Annual Herbaceous Plants Exhibit Altered Morphological Traits in Response to Altered Precipitation and Drought Patterns in Semiarid Sandy Grassland, Northern China.

The frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events and severe drought are predicted to increase in semiarid areas due to global climate change. Plant morphological traits can reflect plant responses to a changing environment, such as altered precipitation or drought patterns. In this study, we examined the response of morphological traits of root, stem, leaf and reproduction meristems of annual herbaceous species to altered precipitation and drought patterns in a semiarid sandy grassland. The study involved a control treatment (100% of background precipitation) and the following six altered precipitation treatments: (1) P(+): precipitation increased by 30%, (2) P(++): precipitation increased by 60%, (3) P(-): precipitation decreased by 30%, (4) P(--): precipitation decreased by 60%, (5) drought 1 (D1): 46-day drought from May 1st to June 15th, and (6) drought 2 (D2): 46-day drought from July 1st to August 15th. P(++) significantly increased root length, flower length-to-width ratio, both P(+) and P(++) significantly increased stem length and flower number in the plant growing seasons, while all of them decreased under P(-) and P(--). The annual herbaceous plants marginally increased the number of second-level stem branches and stem diameter in order to better resist the severe drought stress under P(--). P(+) and P(++) increased the root, stem, leaf, and flower dry weight, with the flower dry weight accounting for a larger proportion than the other aboveground parts. Under D2, the plants used the limited water resources more efficiently by increasing the root-to-shoot ratio compared with P(-), P(--) and D1, which reflects biomass allocation to belowground increased. The linear mixed-effects models and redundancy analysis showed that the root-to-shoot ratio and the dry weight of various plant components were significantly affected by morphological traits and altered precipitation magnitude. Our results showed that the herbaceous species have evolved morphological trait responses that allow them to adapt to climate change. Such differences in morphological traits may ultimately affect the growing patterns of annual herbaceous species, enhancing their drought-tolerant capacity in semiarid sandy grassland during the ongoing climate change.

Threshold switching memristor-based stochastic neurons for probabilistic computing.

Biological neurons exhibit dynamic excitation behavior in the form of stochastic firing, rather than stiffly giving out spikes upon reaching a fixed threshold voltage, which empowers the brain to perform probabilistic inference in the face of uncertainty. However, owing to the complexity of the stochastic firing process in biological neurons, the challenge of fabricating and applying stochastic neurons with bio-realistic dynamics to probabilistic scenarios remains to be fully addressed. In this work, a novel CuS/GeSe conductive-bridge threshold switching memristor is fabricated and singled out to realize electronic stochastic neurons, which is ascribed to the similarity between the stochastic switching behavior observed in the device and that of biological ion channels. The corresponding electric circuit of a stochastic neuron is then constructed and the probabilistic firing capacity of the neuron is utilized to implement Bayesian inference in a spiking neural network (SNN). The application prospects are demonstrated on the example of a tumor diagnosis task, where common fatal diagnostic errors of a conventional artificial neural network are successfully circumvented. Moreover, in comparison to deterministic neuron-based SNNs, the stochastic neurons enable SNNs to deliver an estimate of the uncertainty in their predictions, and the fidelity of the judgement is drastically improved by 81.2%.

Balloon versus Amplatz for tract dilation in fluoroscopically guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of balloon and Amplatz for tract dilation in fluoroscopically guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). METHOD: EMBASE, PUBMED, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for pertinent studies up until 30 October 2019. Pooled effects were calculated as ORs with 95% CIs or mean differences (MD) with 95% CIs. Endpoints included postoperative decrease in haemoglobin, transfusion rate, complication rate, successful dilation rate, stone-free rate, fluoroscopy time, access time, total operation time and length of postoperative hospitalisation (LPH). Bonferroni's correction was intercalated to reduce the likelihood of making a meta-analytical false positive. RESULTS: One randomised controlled trial and five controlled clinical trials were included, which involved 1317 patients in total. We found a lower drop in postoperative haemoglobin for patients receiving balloon dilation compared with those in the Amplatz group (MD=-0.21, 95% CI -0.33 to 0.09, p=0.0005; Bonferroni correction a=0.005). Access time in the balloon group was also, on average, 2.61 min shorter than the Amplatz group (MD=-2.61, 95% CI -4.20 to 1.01, p=0.001; Bonferroni correction a=0.005). No significant differences were identified between the two dilation methods in terms of transfusion rate, complication rate, successful dilation rate, stone-free rate, fluoroscopy time, total operation time and LPH. CONCLUSION: Balloon dilation is a safe and effective tract dilation technique for access creation during fluoroscopically guided PCNL. Both of methods have similar success rates although balloon dilation is associated with significantly less postoperative haemoglobin decline and shorter access time. Therefore, balloon dilation appears to be the superior tract dilation technique, but further confirmatory research is required to confirm these findings.

