calcium phosphate cement (ICPC) and fibrin sealant (FS) as an injectable compound carrier of human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in New Zealand rabbits for vertebroplasty. Results showed ICPC/FS/rhBMP-2 composites induced alkaline phosphatase most effectively at 2 and 4 weeks after implantation. Histological examination confirmed that new bone and vessels developed at 4 weeks in the ICPC/FS/rhBMP-2 group. At 8 weeks, parts of the ICPC/FS/rhBMP-2 cement degraded with mature bone tissues and neovascularization. New bone was observed by MicroCT to form early and massively, and the ossification was almost synchronous with the material degradation. In the PMMA Group, however, no new bone formation or material degradation was found. The stiffness and tension of vertebral bodies implanted with ICPC/FS/rhBMP-2 were weaker than those of normal vertebral bodies as well as vertebral bodies implanted with PMMA at 4 weeks (p0.05), while they were significantly lower, compared with vertebral bodies implanted with PMMA (p<0.05). It is concluded that, with good characteristics of osteoinductivity, the bone substitution is synchronous with material degradation

Ionic liquid assisted synthesis of palladium nanoclusters for highly efficient formaldehyde oxidation

The use of Ionic Liquids (ILs) to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of metal nanoparticles has garnered sustained research interest. However, current strategies involving ionic liquids do not exploit their use and advantages in chemical synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Herein, we demonstrate a straightforward method, which combines the advantages of ILs in nanoparticle synthesis with the potentials of ILs in electrocatalysis, for the synthesis of Pd nanoclusters for electrochemical oxidation of formaldehyde. This method relies on the use of 1-(2&#39;-aminoethyl)-3-methyl-imidazolum tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid as stabilizers to directly generate Pd nanoclusters with average sizes of 1.8 +/- 0.3 nm in a reaction medium consisting of water and methanol at room temperature. The electrochemical measurements prove that the ionic liquid-assisted Pd nanoclusters have mass-normalized activity approximately 7 times than that of commercial Pd/C catalysts for the oxidation of formaldehyde. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</p

Study on stress and deformation characteristics of existing-new two-stage cantilever retaining wall.

A two-stage cantilever retaining wall is composed of two single-stage cantilever retaining walls, which are stacked up and down. The structure not only has the advantages of a single-stage retaining wall, but also compensates for the shortcomings of the height limit of the single-stage retaining wall; therefore, it has been gradually applied in projects. Based on the actual project of Zhongwei-Lanzhou Passenger Dedicated Line into Lanzhou Hub, this paper studies the influence of the construction of new cantilever retaining wall and the filling of subgrade on the deformation and earth pressure of the new cantilever wall and the existing cantilever wall by means of field test and numerical simulation. The results show that with an increase in the filling height after the new cantilever wall (upper wall), the horizontal displacement of the top of the upper and lower walls increased nonlinearly. The displacement direction of the upper wall was the filling direction, and that of the lower wall was the deviation from the filling direction. The higher the filling height, the greater is the displacement. With an increase in the filling height, the earth pressure behind the upper wall increases gradually along the wall height and decreases slightly to the bottom of the wall, which is approximately a linear distribution. The earth pressure behind the existing cantilever wall first increases along the wall height and gradually decreases after reaching a certain depth, but the earth pressure of the lower wall does not increase significantly with an increase in the filling height behind the upper wall. The slope failure mode is the overall sliding failure of the retaining wall together with the fill soil. The sliding surface passed through the lower edge of the lower wall heel and was similar to an arc shape. The stability of the two-stage cantilever retaining wall was better than that of a single-stage retaining wall. Finally, a calculation method for the overall stability and earth pressure of the existing two-stage cantilever retaining wall was proposed

Aggressive natural killer cell leukemia or extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma? a case with nasal involvement

Abstract Background Aggressive natural killer cell leukemia/lymphoma (ANKL) is a rare and highly aggressive NK cell neoplasm with a short clinical course and poor prognosis and is often misdiagnosed and confused with NK/T cell lymphoma (NKTL), which has a very different prognosis. Here, we present a case with nasal and bone marrow involvement, provide a literature review and make a differential diagnosis. Case presentation A 41-year-old male presented nasal congestion pharyngalgia, palatal perforation, high fever and multiorgan dysfunction. Our diagnosis primarily relied on clinical features, the morphology and immunophenotype of the neoplastic cells and imaging studies. Characteristic large granular lymphocytes with azurophilic granules were visible in the bone marrow smears. In addition, the neoplastic cells expressed a typical immunophenotype, and the T cell receptor γ (TCR-γ) gene rearrangement analysis and presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were negative. The patient’s symptoms and signs were temporarily relieved after chemotherapy treatment, but after a short time, he underwent a rapid clinical decline and died 8 weeks later after admission due to multiorgan function failure. Conclusion Our case demonstrates that to avoid a misdiagnosis, bone marrow analyses and other examinations should be performed early when a patient initially presents nasal lesions and other systemic symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this may be the first reported case of ANKL with sternal tenderness

Three-dimensional model of two-stage cantilever retaining wall.

Three-dimensional model of two-stage cantilever retaining wall.</p

Horizontal displacement curve of wall body, (a)The upper wall, (b)The lower wall.

Horizontal displacement curve of wall body, (a)The upper wall, (b)The lower wall.</p

The physical and mechanical parameters of soil layer.

The physical and mechanical parameters of soil layer.</p