Recent patterns of production for the main cereal grains: implications for food security in China

China’s large population and deteriorating environment have created great concern related to the sustainability of food production, especially since details related to this topic remain poorly studied. Thus, an integrated analysis of both crop yield and cultivated area is essential for gaining a better understanding of cereal grain production in China and for making corresponding policies designed to achieve food security. In this study, we adopt trend analysis of both provincial yield and cultivated area to assess the subsequent provincial-level cereal production sustainability between 1980 and 2011 with the goal of providing a better understanding of regional agricultural development. The results indicate that while maize shows the most promise for yield improvement, rice and wheat production is experiencing substantial yield stagnation among most provinces across mainland China. In addition, the trends in spatial patterns are prominently different from those of yields. The sizes of the main rice- and wheat-growing areas in China have declined greatly, suggesting that the related production of these cereals should attract more attention from land management planners and farmers. Specifically, the south-eastern coastal provinces have largely failed to sustain both crop yield and area, while the north-eastern provinces have witnessed thriving agricultural production during the last three decades. Moreover, we find that cereal production in China is significantly affected by governmental policies related to the agricultural sector. Thus, this analysis of food production in China will help policymakers to better understand how the potential implications of food security in China may be applicable to countries worldwide.     

纳米硫化镉对A549细胞的损伤研究

研究纳米硫化镉(Nano-Cd S)材料对肺癌细胞系A549的毒性及氧化损伤作用。培养A549细胞,经传代后接种于6孔板中,每孔2 m L完全培养基,接种次日进行染毒。用直径20~30 nm、长度80~100 nm的Nano-Cd S进行染毒,染毒浓度分别为0、5、10、20、40和80 mg·L~(-1)。染毒24 h后用MTT检测细胞存活率,以存活率在80%左右的浓度为后续实验染毒浓度。应用流式细胞技术,用荧光探针法检测A549细胞的活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)含量,PI-Annexin-V法检测细胞凋亡情况;用试剂盒检测细胞中超氧化物岐化酶(superoxide dismutase,SOD)和过氧化氢酶(catalase,CAT)活性以及丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)含量,判断细胞氧化损伤情况。不同浓度Nano-Cd S处理细胞24 h之后,细胞存活率随剂量的增加而下降,浓度为10、20、40和80μg·L~(-1)时,存活率分别为(88.71%±0.80%)、(81.93%±3.06%)、(75.23%±1.13%)和(70.66%±5.63%),且各组间差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。以浓度为10和20 mg·L~(-1)的Nano-Cd S染毒24 h后,胞内ROS含量和细胞凋亡率随染毒剂量的增加而增加(P0.05);浓度为10 mg·L~(-1)时,细胞凋亡率为(6.26%±0.44%)。与对照相比,各染毒组SOD和CAT活性和MDA含量升高,20 mg·L~(-1)染毒组SOD和CAT活性和MDA含量高于10 mg·L~(-1)染毒组(P0.05)。研究表明,纳米硫化镉能引起A549细胞的氧化损伤和细胞凋亡,具有明显的细胞毒性。     

Enhanced the photoelectrochemical performance of Bi2XO6 (X = W, Mo) for detecting hexavalent chromium by modification of CuS

In this work, Bi₂XO₆ (X = W, Mo) are synthesized at different temperatures. The results of tests find the optimal temperatures of Bi₂WO₆ and Bi₂MoO₆ are 180 and 160°C (BW-180, BM-160). Then, BW-180 and BM-160 are further compounded with different contents of CuS. The results of photoelectrochemical (PEC) tests show that CuS can improve the PEC performance of semiconductor materials, and it has better performance when CuS mass fraction is 5%. These maybe the photoelectron potentials generated by CuS/Bi₂XO₆ (X = Mo, W) heterojunction reduce the combination of photogenerated electrons and holes. When the PEC sensor based on 5%-CuS/BW-180 detects Cr(VI), it has a linear range of 1–80 μmol/L with detection limit of 0.95 μmol/L, while the PEC sensor based on 5%-CuS/BM-160 detects Cr(VI) has a linear range of 0.5–230 μmol/L and a detection limit of 0.12 μmol/L. Thus, 5%-CuS/Bi₂XO₆ has potential application in hexavalent chromium detection.