Transcriptome analysis revealed changes of multiple genes involved in muscle hardness in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) fed with faba bean meal.

An 8-week feeding trial and transcriptome analysis were conducted to investigate the potential mechanism of muscle-hardening caused by faba bean in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). Ordinary grass carp (fed with practical diet) and crisp grass carp (fed with faba bean meal) groups were designed. Lower water holding capacity and higher some texture parameters were observed in the muscle of crisp grass carp compared with another group. 19.62 GB clean reads were generated, and total 1354 genes exhibiting differentially expression were identified (FDR < 0.05). Genes function enrichment revealed up-regulated genes in crisp grass carp mainly in response to myofibroblast proliferation, while down-regulated genes in response to immune regulation. Consistent with this, the tight junction pathway and the NF-κB signaling pathway were likewise significantly enriched. In summary, this study identified several candidate genes and putative signaling pathways deserving further investigation to the mechanism of muscle-hardening in fish fed with faba bean.

MicroRNA-34a inhibits bladder cancer cell migration and invasion, and upregulates PTEN expression.

MicroRNA-34a (miR-34a) serves as a tumor suppressor in a number of different types of cancer. The present study was performed to investigate the involvement of miR-34a in bladder cancer. In the present study, miR-34a was downregulated in patients with bladder cancer compared with the healthy controls in bladder biopsies and plasma. Downregulation of miR-34a distinguished between patients with bladder cancer and the healthy controls. miR-34a expression was associated with tumor metastasis; however, not with tumor size. Transfection of miR-34a mimics upregulated the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in bladder cancer cells, and decreased cell migration and invasion. miR-34a may inhibit bladder cancer cell migration and invasion by upregulating PTEN. miR-34a may additionally serve as a potential therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

Responses of annual herb plant community characteristics to increased precipitation and reduced wind velocity in semiarid sandy grassland.

Changes in precipitation regimes and wind velocity tend to alter structure and composition of the annual herb plant community, with consequent effects on ecological functioning and biodiversity maintenance. We examined the effects of increased precipitation and reduced wind velocity on annual herb plant community characteristics via a manipulative experiment from the middle of April to middle of August, 2016. There was significant increment in species richness with increased precipitation from June to August, and there were interactive effects between increased precipitation and reduced wind velocity especially in June and the end of July. From June to August, increased precipitation, reduced wind velocity as well as their interaction stimulated sandy plant community development. There was considerable elevation in plant coverage with increased precipitation, and also there was an interactive effect of increased precipitation with 20% reduced wind velocity. However, reduced wind velocity caused more significant stimulation (p < .01) in plant height. Moreover, dominant plants, Salsola collina, Bassia dasyphylla, and Setaria viridis, contributed equally to the elevated community coverage with increased precipitation, whereas S. collina occupied a much larger proportion on the augment of community height compared with the other two species under the increased precipitation and reduced wind velocity. Elevated Shannon-Wiener index was detected with increased precipitation in June and July. Furthermore, increased precipitation and reduced wind velocity enhanced aboveground and belowground biomass, respectively. These species traits-in structuring and composing plant community were suggested to be conducive to deep understanding the plant functioning and dynamics under global changing precipitation regimes and atmospheric wind velocity scenarios.

[Evaluation and Comparison of SHA.LIN,S.T.O.N.E.Nephrolithometry Scoring System,and Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society Nephrolithometry Nomogram for Predicting Stone Free Rate and Postoperative Outcomes after Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy].

