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Various land use types have been implemented by the government in the loess hilly region of China to facilitate sustainable land use. Understanding the variability in soil moisture and temperature under various sloping land use types can aid the ecological restoration and sustainable utilization of sloping land resources. The objective of this study was to use approximate entropy (ApEn) to reveal the variations in soil moisture and temperature under different land use types, because ApEn only requires a short data series to obtain robust estimates, with a strong anti-interference ability. An experiment was conducted with four typical land use scenarios (i.e., soybean sloping field, maize terraced field, jujube orchard, and grassland) over two consecutive plant growing seasons (2014 and 2015), and the time series of soil moisture and temperature within different soil depth layers of each land use type were measured in both seasons. The results showed that the changing amplitude, degree of variation, and active layer of soil moisture in the 0–160 cm soil depth layer, as well as the changing amplitude and degree of variation of soil temperature in the 0–100 cm soil layer increased in the jujube orchard over the two growing seasons. The changing amplitude, degree of variation, and active layer of soil moisture all decreased in the maize terraced field, as did the changing amplitude and degree of variation of soil temperature. The ApEn of the soil moisture series was the lowest in the 0–160 cm soil layer in the maize terraced field, and the ApEn of the soil temperature series was the highest in the 0–100 cm layer in the jujube orchard in the two growing seasons. Finally, the jujube orchard soil moisture and temperature change process were more variable, whereas the changes in the maize terraced field were more stable, with a stable soil moisture and temperature. This work highlights the usefulness of ApEn for revealing soil moisture and temperature changes and to guide the management and development of sloping fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Green tea has been widely recognized in ameliorating cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially the progression of cognitive dysfunction. But the underlying mechanism is still unclear.Objective: This study was designed to determine the role of green tea consumption in the association with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD pathology and to ascertain whether specific population backgrounds showed the differences toward these relationships.Methods: Multivariate linear models analyzed the available data on CSF biomarkers and frequency of green tea consumption of 722 cognitively intact participants from the Chinese Alzheimer's Biomarker and LifestylE (CABLE) database, and we additionally detected the interaction effects of tea consumption with APOEɛ4 status and gender using a two-way analysis of covariance.Results: Frequent green tea consumption was associated with a decreased level of CSF total-tau protein (t-tau) (p = 0.041) but not with the levels of CSF amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) and CSF phosphorylated tau. The more pronounced associations of green tea consumption with CSF t-tau (p = 0.007) and CSF t-tau/Aβ42 (p = 0.039) were observed in individuals aged 65 years or younger. Additionally, males with frequent green tea consumption had a significantly low level of CSF t-tau/Aβ42 and a modest trend toward decreased CSF t-tau. There were no interaction effects of green tea consumption with APOEɛ4 and gender.Conclusion: Collectively, our findings consolidated the favorable effects of green tea on the mitigation of AD risk. The constituents of green tea may improve abnormal tau metabolism and are promising targets in interventions and drug therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Understanding the variability in water availability in agroforestry systems in rain-fed orchards is vital for optimizing orchard management in semiarid areas. However, few studies have examined the soil capacity of water stock and supply in these systems over multiple years. We aim at (i) characterizing several soil physical properties related to water availability and inter-annual dynamics of soil water content and (ii) exploring their response to meteorological conditions and root distribution. Methods: Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) intercropped with the fodder species canola (Brassica napus L.) (JFCS), jujube intercropped with daylily (Hemerocallis fulva L.) (JDLS), and a jujube orchard with clean tillage (JCS) were established on the Loess Plateau, China. Soil physical properties (including soil bulk density, soil hydraulic conductivity, soil field capacity, and soil porosity), soil water content and fine root data were collected over the period 2014–2017. Results: Compared to JCS-Tree, the field capacity was significantly increased both in the JFCS-Tree and JDLS-Tree treatments, while soil capillary porosity increased significantly only in the JFCS-Tree. Compared to JCS-Inter-row, the JFCS-Inter-row and JDLS-Inter-row exhibited significantly