Balancing potato yield, soil nutrient supply, and nitrous oxide emissions: An analysis of nitrogen application trade-offs.

Potato has been promoted as a national key staple food to alleviate pressure on food security in China. Appropriate nitrogen (N) application rate is prerequisite and is crucial for increasing yield, improving fertilizer efficiency, and reducing N losses. In the present study, we determined the optimum N application rates by analyzing field trial data from the main potato producing areas of China between 2004 and 2020. We considered the equilibrium relationships between potato yield, N uptake, partial N balance (PNB), and N2O emission under different soil indigenous N supply (INS) scenarios. The results showed that N rate, INS, and their interactions all significantly affect potato yield and nutrient uptake increment. On average, N application increased potato yield and N uptake by 29.5 % and 56.7 %, respectively. The relationship between N rate and yield increment was linear-plateau, while the relationship between N rate and N uptake increment was linear-linear. Soil INS accounted for 63.5 % of total potato N requirement. Potato yield increment and nutrient uptake increment were exponentially negatively correlated with INS and had a significant parabolic-nonlinear relationship with the interaction of N fertilizer application rate and INS. PNB was negatively correlated with fertilizer N supply intensity as a power function. Based on our analysis, a N application rate of 166 kg N ha-1 was found to be sufficient when the target yield was <34 t ha-1. However, when the target yield reached 40, 50 and 60 t ha-1, the recommended N application rate increased to 182, 211, and 254 kg N ha-1, respectively, while ensuring N2O emissions low with an emission factor of 0.2 %. Our findings will help guide potato farming toward cleaner production without compromising environmental benefit.

DHA supplementation and pregnancy complications.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation is recommended for women during pregnancy because of its neurological, visual, and cognitive effects. Previous studies have suggested that DHA supplementation during pregnancy may prevent and treat certain pregnancy complications. However, there are contradictions in the current related studies, and the specific mechanism by which DHA acts remains unclear. This review summarizes the research on the relationship between DHA intake during pregnancy and preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, and postpartum depression. Furthermore, we explore the impact of DHA intake during pregnancy on the prediction, prevention, and treatment of pregnancy complications as well as its impact on offspring neurodevelopment. Our results suggest that there is limited and controversial evidence for the protective effect of DHA intake on pregnancy complications, with the exception of preterm birth and gestational diabetes mellitus. However, additional DHA supplementation may improve long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring of women with pregnancy complications.

Realgar, a traditional Chinese medicine, induces apoptosis of HPV16-positive cervical cells through a HPV16 E7-related pathway.

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the effect of Realgar on the apoptosis of HPV16-positive cervical cells in vitro. METHODS: The effect of Realgar on the apoptosis of HPV16-positive cervical cells was investigated by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining and growth inhibition assays using HPV16-positive cervical cancer cell line SiHa and HPV16-positive immortalized cervical epithelial cell line S12. The expression of genes was measured by real-time PCR, and the expression of corresponding proteins was detected by Western blotting. The adhesion and invasion of cells were detected by adhesion assay and Transwell invasion assay, respectively. RESULTS: The Realgar inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of SiHa and S12 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The Realgar suppressed the expression of HPV16 E7 and caspase-3. The Realgar suppressed the adhesion and invasion of both cells. CONCLUSION: The Realgar induced apoptosis, inhibited the proliferation of HPV16-positive cell lines through a HPV16 E7-dependent pathway, and inhibited cell adhesion and invasion.

Engineering application of activated alumina adsorption dams for emergency treatment of arsenic-contaminated rivers.

A batch of lab-based adsorption experiments were performed to investigate the arsenic (As) removal efficacy by activated alumina. Four factors including contact time, pH, initial As concentration and different coexisting ions were examined. The adsorbent made of activated alumina (AA) with particles of 2-4 mm diameter showed a high As removal efficiency and the As concentrations of the samples were below 0.05 mg/L when the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was operated above 5 min. The As concentrations of the samples could remain below 0.05 mg/L for 30 days. A series of AA adsorption dams coupled with several other supporting adsorption techniques were employed for As-contaminated river restoration. The engineering project functioned well, and the effluent As concentration was below 0.05 mg/L when the influent was between 0.2 and 0.7 mg/L, which met the discharge requirement of the Surface Water Quality Standards criteria III in China. The results demonstrated that AA adsorption dams could be applied for emergency treatments of small- or medium-sized rivers contaminated with As.