To compare the accuracy of SHA.LIN,S.T.O.N.E.nephrolithometry scoring system,and Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society(CROES)nephrolithometry nomogram in predicting percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PCNL)outcomes including stone free rate(SFR)and perioperative status. Methods The clinical data of 90 patients with nephrolithiasis undergoing PCNL in department of urology,China-Japan Friendship Hospital from January 2015 to March 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.The general data,stone characteristics,operation approaches,and perioperative variables were recorded.SHA.LIN,S.T.O.N.E.score,and CROES nomogram were assigned according to the computed tomography(CT)findings before surgery.Stone free status was evaluated by kidney-ureter-bladder one month after PCNL.The relationships of SHA.LIN score,S.T.O.N.E.score,and CROES score with SFR,postoperative complications,operation time(OT),length of hospital stay(LOS),estimated blood loss(EBL),and decrease of hemoglobin was evaluated.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to analyze the predictive accuracy. Results The SFR was 72.2%(65/90)and postoperative complications occurred in 33 cases(36.7%).The mean OT was(103.1±39.6)min,the mean EBL was(46.1±53.0)ml,the mean LOS was(15.3±5.2)d,the mean postoperative LOS was(8.5±3.4)d,and the mean decrease of hemoglobin was(16.1±10.2)g/L.Stone-free patients had significantly lower SHA.LIN score(8.23 vs. 10.36,P=0.000)and S.T.O.N.E.score(7.05 vs.8.16,P=0.000)and significantly higher CROES score(188.50 vs. 143.89,P=0.000)compared to patients with residual fragments.All these scores were not significantly associated with complications(P>0.05).On the other hand,all these scores were significantly correlated with OT,EBL,and decrease of hemoglobin(SHA.LIN:POT=0.006,PEBL=0.028,Pdecrease of hemoglobin=0.014;S.T.O.N.E.:POT=0.012,PEBL=0.047,Pdecrease of hemoglobin=0.011;and CROES:POT=0.040,PEBL=0.045,Pdecrease of hemoglobin=0.013).SHA.LIN(P=0.001)and S.T.O.N.E.(P=0.005)scores were associated with LOS.Logistic regression analysis revealed that SHA.LIN(OR=2.491),S.T.O.N.E.(OR=3.030),and CROES(OR=0.973)scores were significantly associated with stone-free status.ROC curves in predicting SFR showed that there was significant difference in the areas under the curves(AUC)for the SHA.LIN vs. S.T.O.N.E.score [0.808(95% CI=0.711-0.905)vs. 0.748(95% CI=0.632-0.864),P=0.047].AUC for the CROES score [0.770(95% CI=0.664-0.877)] showed no significantly different for the SHA.LIN score or the S.T.O.N.E.score(P>0.05). Conclusions All these three scoring systems have good predictive accuracy for SFR.SHA.LIN is more precise than S.T.O.N.E.in predicting SFR.However,they can not predict postoperative complications.

An electro-photo-sensitive synaptic transistor for edge neuromorphic visual systems.

The practical application of optoelectronic artificial synapses in neuromorphic visual systems is still hindered by their limited functionality, reliability and the challenge of mass production. Here, an electro-photo-sensitive synapse based on a highly reliable amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistor is demonstrated. Not only does the synapse respond to electrical voltage spikes due to charge trapping/detrapping, but also the weight is modified directly by persistent photocurrent effects under UV-light stimulation. Representative forms of synaptic plasticity, including inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic currents, frequency-dependent characteristics, short-term to long-term plasticity transitions, and summation effects, are successfully demonstrated. In particular, optoelectronic synergetic modulation leads to reconfigurable excitatory and inhibitory synaptic behaviors, which provides a promising way to achieve the homeostatic regulation of synaptic weights. Moreover, the analogue channel conductance with 100 states is used as the weight update rule to perform MNIST handwritten digit recognition, using system-level LeNet-5 convolutional neural network simulations. The network shows a high recognition accuracy of 95.99% and good tolerance to noisy input patterns. This study highlights the commercial potential of mature optoelectronic InGaZnO transistor technology in edge neuromorphic systems.

