Sustained rice yields and decreased N runoff in a rice-wheat cropping system by replacing wheat with Chinese milk vetch and sharply reducing fertilizer use.

Pollution from the paddy fields has posed a threat to surface water quality, and the reactive N in runoff has been recognized as the dominant contributor. In the rice-wheat systems of eastern China, replacing wheat (Triticum aestivum) with Chinese milk vetch (CMV) (Astragalus sinicus) is known to reduce total fertilizer N use and associated N losses during winter; however, the function of the rice-CMV system in controlling the N runoff loss was overlooked during the summer rice-growing season. Over 6 years, we monitored soil mineral N, plant N accumulation, rice grain yield, N agronomic efficiency (AE), and N runoff in rice-CMV fertilizer N rate-response experiments and made comparisons with the conventional N inputs in rice-wheat rotation.

Arsenic immobilization through regulated ferrolysis in paddy field amendment with bismuth impregnated biochar.

Iron minerals are important for arsenic immobilization in paddy fields; however, intensive ferrolysis causes arsenic (As) release. Bismuth-impregnated biochar derived from wheat straw (BiBC) was synthesized to immobilize arsenic by regulating the ferrolysis process in a paddy field. Further X-ray based analysis (XRD and XPS) results demonstrated that crystal particles of bismuth oxide and bismuth oxychloride were loaded on the biochar surface, helped create additional micropores and improved its specific surface area.

Synthesis of mesoporous bismuth-impregnated aluminum oxide for arsenic removal: Adsorption mechanism study and application to a lab-scale column.

High mobility and toxicity of arsenic [As (III)] limit its removal from an aquatic environment and pose a threat to human health. In this work, batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the adsorption capacity of bismuth-impregnated aluminum oxide (BiAl). Continuous application of As (III) removal was achieved via a lab-scale column reactor.

Assessment of Surgery Resident Competency Provided by Patients.

The objective of this study was to assess the competency of surgery residents from the patient perspective in the current healthcare environment in China. The authors performed an assessment of 508 surgery residents in Liaoning province. Seven patients were as a group to complete the self-administered questionnaires on the survey for each individual corresponding resident.

Adsorption of arsenic, phosphorus and chromium by bismuth impregnated biochar: Adsorption mechanism and depleted adsorbent utilization.

Bismuth impregnated biochar were synthesized to deal with wastewater pollution. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to determine the characteristics of adsorbents and explore the main adsorption mechanism. Results showed that bismuth particle was carried successfully within the biochar matrix, making contributions to creating micropore and boost specific surface area.

[Further reduction of nitrogen fertilizer application in paddy field under green manuring of Taihu Area, China].

This study focused on the nitrogen loss via runoff, change of nitrogen in different forms in surface water in paddy field, and grain yield, through further reduction of nitrogen fertilizer application rate under green manuring without basal dressing. Results showed that with 150 kg · hm(-2) inorganic N fertilizer input after return of green manure to soil, no basal dressing could not only sharply reduce N concentration in surface water and decrease 17.2% of N loss, but also increase 2.

[Effects of nutrient and water regimes on lodging resistance of rice].

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of nutrient and water regimes on lodging resistance of rice plant by measuring and comparing the morphological and physical traits and the K2O and SiO2 contents of rice basal stems. The results indicated that a combined application of chemical fertilizers and organic materials, especially and rice straw (CS), could markedly increase the diameter, wall thickness and weight of basal stems, but reduce plant height, which resulted in the effective increase of snapping resistance (RS) and marked decrease of lodging index (LI). The effectiveness of the combined application of chemical fertilizers and rice straw (CS) on the increase of lodging resistance of rice plant was greater in alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and controlled irrigation (DRA), compared to continuous waterlogging (CWL).