Ultrasonic extraction and antioxidant evaluation of oat saponins.

The aim of this study is to optimize the extraction process of oat saponins (Os) and to evaluate their antioxidant potential. Single factor experiment, response surface optimization design, and orthogonal test were employed to optimize the process of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of Os, and the optimal extraction conditions were as followed: ethanol volume fraction of 80 %, material-solvent ratio of 1:14, ultrasonic power of 400 W, ultrasonic time of 25 min, extraction temperature of 60℃, extraction time of 180 min, and the extraction rate of Os was 0.317 %±0.

Exogenous spp. enhance the drought resistance of naked oat () seedlings by augmenting both the osmoregulation mechanisms and antioxidant capacities.

Drought is a major obstacle to the development of naked oat industry. This work investigated mechanisms by which exogenous Streptomyces albidoflavus T4 and Streptomyces rochei D74 improved drought tolerance in naked oat (Avena nuda ) seedlings. Results showed that in the seed germination experiment, germination rate, radicle and hypocotyl length of naked oat seeds treated with the fermentation filtrate of T4 or D74 under PEG induced drought stress increased significantly.

Hydrogen sulfide alleviates chromium toxicity by promoting chromium sequestration and re-establishing redox homeostasis in Zea mays L.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is a multifunctional gaseous signaling molecule involved in the regulation of Cr stress responses. In the present study, we combined transcriptomic and physiological analyses to elucidate the mechanism underlying the mitigation of Cr toxicity by HS in maize (Zea mays L.).

Exogeneous selenium enhances anthocyanin synthesis during grain development of colored-grain wheat.

Anthocyanins and selenium (Se) play critical roles in antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral treatments. Previous studies indicate that colored-grain wheat accumulates more Se than regular wheat, and Se synergistically promotes anthocyanin synthesis. However, the mechanism through which Se regulates anthocyanin synthesis remains unclear.

Melatonin Alleviates Chromium Toxicity in Maize by Modulation of Cell Wall Polysaccharides Biosynthesis, Glutathione Metabolism, and Antioxidant Capacity.

Melatonin, a pleiotropic regulatory molecule, is involved in the defense against heavy metal stress. Here, we used a combined transcriptomic and physiological approach to investigate the underlying mechanism of melatonin in mitigating chromium (Cr) toxicity in L. Maize plants were treated with either melatonin (10, 25, 50 and 100 μM) or water and exposed to 100 μM KCrO for seven days.

Selenium Application Enhances the Accumulation of Flavones and Anthocyanins in Bread Wheat ( L.) Grains.

Selenium (Se) biofortification in wheat reduces the risk of Se deficiency in humans. Se biofortification increases the concentration of Se and anthocyanins in wheat grains. However, it is unknown whether Se biofortification can enhance flavonoids other than anthocyanins and the mechanism underlying flavonoid accumulation in wheat grains.

Effects of fallow tillage on winter wheat yield and predictions under different precipitation types.

In northern China, precipitation that is primarily concentrated during the fallow period is insufficient for the growth stage, creates a moisture shortage, and leads to low, unstable yields. Yield prediction in the early growth stages significantly informs field management decisions for winter wheat ( L.).

Melatonin alleviates aluminum-induced growth inhibition by modulating carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and reestablishing redox homeostasis in Zea mays L.

Melatonin, a regulatory molecule, performs pleiotropic functions in plants, including aluminum (Al) stress mitigation. Here, we conducted transcriptomic and physiological analyses to identify metabolic processes associated with the alleviated Al-induced growth inhibition of the melatonin-treated (MT) maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings.

Rhizosphere soil properties, microbial community, and enzyme activities: Short-term responses to partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic manure.

The partial substitution of chemical fertilizers with organic manure has positive effects on crop productivity and sustainable development. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on major grain crops. Herein, we report the short-term effects of the partial substitution of chemical fertilizers with organic manure on the physicochemical properties, microbial community, and enzyme activities in the rhizosphere soil of a maize (Zea mays L.

Combined foliar and soil selenium fertilizer improves selenium transport and the diversity of rhizosphere bacterial community in oats.

Agronomic selenium (Se) biofortification of grain crops is considered the best method for increasing human Se intake, which may help people alleviate Se-deficiency. To investigate the efficiency of agronomic Se biofortification of oat, four Se fertilizer application treatments were tested: topsoil (T), foliar (S), the combination of T and S (TS), and control without Se application (CK). Compared with CK, TS significantly increased the 1000-grain weight, grain yield, Se contents in all parts of oats, contents of soil available N, K, and organic matter by 18%, 8.

Combined IFN-γ and IL-2 release assay for detect active pulmonary tuberculosis: a prospective multicentre diagnostic study in China.

Background: We performed a prospective multicentre diagnostic study to evaluate the combined interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) release assay for detect active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in China.

Methods: Adult patients presenting symptoms suggestive of pulmonary TB were consecutively enrolled in three TB-specialized hospitals. Sputum specimens and blood sample and were collected from each participant at enrolment.