The development of brain functional connectivity networks revealed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Previous studies on brain functional connectivity networks in children have mainly focused on changes in function in specific brain regions, as opposed to whole brain connectivity in healthy children. By analyzing the independent components of activation and network connectivity between brain regions, we examined brain activity status and development trends in children aged 3 and 5 years. These data could provide a reference for brain function rehabilitation in children with illness or abnormal function. We acquired functional magnetic resonance images from 15 3-year-old children and 15 5-year-old children under natural sleep conditions. The participants were recruited from five kindergartens in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen City, China. The parents of the participants signed an informed consent form with the premise that they had been fully informed regarding the experimental protocol. We used masked independent component analysis and BrainNet Viewer software to explore the independent components of the brain and correlation connections between brain regions. We identified seven independent components in the two groups of children, including the executive control network, the dorsal attention network, the default mode network, the left frontoparietal network, the right frontoparietal network, the salience network, and the motor network. In the default mode network, the posterior cingulate cortex, medial frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule were activated in both 3- and 5-year-old children, supporting the "three-brain region theory" of the default mode network. In the frontoparietal network, the frontal and parietal gyri were activated in the two groups of children, and functional connectivity was strengthened in 5-year-olds compared with 3-year-olds, although the nodes and network connections were not yet mature. The high-correlation network connections in the default mode networks and dorsal attention networks had been significantly strengthened in 5-year-olds vs. 3-year-olds. Further, the salience network in the 3-year-old children included an activated insula/inferior frontal gyrus-anterior cingulate cortex network circuit and an activated thalamus-parahippocampal-posterior cingulate cortex-subcortical regions network circuit. By the age of 5 years, nodes and high-correlation network connections (edges) were reduced in the salience network. Overall, activation of the dorsal attention network, default mode network, left frontoparietal network, and right frontoparietal network increased (the volume of activation increased, the signals strengthened, and the high-correlation connections increased and strengthened) in 5-year-olds compared with 3-year-olds, but activation in some brain nodes weakened or disappeared in the salience network, and the network connections (edges) were reduced. Between the ages of 3 and 5 years, we observed a tendency for function in some brain regions to be strengthened and for the generalization of activation to be reduced, indicating that specialization begins to develop at this time. The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in China with approval No. SIAT-IRB-131115-H0075 on November 15, 2013.

One-shot dilation versus serial dilation technique for access in percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to systematically review the outcomes of the use of one-shot dilation (OSD) and serial tract dilation for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. The randomised controlled trials (RCTs) included in the study were identified from EMBASE, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The last search was performed on 30 April 2018. Summary effects were calculated as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs or mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs. The endpoints included access time, fluoroscopy time, successful dilation rate, stone-free rate, postoperative decrease in haemoglobin levels, transfusion rate, complication rate and length of postoperative hospital stay. RESULTS: A total of seven RCTs were included in the study, with clinical data reported for 697 patients. The overall access time was approximately 110 s shorter in the OSD group than in the serial dilation group (MD, -110.14; 95% CI -161.99 to -58.30; p<0.0001). The fluoroscopy time was shorter with OSD in all RCTs. In addition, the decrease in postoperative haemoglobin levels was approximately 2.3g/L less in patients in the OSD group than in those in the serial dilation group (MD, -0.23; 95% CI-0.39 to -0.07; p=0.004). No relationship was found between the successful dilation rate, stone-free rate, transfusion rate, or complication rate and the method of tract dilation. CONCLUSION: OSD is a safe and efficacious tract dilation technique that can reduce the access time, fluoroscopy time and postoperative decrease in haemoglobin level. No difference was found in the successful dilation rate, stone-free rate, transfusion rate or rate of complications between the OSD and serial dilation groups. The difference in the length of postoperative hospital stay was uncertain. OSD may be a better method of tract creation for PCNL.

A novel messenger RNA and long noncoding RNA signature associated with the progression of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer.