decreased soil bulk density, and increased field capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and improved soil porosity, but the non-capillary porosity in the JDLS-Inter-row treatment were not significantly modified. Compare to JCS-Tree treatment, the soil water at 0–60 cm significantly increased under JFCS-Tree and JDLS-Tree in four years. However, due to the deeper fine root distribution for both tree and crop under JDLS-Inter-row, the soil water content at 60–180 cm in JDLS-Inter-row significantly decreased more than JFCS-Inter-row and JCS-Inter-row. Conclusions: The introduced crop modified the soil physical properties and soil water content, indirectly under trees and directly between inter-rows through the role of fine roots, thereby changing the orchard environment in semiarid areas. Agroforests can generally improve water condition at shallow soil layers compared to monocultural plantations, although such an effect may be accompanied with lower water stock at deeper soil layers in inter-rows, depending on crop species chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil water is the most critical factor influencing the growth and productivity of crops on the Loess Plateau of China. The popular clean-cultivation soil management practice in rainfed jujube orchards in this region causes a variety of environmental problems, including serious soil erosion and soil quality degradation. Agroforestry is a promising avenue to cope with this problem but its effect on soil water in the root zone is yet to be elucidated. In this study, two different agroforestry systems were established in jujube orchards on the hillslopes of the Loess Plateau, to test the effects on root-zone soil water. The Hemerocallis fulva and fodder Brassica napus were planted between jujube rows. The results showed that both agroforestry systems clearly improved soil water at depths of 0–20 cm and 20–60 cm under jujube trees, however, they apparently reduced the inter-row soil water at depths of 60–120 cm and 120–180 cm in different years compared to the control. A simple method, based on the difference of soil water content between inter-row crops and jujube trees (SWDR), was introduced to judge the possibility of water competition happening. The analyses based on this method showed that in the jujube- H. fulva intercropping system, H. fulva frequently competed soil water with jujube trees in the 0–120 cm depth primarily in the relatively dry period (May to July). However, there was almost no water competition occurred in the jujube- B . napus treatment. Overall, fodder B. napus may be more appropriate than Hemerocallis fulva for intercropping with jujube trees. The results here can provide insights into ground management practice of sloping orchards in water-limited areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emissions from mobile sources and stationary sources contribute to atmospheric pollution in China, and its components, which include ultrafine particles (UFPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other reactive gases, such as NH 3 and NO x , are the most harmful to human health. China has released various regulations and standards to address pollution from mobile and stationary sources. Thus, it is urgent to develop online monitoring technology for atmospheric pollution source emissions. This study provides an overview of the main progress in mobile and stationary source monitoring technology in China and describes the comprehensive application of some typical instruments in vital areas in recent years. These instruments have been applied to monitor emissions from motor vehicles, ships, airports, the chemical industry, and electric power generation. Not only has the level of atmospheric environment monitoring technology and equipment been improving, but relevant regulations and standards have also been constantly updated. Meanwhile, the developed instruments can provide scientific assistance for the successful implementation of regulations. According to the potential problem areas in atmospheric pollution in China, some research hotspots and future trends of atmospheric online monitoring technology are summarized. Furthermore, more advanced atmospheric online monitoring technology will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of atmospheric pollution and improve environmental monitoring capacity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is a sustainable and inexhaustible renewable energy. Solar-powered PV systems contribute to the cleanest and the most cost-effective electrical energy. However, PV systems are confronted with a nonlinear maximum power point tracking (MPPT) problem caused by partial shading (PS). PS causes the loss of available power. This paper presents a novel Harris hawk optimization (HHO) based MPPT controller to effectively track maximum power under all weather conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed HHO based MPPT is supplemented by a comparative study with perturb and observe algorithm (P&O), dragonfly optimization algorithm (DFOA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), cuckoo search (CS) and grey wolf optimization (GWO). The analytical and