Methods of Selenium Application Differentially Modulate Plant Growth, Selenium Accumulation and Speciation, Protein, Anthocyanins and Concentrations of Mineral Elements in Purple-Grained Wheat.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for human health. Deficiency and suboptimality of Se in human populations are a potential health risk. The reduction of such health risk by biofortification of crops, particularly in wheat has drawn much attention, especially for color-grained wheat as it is rich in anthocyanins and can be used as a major source of antioxidants in diet.

Responses of rhizosphere soil bacteria to 2-year tillage rotation treatments during fallow period in semiarid southeastern Loess Plateau.

Background: Soil compaction can be mitigated by deep tillage and subsoiling practices following a long period of no-tillage. Fallow tillage rotation methods are frequently used to improve water availability in the soils of the southeastern Loess Plateau region of China. Rhizosphere soil bacteria are ecologically important for the transformation of matter and energy in the plant root system and can be influenced by tillage rotation treatments.

Soil water consumption, water use efficiency and winter wheat production in response to nitrogen fertilizer and tillage.

Sustainability of winter wheat yield under dryland conditions depends on improving soil water stored during fallow and its efficient use. A 3-year field experiment was conducted in Loess Plateau to access the effect of tillage and N (nitrogen) rates on soil water, N distribution and water- and nitrogen-use efficiency of winter wheat. Deep tillage (DT, 25-30 cm depth) and no-tillage (NT) were operated during fallow season, whereas four N rates (0, 90, 150 and 210 kg ha) were applied before sowing.

Sowing Methods Influence Soil Bacterial Diversity and Community Composition in a Winter Wheat-Summer Maize Rotation System on the Loess Plateau.

Soil bacterial diversity and community composition are crucial for soil health and plant growth, and their dynamics in response to agronomic practices are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of soil bacterial community structure to the changes of sowing methods, soil depth and distance to roots in a winter wheat-summer maize crop rotation system on the Loess Plateau in china (35°17'38''N, 111°40'24''E). The experiment was laid out as completely randomized block design with three replications.

[Effects of sowing date and seeding rate on soil water consumption and plant nitrogen translocation in dryland wheat].

To tackle the issue of rainfall delay during dryland wheat sowing season and further examine the effects of seeding rate on water use and yield formation, a field experiment was conducted at Wenxi Experimental Station, Shanxi Province between 2015 and 2017. We used two sowing dates, i.e.

Development of Drought-Tolerant Transgenic Wheat: Achievements and Limitations.

Crop yield improvement is necessary to keep pace with increasing demand for food. Due to climatic variability, the incidence of drought stress at crop growth stages is becoming a major hindering factor to yield improvement. New techniques are required to increase drought tolerance along with improved yield.

A globally convergent QP-free algorithm for nonlinear semidefinite programming.

In this paper, we present a QP-free algorithm for nonlinear semidefinite programming. At each iteration, the search direction is yielded by solving two systems of linear equations with the same coefficient matrix; [Formula: see text] penalty function is used as merit function for line search, the step size is determined by Armijo type inexact line search. The global convergence of the proposed algorithm is shown under suitable conditions.

The performance of T-cell Xtend reagent in increasing blood storage times for interferon gamma release assays.

Background: T-cell Xtend (TCX) was introduced to extend the blood storage time for T-SPOT.TB test, a widely used commercial interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) for rapid in vitro tuberculosis.

Methods: A total of 99 Uyghur suspected tuberculosis patients were recruited in this study.

Palladium-catalyzed allylation of sulfonyl hydrazides with alkynes to synthesize allylic arylsulfones.

A novel method for the construction of allyl arylsulfone derivatives was developed by palladium catalyzed allylation of sulfonyl hydrazides with alkynes. A series of structurally diverse allyl arylsulfones can be regioselectively synthesized in high yields under mild conditions.

[Relationships of water conservation through mulching in fallow period with wheat nitrogen transportation and crop yield in dryland].

Field experiments were carried out to study the effects of different mulching times (30 or 60 d after previous wheat harvest) and mulching methods (whole-mulching, half-mulching and no- mulching) on wheat plant N absorption and assimilation after deep plowing in fallow period on dryland. The results showed that mulching improved water storage efficiency in fallow period and soil water storage of 0-300 cm at sowing stage significantly. Mulching in fallow period, especially the whole-mulching, increased the N accumulation amount of each growth stage, N translocation amount and rate before anthesis (NABA) , and N accumulation amount after anthesis (NAAA) and grain N.

Variation of Bacterial Community Diversity in Rhizosphere Soil of Sole-Cropped versus Intercropped Wheat Field after Harvest.

As the major crops in north China, spring crops are usually planted from April through May every spring and harvested in fall. Wheat is also a very common crop traditionally planted in fall or spring and harvested in summer year by year. This continuous cropping system exhibited the disadvantages of reducing the fertility of soil through decreasing microbial diversity.

Effect of subsoiling in fallow period on soil water storage and grain protein accumulation of dryland wheat and its regulatory effect by nitrogen application.

To provide a new way to increase water storage and retention of dryland wheat, a field study was conducted at Wenxi experimental site of Shanxi Agricultural University. The effect of subsoiling in fallow period on soil water storage, accumulation of proline, and formation of grain protein after anthesis were determined. Our results showed that subsoiling in fallow period could increase water storage in the 0-300 cm soil at pre-sowing stage and at anthesis stage with low or medium N application, especially for the 60-160 cm soil.