AIM: To explore the molecular mechanism of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), matched normal, and cancer tissues of 10 NMIBC were examined for RNA sequencing. METHODS: We profiled the messenger RNA (mRNA) and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression of patients with NMIBC. Differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs were screened between cancer and normal tissues and validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and lncRNA-mRNA-miRNA interaction network was constructed. RESULTS: A total of 91 upregulated and 190 downregulated genes and 34 upregulated and 58 downregulated lncRNAs were screened from the sequencing result. The differentially expressed mRNAs were enriched in focal adhesion, rap1 signaling pathway, Hippo signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, Ras signaling pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway, of which some pathways were involved in the cancer development. In the RNA sequencing, KIT and laminin subunitγ γ3 (LAMC3) were significantly downregulated in the NMIBC group compared with the normal group. The results of quantitative reverse transcription PCR showed that the expression of LAMC3 and KIT were significantly decreased in the NMIBC group compared with the normal group. The lncRNA-mRNA-miRNA interaction network was constructed by Cytoscape software to further investigate the interaction correlations. The results implied that KIT and LAMC3 might regulate the lncRNAs (such as ENST00000445707, ENST00000501122, ENST00000505254, ENST00000528986, ENST00000557661, ENST00000602964, ENST00000614517, ENST00000620864, and ENST00000623414) by the miRNAs (such as hsa-let-7f-2-3p, hsa-miR-125a-3p, hsa-miR-134-3p, hsa-miR-191-5p, hsa-miR-210-5p, hsa-miR-30a-5p, hsa-miR-30d-5p, hsa-miR-30e-5p, hsa-miR-92a-2-5p, and hsa-miR-95-3p), and finally played a role in the development of NMIBC cancer. CONCLUSION: Altogether, our study preliminarily indicated that KIT and LAMC3 might play a crucial role in the development of NMIBC cancer via a complex mRNA-lncRNA-miRNA regulatory network.

Inhibitory neurotransmitter serotonin and excitatory neurotransmitter dopamine both decrease food intake in Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi).

Aminergic neurotransmitters play important roles in the regulation of food intake. However, their effects on feeding in fish have been less explored and still unclear. In the present study, the effects of serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) on food intake were evaluated through intraventricular (ICV) administration in Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi) and the mRNA expression levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti gene-related protein (AgRP), and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) were detected. At 1 h post-injection, 5-HT significantly decreased food intake in a dose-dependent manner. The mRNA expression of NPY and AgRP were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), whereas the mRNA expression of POMC was significantly increased (p < 0.05), suggesting the involvement of NPY, AgRP, and POMC in inhibitory action of 5-HT on food intake in Chinese perch. DA significantly decreased (p < 0.05) food intake and AgRP mRNA expression at 1 h post-injection, indicating the inhibitory effect of DA on food intake might be mediated through AgRP. This might shed new light on the regulation of food intake in Chinese perch.

Transcriptome analysis of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fed with animal and plant diets.

Numerous studies have been focused on the replacement of fish meal by other alternative protein sources. However, little is currently known about the molecular mechanism of utilization of diets with different protein sources in fish. Grass carp is a typical herbivorous fish. To elucidate the relationship between gene expression and utilization of animal and plant diets, transcriptome sequencing was performed in grass carp fed with chironomid larvae and duckweed. Grass carp fed with duckweed had significantly higher relative length of gut than those fed with chironomid larvae. 4435 differentially expressed genes were identified between grass carp fed with chironomid larvae and duckweed in brain, liver and gut, involved in cell proliferation and differentiation, appetite control, circadian rhythm, digestion and metabolism pathways. These pathways might play important roles in utilization of diets with different protein sources in grass carp. And the findings could provide a new insight into the replacement of fish meal in artificial diets.

Transcriptome analysis of food habit transition from carnivory to herbivory in a typical vertebrate herbivore, grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella.

BACKGROUND: Although feeding behavior and food habit are ecologically and economically important properties, little is known about formation and evolution of herbivory. Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is an ecologically appealing model of vertebrate herbivore, widely cultivated in the world as edible fish or as biological control agents for aquatic weeds. Grass carp exhibits food habit transition from carnivory to herbivory during development. However, currently little is known about the genes regulating the unique food habit transition and the formation of herbivory, and how they could achieve higher growth rates on plant materials, which have a relatively poor nutritional quality. RESULTS: We showed that grass carp fed with duckweed (modeling fish after food habit transition) had significantly higher relative length of gut than fish before food habit transition or those fed with chironomid larvae (fish without transition). Using transcriptome sequencing, we identified 10,184 differentially expressed genes between grass carp before and after transition in brain, liver and gut. By eliminating genes potentially involved in development (via comparing fish with or without food habit transition), we identified changes in expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation, appetite control, circadian rhythm, and digestion and metabolism between fish before and after food habit transition. Up-regulation of GHRb, Egfr, Fgf, Fgfbp1, Insra, Irs2, Jak, STAT, PKC, PI3K expression in fish fed with duckweed, consistent with faster gut growth, could promote the food habit transition. Grass carp after food habit transition had increased appetite signal in brain. Altered expressions of Per, Cry, Clock, Bmal2, Pdp, Dec and Fbxl3 might reset circadian phase of fish after food habit transition. Expression of genes involved in digestion and metabolism were significantly different between fish before and after the transition. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the food habit transition from carnivory to herbivory in grass carp might be due to enhanced gut growth, increased appetite, resetting of circadian phase and enhanced digestion and metabolism. We also found extensive alternative splicing and novel transcript accompanying food habit transition. These differences together might account for the food habit transition and the formation of herbivory in grass carp.