statistical analysis is made based on 4 different cases, including fast varying irradiance, PS, complex-PS (CPS), and field atmospheric data of Hefei city of China, to solidify the effectiveness of HHO based MPPT for PV systems in real-world applications. The proposed HHO shows superior performance in tracking maximum power point and faster convergence at the global maximum power point. The improvement of 10–30% in tracking time and more than 90% in random oscillations are effectively achieved by the proposed MPPT technique. Faster maximum power point (MPP) tracking, lower computational burden and higher efficiency are the key contributions of the HHO based MPPT technique. • Novel Harris hawk optimizations (HHO) based MPPT control of PV system is proposed. • HHO is compared with P&O, PSO, GWO, CSA, and DFOA through field atmospheric data and case studies. • HHO outperform competing techniques with 10-30% faster tracking, 4-6% more energy harvest and oscillation reduction 95.45%. • Statistical and quantitative analysis confirms the superior performance of the proposed HHO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Lushan earthquake occurred at the boundary zone between the high- and low-resistivity bodies. • The crustal structure of the southern Longmen Shan thrust belt matches the multiunit combination seismogenic model. • The seismogenic potential of the southern segment of Longmen Shan is weaker than that of the central segment. Since the Ms 7.0 earthquake occurred in Lushan on April 20, 2013, five years after the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake, the seismogenic potential of southern Longmen Shan has been a considerable concern. Comparative studies of active faults and deep structures of the Lushan and Wenchuan earthquakes are important to evaluate Longmen Shan potential. Terrace measurements, geophysical surveys and borehole drilling reveal that late Quaternary fault activity in the southern segment of the Longmen Shan thrust belt is weaker than that along the central segment. Magnetotelluric data across the southern segment of the Longmen Shan thrust belt show that the central fault and the front-range fault are the electrical boundaries of the crust and that the Longmen Shan thrust belt is a high-resistivity body. The Lushan earthquake occurred at the boundary zone between the high- and low-resistivity bodies, and the crustal structure of the southern Longmen Shan thrust belt matches the multiunit combination seismogenic model, indicating a potential large earthquake in Longmen Shan. Compared to conditions along the central segment, the low-resistivity layer of the upper and lower crust on the western side of the Songpan-Ganzi block develops along the Xianshuihe fault, which may reduce the strain accumulated from the Songpan-Ganzi block to the southern Longmen Shan thrust belt. This interpretation suggests that the main crustal shortening is accommodated by foreland thin fold structures, whereas the structural deformation accommodated by the thrust belt accounts for only a small proportion; thus, the seismogenic potential of southern Longmen Shan is weaker than that of the central segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel method quantifies Q 10 -soil moisture relationships. • Rs suppressed in cropland and orchard at higher soil water content, but not in grassland and shrubland. • Q 10 in shrubland showed least sensitivity to soil moisture variation. • Mean growing season Rs is more sensitive to soil moisture variation in grassland and shrubland. Soil respiration (Rs) in drylands is strongly influenced by precipitation. However, there is a lack of long-term studies on how land-use conversion impact the Rs's responds to precipitation variations. In situ Rs, soil moisture and soil temperature were monitored in cropland, and cropland converted jujube orchard, grassland and shrubland in the semiarid Loess Plateau, China for four years with significant interannual precipitation variation. Q 10 -soil moisture relationships were quantified by selecting observations within limited range of soil moisture. As soil moisture increased, Rs was found to be markedly suppressed in cropland and jujube orchard with great disturbance, with volumetric water content exceeding 0.15 and 0.16, respectively, but increased in grassland and shrubland with few disturbances. Q 10 became saturated as soil moisture increased in cropland, and was linearly correlated with soil moisture in jujube orchard, grassland and shrubland. Q 10 was least sensitive to soil moisture variation in shrubland, which was characterized by a nitrogen-fixing shrub. The interannual variation in mean growing season Rs (MGR) was positively correlated with mean soil moisture. The difference in MGR between land-use types was significant except during the extreme drought year: converting cropland to jujube orchard saw a reduction in MGR by 5–18%, while converting cropland to grassland and shrubland saw an increase in MGR by 16–53% and 67–126%, respectively. This corresponded with a greater sensitivity of MGR to soil moisture in grassland and shrubland. These results suggest a greater response of soil carbon emission in the land-use applied with afforestation or restoration to the enhanced soil moisture as precipitation intensify, compared to agricultural land-use. