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Background This study was conducted to explore the influence of clinical features of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and a refined therapeutic protocol on the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis in children in the past five years. Methods Forty children diagnosed with RMS were retrospectively studied, using a version of the therapeutic protocol refined by Shanghai Children's Medical Center (version 2009.9.1). The patients' demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, pathological features, therapeutic efficacy, and prognosis were analyzed. Results Of the 40 children, 17 abandoned treatment. Of the remaining 23 cases, two children were rated as low risk, 12 as medium risk, and nine as high risk, and all received treatment. Patients in the low and medium-risk groups had better prognosis than those in the high-risk group, and treated patients had higher survival rates and longer survival than untreated patients. Conclusion Children with RMS should be treated positively. Combined treatment shows better therapeutic efficacy and prognosis. The refined therapeutic protocol seems more effective than the standard treatment, with a significant impact on long-term RMS prognosis.

Blue fescue is a widely used ornamental grass worldwide. Research on its salt resistance is propitious to its application in northern China where there are large areas of saline-alkali land. This study was conducted to examine the effects of NaCl stress on two blue fescue varieties Valesiaca and Select. Percentage of green leaves (PGL) of both Valesiaca and Select responded similarly to 0.3% and 0.6% NaCl treatments. Under a higher NaCl application level (1.2% NaCl), Valesiaca was reduced by below 60% at the 12th day and reached 20% at the end of the experiment, but Select to 71.67% at the 12th day and stayed over 50% unto the end. The 0.9% and 1.2% NaCl treatments sharply increased Proline content, and then reached and maintained at a maximum level throughout the treatment. Proline content of Valesiaca increased to 2.28 mmol·L−1 at the 8th day after the 1.2% NaCl treatment, but only 0.95 mmol·L−1 in the treatment of 0.3% at the same day. For Valesiaca, 1.2% NaCl treatment significantly increased its SOD activity to 30.69 units·mg−1, nearly 50% higher than 0.3% treatment at the 8th day after treatment, and over 53% higher at the 27th day. POD activity of Valesiaca increased to 6.92 units·mg−1 at the 8th day after the 1.2% NaCl treatment, but it was 2.59 units·mg−1 for 0.3% stress treatment. In conclusion, similar changes of determined index were observed for both cultivars under low NaCl stress levels (0.3%–0.6%). However, Valesiaca was more sensitive and less tolerant to high level NaCl stress (0.9%–1.2%) than Select, indicating that Valesiaca was less resistant to NaCl compared with Select.

Understanding factors influencing drought resistance traits is important for improving turfgrass growth in water-limited environments. The objectives of this study were to examine effects of a plant growth regulator, trinexapac-ethyl (TE), on turf growth and water use for creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) exposed to drought stress, and to determine changes in the accumulation of solutes involved in osmotic adjustment associated with TE application. Plant foliage of cultivar L-93 was sprayed with 1.95 mL·L−1 of TE at 0.113% a.i. 14 days before and at the initiation of drought stress. TE-treated and untreated plants were exposed to well-watered or drought stress conditions for 28 days in a growth chamber. TE-treated plants exhibited a reduced rate of water depletion from the soil as demonstrated by higher soil water content, lower evapotranspiration rates, and higher leaf relative water content during 28 days of drought stress compared with non-TE-treated plants. During the later phase of drought stress, TE-treated plants had a greater reduction in leaf ψS at full turgor or greater osmotic adjustment, which was associated with increased accumulation of soluble sugars and inorganic ions (Ca and K) in leaves of TE-treated plants. Proline content increased in response to drought stress, but was unaffected by TE application, suggesting that it may not contribute to the effects of TE on osmotic adjustment. TE-treated plants maintained significantly higher turf quality and leaf photochemical efficiency under drought stress. The results suggest that the promotive effects of TE application on turf growth during drought stress were associated with the reduction in water depletion or lower water use and increases in osmotic adjustment due to the accumulation of inorganic solutes and soluble sugars.

The practices with low clippings production to save time, money, or landfill space, were favored by turf managers. Understanding the responses of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) to Trinexapac-ethyl (TE) would facilitate recommendations regarding its safe and effective use in Northern China. The objectives of this study are (1) to investigate the effects of TE on vertical growth, clipping yield, leaf width, and chlorophyll content of Kentucky bluegrass, and (2) to compare the seasonal application impacts of TE. Both spring and autumn experiment results demonstrated that Trinexapac-ethyl applied to Kentucky bluegrass, suppressed the vertical grass growth and significantly reduced the Kentucky bluegrass clippings production within a few weeks after initial treatment. Applied trinexapac-ethyl enhanced Kentucky bluegrass leaf width in both spring and autumn experimental periods. Discoloration on leaf tips was observed and lasted for four weeks when the same TE rate of 0.191 mL$m-2 was applied in early autumn. Darker leaves with higher chlorophyll content compared with non-TE-treatments appeared after the initial four weeks of the treatment in autumn and the treatment for the entire spring.

To counter the actual problems of forage shortage and low quality existing in the agriculture-animal husbandry ecotone in North China, a research was conducted to study the effects of plastic-film mulching and nitrogen application on the production of forageoriented maize with the aim of producing water-saving forage with high-yield and good quality. Field experiments combined with laboratory experimental estimation and analysis was adopted. Plastic-film mulching increased the dry biomass of forage-oriented maize by 23.8% with effectively improving the maize’s nitrogen absorption so that the apparent utilization ratio and output-input ratio of nitrogen were enhanced. The content of crude protein in maize plant was increased and thus, forage nutritive quality was improved. Plastic-film mulching remodeled the maize field water consumption scheduling pattern and increased the water use efficiency by over 10%. Nitrogen application to forage-oriented maize co-improved the biomass and the nutritive quality with the nutritive matter (percentage and yield) several times of the biomass. Nitrogen application increased maize biomass production by 36.1%–39.5% and it increased the contents of crude protein and crude fat in maize plant by 109% and 145%, respectively. The yields of the two nutritive matters increased by 160% and 210%. Nitrogen application at the rate of about 200 kg·hm−2 to the uncovered field and the rate less than 300 kg·hm−2 to the field with film mulching were considered as the most proper rates to guarantee high yield and good quality of forage-oriented maize and were the rates to keep the available nitrogen balanced in the soil. Plastic-film mulching and nitrogen fertilizer application to forage-oriented maize was an effective way of producing forage with high yield and good quality, relieving the shortage of animal forage and accelerating ecological recovery and economic development in this ecotone in North China.

Under different water conditions the evapotranspiration (ET) of Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, buffalograss, Japanese lawngrass and Bermudagrass were studied in the field using the microlysimeter method. The results indicated that the ET of six turfgrasses was mainly influenced by turfgrass species, and affected by water condition too. Then the consumed water of turfgrass was valued by comparing its crop coefficient (Kc) with that of the popular crops in Beijing. The most economical irrigation amount of six turfgrasses in Beijing City was estimated according to ET which was determined in this experiment and annual precipitation, and they are: tall fescue (391.8 mm) > Kentucky bluegrass (368.3 mm) > perennial ryegrass (315.1 mm) > Bermudagrass (300.7 mm) > buffalograss (184.0 mm) > Japanese lawngrass (110.5 mm). At last water conservation capacity of the turfgrass in Beijing City was estimated too.