[Composition and source of atmosphere aerosol water soluble ions over the East China Sea in winter].

With the ion chromatographic method, the water-soluble ion concentrations of Cl(-), NO3(-), SO4(2-) , CH3SO3(-) (MSA), Na+, K+, NH4+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ in the atmospheric aerosol over the East China Sea in winter 2009 was determined and the sources of these ions was investigated through correlation analysis by SPSS (statistical package for social sciences) software. The results indicated that the concentrations of secondary ions in aerosol were the highest (non-sea-salt sulfates nss-SO4(2-), NO3(-), NH4+), accounting for 78.4% of total determining ions. The calculation results of equivalent concentration of anions and cations showed that the acid ions of aerosol were neutralized inadequately. The stoichiometry of NH4+ in different compounds showed that NH4HSO4 was the main binding form of NH4+ and SO4(2-) in the aerosol. The concentration of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) was low, and the average value was (0.0088 +/- 0.0037) microg x m(-3). According to calculation, the contribution of sea-salt sulfates was 4.5% to total sulfates, and that of biogenous sulfates was 1.4% to non-sea-salt sulfate (nss-SO4(2-)), showing that human input was the main source of sulfates in aerosol over the East China Sea. In addition, nss-SO4(2-)/NO3(-) in the aerosol was 1.08, reflecting that China's energy structure adjustment played an important role in recent years.

[Soil condensation water in different habitats in Horqin sandy land: an experimental study].

Weighing method was adopted to study the formation time and the amount of soil condensation water in four habitats (mobile sandy land, fixed sandy land, farmland, and Mongolian pine forest land) in Horqin Sandy Land in August 2007. The soil condensation water began to form at 20:00-22:00, increased gradually at 22:00-4:00, and began to evaporate after 4:00. In the four habitats, soil condensation water was mainly formed in 0-9 cm layer, and the amount was the greatest in 0-3 cm layer, accounting for 40% of the total. The soil condensation water also formed in 9-30 cm layer, but in very small amount. There was a greater difference in the mean daily amount of soil condensation water in 0-3 cm layer in the four habitats, with the sequence of fixed sandy land > mobile sandy land > farmland > Mongolian pine forest land, which indicated that the habitat with better vegetation condition was not benefit the formation of soil condensation water. The mean daily amount of soil condensation water in 0-30 cm layer was 0.172 mm in fixed sandy land, 0.128 mm in Mongolian pine forest land, 0.120 mm in mobile sandy land, and 0.110 mm in farmland.

[Characteristics of Caragana microphylla sap flow and water consumption under different weather conditions on Horqin sandy land of northeast China].

Employing heat balance Dynamax packaged sap flow measuring system and automatic weather recording system, the sap flow of artificial Caragana microphylla community on Horqin sandy land of northeast China was monitored consecutively in 2006, and the photosynthetically effective radiation, air temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity were measured synchronously. According to the manual records of weather conditions, four most representative weather conditions were gathered up to analyze the relationships of C. microphylla sap flow and its single branch water consumption with test meteorological factors. The results showed that under high air temperature and intense radiation on sunny days, the diurnal variation of C. microphylla sap flow appeared a broad peak curve, so as to adapt the circumstance of drought and water shortage via lower transpiration. The diurnal variations of sap flow and its dominant affecting factors differed with weather conditions, and photosynthetically effective radiation was always the dominant factor affecting the sap flow. The variation of the sap flow was the result of comprehensive effects of multi-meteorological factors, and the overall variation trend of water consumption of single branch was declined in the order of sunny days > cloudy days > windy days > rainy days, with the mean value being 459, 310, 281 and 193 mg x d(-1), respectively.