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in soil moisture and soil temperature result from the combined effects of several environmental factors. Scientific determination of the response characteristics of soil moisture and soil temperature to environmental factors is critical for adjusting the sloping land use structure and improving the ecological environment in China's loess hilly region. Soybean sloping fields, maize terraced fields, jujube orchards, and grasslands in the loess hilly region were selected as the research areas. The change in characteristics of soil moisture and soil temperature, as well as their interactions and statistical relationships with meteorological factors, were analyzed using continuously measured soil moisture, soil temperature, and meteorological factors. The results revealed that air temperature and humidity were the main controlling factors affecting soil moisture changes in the 0-60 cm soil layer of soybean sloping fields and grasslands in the normal precipitation year (2014) and the dry year (2015). Humidity and wind speed were the main meteorological factors affecting soil moisture changes in the maize terraced field. Air temperature had a significant negative effect on soil moisture in the jujube orchard. Soil moisture and soil temperature were all negatively correlated under the four sloping land use types. In normal precipitation years, atmospheric humidity had the greatest direct and comprehensive effect on soil moisture in soybean sloping fields, maize terraced fields, and grasslands; soil temperature had a relatively large impact on soil moisture in jujube orchards. The direct and comprehensive effects of soil temperature on soil moisture under all sloping land use types were the largest and most negative in the dry year. Air temperature had a high correlation with soil temperature in the 0-60 cm soil layer under the four sloping land use types, and the grey relational grade decreased as the soil layer deepened. The coefficient of determination between the 0-20 cm soil temperature and air temperature in the maize terraced field was low, indicating a weak response to air temperature. The above findings can serve as a scientific foundation for optimizing sloping land use structures and maximizing the efficient and sustainable utilization of sloping land resources in China's loess hilly region., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2022 Tang et al.)

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a major neurotrophin in the central nervous system that plays a critical role in the physiological brain functions via its two independent receptors: tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) and p75, especially in the neurodevelopment. Disrupting of BDNF and its downstream signals has been found in many neuropsychological diseases, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common mental disorder which is prevalent in childhood. Understanding the physiological functions of BDNF during neural development and its potential relationship with ADHD will help us to elucidate the possible mechanisms of ADHD and to develop therapeutic approaches for this disease. In this review, we summarized the important literatures for the physiological functions of BDNF in the neurodevelopment. We also performed an association study on the functional genetic variation of BDNF and ADHD by a case-control study in the Chinese mainland population and revealed the potential correlation between BDNF and ADHD which needs further research to confirm.

Background and Aims: Studies have shown that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms may be associated with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and play important roles in the regulation of calcium in a variety of tissues including bone. To our knowledge, however, whether FokI polymorphism in VDR gene is associated with susceptibility to spinal TB is still unknown. We undertook this study to investigate the association between FokI polymorphism in VDR gene and susceptibility to spinal TB in Chinese Han population., Methods: This study included 110 patients with spinal TB and 102 volunteers as controls. FokI polymorphism in VDR gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in the spinal TB group and the control group. The frequencies of VDR-FokI genotypes in the two groups were compared using chi(2) test., Results: There was a significant difference between groups in regard to the frequencies of the VDR-FokI genotypes (p <0.05). In the spinal TB group, the frequency of the ff genotype was 46.36%, which was significantly higher than the corresponding value for the control group (28.43%). Furthermore, the odds ratio (OR) was 2.176 (p <0.05), and the 95% confidence interval (CI) ranged from 1.236-3.832., Conclusions: FokI polymorphism in VDR gene may be associated with the susceptibility to spinal TB in Chinese Han population. Furthermore, the ff genotype may be the susceptible genotype of spinal TB., (2010 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)