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【Objective】 Fragrant pear is a cash crop in Northwestern China and its growth relies on irrigation. This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the effect of drip irrigation amount on water consumption of the pear as well as water distribution in soil. 【Method】 The experiment was conducted from 2021 to 2023 in a pear orchard in Korla in Xinjiang. It consisted of four irrigation amount treatments: 3 750 (W0), 5 250 (W1), 6 750 (W2) and 8 250 m3/hm2 (W3). The control is surface flooding irrigation with an irrigation amount of 10 000 m3/hm2 (CK). For each treatment, we measured the change in soil water content and water consumption of the pears. 【Result】 Increasing irrigation amount led to an increase in soil water content. With the increase in irrigation amount, the variation coefficient of soil water content and fruit yield of the pear both increased first followed by a decline. The W2 treatment gave the highest fruit yield (7 285.91 kg/hm2), 1.4% to 20.89% higher than that in other treatments. The water use efficiency and irrigation water use coefficient both decreased as the irrigation amount increased. Throughout the entire growth period, water consumption of the pear varied from 444.83 to 695.27 mm. Water consumption during the rapid fruit expansion period of the pear, especially in the early stage, was the highest, varying from 3.77 to 6.16 mm/d. From 2021 to 2023, water consumption of the pear in W3 was 10.11% to 36.02% more than that in other treatments. In 2023, the water consumption of the pear in W2 was 3.74% to 7.15% higher than that in 2021 and 2022, in which the water consumption during rapid fruit expansion period of the pear varied from 4.71 to 5.48 mm/d. The crop coefficient of the pear during its entire growing period varied from 0.48 to 0.84. During the budburst and flowering stages, and the early stage in the rapid fruit expansion period, the crop coefficient of the pear was lower than that estimated from the FAO standard, while during the entire rapid fruit expansion and harvesting stage, the crop coefficient of the pear varied from 0.7 to 1.07 and 0.72 to 1.21, respectively. 【Conclusion】 The optimal drip irrigation amount for fragrant pear in Korla region should be not less than 6 750 m3/hm2.

Box culverts are usually used in the construction of long-distance pipelines crossing rivers and highways. Compared with the main pipe outside the box culvert, it is difficult to measure the potential of the pipe inside the box culvert. The steel reinforcement structure of the box culvert may absorb the cathodic protection current so that the cathodic protection potential of the pipe in the box culvert is insufficient, which will bring the risk of corrosion to the pipeline in the crossing section. To investigate the potential distribution law and corrosion characteristics of the pipeline in the box culvert, the experimental device for pipeline crossing box culverts was built in the laboratory to test and compare the cathodic protection potential and corrosion rate of pipelines entering, inside, and outside the box culverts under two working conditions of short circuit and non-short circuit between pipelines and the box culverts. The shielding calculation of box culverts was conducted using simulation software, and the cathodic protection shielding effect of box culverts on pipelines was ultimately explored. Results showed that cathodic protection inside the box culverts met established criteria and corrosion risk was minimal in the absence of a short circuit between the box culvert and pipelines. Conversely, when a short circuit between the box culvert and pipelines occurred, the cathodic protection potential of pipelines inside the box culverts fell below the criterion due to the current shielding effect of the box culvert, thereby increasing the corrosion risk. Under such circumstances, an increase in the output current of the rectifier is necessary to mitigate the risk of corrosion of pipelines inside the box culverts.

Background Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a common nutritional deficiency. With the change of lifestyle and eating habits, people pay increasing attention to nutritional health problems, and PEM may have different effects on the health of different age groups. Objective To analyze the overall and age-specific trends of PEM incidence in 1990-2019 and to predict its incidence in 2020-2029 in China. Methods The data of this study were derived from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, involving mortality indicators, and incidence indicators in 18 age groups (ranged from 0 to over 85 years grouped by an interval of 5 years) of PEM in China from 1990 to 2019. The age-standardized rates were calculated using the world standard population. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to calculate the annual percentage change (APC) and annual average percentage change (AAPC) of the incidence rate and 95% confidence interval, and to describe the temporal trend. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used to predict the incidence of PEM in China from 2020 to 2029. Results (1) In 2019, the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of PEM in the whole population of China was 1 996.5/100 000, and that in males (2 444.7/100 000) was higher than that in females (1 536.0/100 000) . The SIR of PEM in the whole population in China was lower than that of the world standard population (2 099.4/100 000) , and that of PEM in Chinese males was higher than that in the world standard male population (2 304.0/100 000) . The incidence of PEM was highest in

Objective: This study aimed to reduce inflammation effect caused by long-term and large amount of betel nut chewing. Methods: Natural plant extracts with anti-inflammatory effects were added to betel nut in order to reduce the inflammatory damage. Glycyrrhiza uralensis fisch, radix platycodi and loquat leaf were used to treat rats with areca nut for 28 days. Body weight, organ coefficient, swelling rate of plantar in 6 hours, levels of inflammatory factors, and mediators were compared. Results: The addition of high-dose natural plant extract significantly reduced the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) compared to betel nut used group. Less pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and more release of interleukin-10 (IL-10) were observed. It also reduced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver. The swelling rate of rats' feet (P＜0.05) was significantly lower than the control group, and similar to the positive control group. Conclusion: The addition of natural plant extracts with anti-inflammatory effect can reduce the acute inflammation in rats, and provide a new development idea for the further processing of areca catechu.