Pedestrian crash causation analysis and active safety system calibration.

Over 20 % of global crash fatalities involve pedestrians, but pedestrian crash causation and pedestrian protection systems have not been thoroughly developed or reliably tested. To understand the causation characteristics of pedestrian crashes, 398 pedestrian crashes were extracted from the China in-depth accident study (CIDAS), and most of these crashes were aggregated into five scenarios. The two scenarios with the highest proportion of crashes were analyzed by the driving reliability and error analysis method (DREAM) to identify high-risk causation patterns.

Comparative analysis of the endophytic bacteria inhabiting the phyllosphere of aquatic fern Azolla species by high-throughput sequencing.

Background: Azolla is a small floating fern living in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and provides a variety of important ecosystem benefits. Previous studies have presented that Azolla harbors diverse bacteria that may play a key role in host fitness and productivity. However, the characteristics of endophytic bacteria inhabiting the phyllosphere of different species of Azolla have not yet been fully understood.

De novo transcriptome analysis reveals the molecular regulatory mechanism underlying the response to excess nitrogen in Azolla spp.

Phytoremediation potential of Azolla in removal of nitrogen from wastewater has been promising. However, little is known about the response of Azolla to high concentrations of nitrogen. In this study, the responses of four Azolla species to different concentrations of total nitrogen ranging from 0 to 180 mg L were examined.

Effects of a traditional Chinese medicine formula containing the Coix seed and Lotus seed on the intestinal morphology and microbiota of local piglets.

A traditional Chinese medicine formula based on the Coix seed and Lotus seed has been used as a general treatment of malnutrition, excessive fatigue, dysfunction of the spleen and stomach, and disorders of water transport in humans in China. However, there is limited information on its effects on the gut microbiota of piglets in vivo. In this study, the mix of Coix seed and Lotus were added the diet of forty weaned piglets (local piglets), and then evaluated it's affected on the gut microbiota of piglets and on the relations within the gut bacterial community.

Detection of a major QTL conditioning trichome length and density on chromosome arm 4BL and development of near isogenic lines targeting this locus in bread wheat.

Unlabelled: Trichomes are differentiated epidermal cells and can be found on above ground organs of nearly all land plants. Results from previous studies show that trichomes play important roles against a wide range of both biotic and abiotic stresses. By examining differences between parental genotypes of available populations, we identified a population of recombinant inbred lines showing clear segregation for trichome density and length.

Chinese herb feed additives improved the growth performance, meat quality, and nutrient digestibility parameters of pigs.

Background: Since the use of antibiotics in animal feed has become a critical concern worldwide due to severe threats to human health and environment, we are in need of finding alternatives to antibiotics in pig breeding, maintaining the health of pigs, and getting high-quality pork. As traditional Chinese herbs (TCH) are rich natural resources in China and show great benefits to human health we propose to transfer this abundant resource into animal production industry as additives.

Methods: Three groups of Chinese herbs (groups A, B, and C) were used as feed additives in the diet for pigs.

Coix seed improves growth performance and productivity in post-weaning pigs by reducing gut pH and modulating gut microbiota.

Coix seed has traditionally been used in traditional Chinese medicine to fortify the spleen and inhibit dampness, and has shown anticancer effects in humans. However, it is not known whether coix seed improves post-weaning growth performance and productivity, and the mechanism of interaction between coix seed and gut microbiota remains unknown. In this study, we established four groups: (i) control, (ii) antibiotic-fed, (iii) coix seed powder-fed, and (iv) coix seed extract-fed.

[Dynamic changes of ecological footprint and ecological capacity in Fujian Province].

The analysis on the dynamic changes of ecological footprint and ecological capacity in Fujian Province showed that in 1999-2003, the ecological footprint per capita in the Province increased from 1.428 hm2 to 1.658 hm2, while the ecological capacity per capita decreased from 0.

[Effects of selenium on Chamaecrista rotundifolia growth, nutrient absorption and nitrogen-fixing ability].

In this paper, a field experiment was conducted on a red soil of South China to study the effects of applying selenium fertilizer on the growth, forage quality and nitrogen-fixing ability of Chamaecrista rotundifolia. The results showed that applying 75, 150, 225 and 300 g Se x hm(-2) could increase the plant height, branch number, dry root weight and dry forage yield by 0.3% - 6.