Soil salinity may damage crop production. Besides proper management of irrigation water, salinity reduction can be achieved through soil amendment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of rice husk biochar and compost amendments on alleviation of salinity and rice growth. Field experiments were conducted at two salt-affected paddy rice fields located in distinct sites for five continuous crops. Treatments, with four replicates, consisted of continuous three rice crops per year (RRR), two rice crops rotated with fallow in spring–summer crop (FRR), FRR plus compost at 3 Mg ha−1 crop−1 (FRR + Comp), and biochar at 10 Mg ha−1 crop−1 (FRR + BC). Salt contents and hydraulic properties of soils, plant biomass, and plant uptake of cations were investigated. Soil bulk density (BD), exchangeable sodium (Na+), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) were reduced remarkably by biochar application. Biochar application significantly increased other soil properties including total porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), soluble and exchangeable potassium (K+), K+/Na+ ratio, available P, and total C. Compost application also improved BD, total porosity, and available P, but not exchangeable Na+ and ESP. Total aboveground biomass of rice showed a trend of FRR + BC > FRR + Comp > FRR > RRR. Relatively higher K+ uptake and lower Na+ uptake in rice straw in FRR + BC resulted in a significant two times higher K+/Na+ ratio over other treatments. Our results highlight that biochar amendment is a beneficial option for reducing ESP and providing available K+ and P under salinity-affected P-deficient conditions, hence improving straw biomass.
Water strider (Gerridae) morphology and behavior have become the focus of interdisciplinary research in biological diversification and bio-inspired technology. However, the diversity of behaviors and morphology of the large-sized Gerridae have not been intensely studied. Here, we provide locomotory behaviors and legs’ micro-morphology of the large South-East Asian water strider, Ptilomera tigrina. Using high-speed videography and experiments in natural habitats, as well as scanning electron microscopy of midlegs, we have determined that (1) P. tigrina individuals prefer relatively high flow speeds of 0.15–0.30 m/s, compared to other water striders previously studied, and they are also observed in very high flow speeds of up to 0.6 m/s; (2) they avoid stagnant water, but when on still and very slow flowing water they perform constant back-and-forth rowing using their midlegs; (3) their antipredatory reaction involves repetitive and very fast “protean” movements propelled by the midlegs; (4) their midleg tarsi and tibiae are equipped with brushes of ribbon-like hairs, which are used as paddles for rowing. As the locomotory behaviors and flow-speed preferences by P. tigrina require constant use of midlegs for rowing, the presence of special paddle structures on midlegs illustrates a hypothetical adaptive match between midlegs’ locomotory function and their micro-morphology.
The Oriental subgenus Haldwania of the genus Velia is revised. It includes five previously described species, Velia (H.) championi Tamanini 1955 from northwestern India; V. (H.) steelei Tamanini, 1955 from northeastern India; V. (H.) sinensis Andersen, 1981 from Sichuan, China; V. (H.) tomokunii Polhemus & Polhemus, 1998 from Nepal; V. (H.) tonkina Polhemus & Polhemus, 2003 from northern Vietnam; and four species new to science: V. (H.) anderseni sp.n. from Bengal, India; V. (H.) longiconnexiva sp.n. from Guizhou, China; V. (H.) yunnana sp.n. from Yunnan, China; V. (H.) laticaudata sp.n. from northern Vietnam. Detailed diagnoses of known species and illustrations of all species are given. Diagnostic characteristics for species identification are discussed. A key to species of Haldwania and a map illustrating their distribution are given.
Objective:
The study aims to evaluate long-term ovarian reserve change by serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level and determine the factors that affect the changes after laparoscopic endometrioma cystectomy.
Methods:
In a prospective longitudinal study, 104 patients with unilateral (n=77) and bilateral (n=27) endometrioma underwent laparoscopic endometrioma cystectomy. AMH levels were measured preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to determine factors related to AMH level changes.
Results:
Median preoperative AMH levels significantly declined from 3.77 ng/mL to 1.60 ng/mL (
P
<0.001), 1.66 ng/mL (
P
<0.001), 1.67 ng/mL (
P
<0.001), and 1.72 ng/mL (
P
<0.001) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. The rate of decrease in AMH was unchanged six months after surgery, 52.2%, 53.7%, 54.8% at 1, 3, 6 months, respectively, and declined to 43.2% at 12 months. Although most factors were associated with AMH level changes in monovariant linear regression, multivariant linear regression analysis showed only three factors that reached the statistical significance, including bilateral endometriomas, mean size of the endometrioma, and preoperative AMH levels.
Conclusions:
Serum AMH levels decline significantly after laparoscopic cystectomy of endometriomas but recovered at 12 months compared with the first 6 months with unilateral endometrioma. Bilateral endometriomas, size of the cyst, and preoperative AMH levels might independently affect AMH levels at 12 months after surgery.
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