Prevalence of celiac disease in patients with down syndrome: a meta-analysis Prevalence of celiac disease in patients with down syndrome: a meta-analysis

Numerous spectral indices have been developed to assess plant diversity. However, since they are developed in different areas and vegetation type, it is difficult to make a comprehensive comparison among these indices. The primary objective of this study was to explore the optimum spectral indices that can predict plant species richness across different communities in sandy grassland. We use 7339 spectral indices (7217 we developed and 122 that were extracted from literature) to predict plant richness using a two-year dataset of plant species and spectra information at 270 plots. For this analysis, we employed cluster analysis, correlation analysis, and stepwise linear regression. The spectral variability within the 420–480 nm and 760–900 nm ranges, the first derivative value at the sensitive bands, and the normalized difference at narrow spectral ranges correlated well with plant species richness. Within the 7339 indices that were investigated, the first-order derivative values at 606 and 583 nm, the reflectance combinations on red bands: (R802 − R465)/(R802 + R681) and (R750 − R550)/(R750 + R550) showed a stable performance in both the independent calibration and validation datasets (R² > 0.27, p < 0.001, RMSE < 1.7). They can be regarded as the best spectral indices to estimate plant species richness in sandy grasslands. In addition to these spectral variation indices, the first derivative values or the normalized difference of the sensitive bands also reflect plant diversity. These results can help to improve the estimation of plant diversity using satellite-based airborne and hand-held hyperspectral sensors.

Background: Ecological migration serves as an important measure for poverty eradication as well as for the protection, inheritance, and utilization of traditional ecological knowledge. This study investigated and cataloged the traditional forage plant resources and recorded the associated traditional knowledge of immigrant villages in Hongsibu District of Ningxia, China. The diversity of traditional forage plant resources and the changes in associated traditional ecological knowledge were compared among ecological immigrant villages from different emigration areas, with a hope of providing a reference for forage development, the conservation of wild forage plant resources, and the development of regional animal husbandry. Methods: From March 2018 to May 2019, a field investigation was conducted in six villages in Ningxia. Through the snowball technique, a total of 315 immigrants were interviewed using various methods, including semistructured interviews and key person interviews, which included opportunities for free listing. The changes in the utilization of traditional forage plants were compared between the ecological migrants and the original inhabitants, and the causes underlying the changes were analyzed. In addition, the major forage plant species in the research area were investigated and evaluated. Results: (1) The six investigated villages reported 224 traditional forage plant species that belong to 42 families and 150 genera. Compared with their original living areas, the number of traditional forage plant species used in the immigrant villages decreased with the increase in the relocation distance. (2) The utilization of traditional forage plants varied among the immigrants who moved to Hongsibu District from forest areas, loess hilly areas, and semiarid desertified areas. The smaller the difference was in ecological environment between the immigration and emigration areas, the more the traditional forage plant knowledge had been retained. (3) The diversity and associated knowledge of traditional forage plants retained by ecological migrants are closely correlated to gender, age, education level, and occupation. Conclusion: This study revealed that the diversity of traditional forage plants and associated knowledge retained after migration vary among ecological immigrants from different areas; generally, the immigrants that relocated from a closer place retained more ecological knowledge. In the immigrant villages with significantly different natural resources and a long distance from the migrants’ original locations, the diversity of traditional forage plants decreased, and the traditional knowledge about forage plants showed signs of being forgotten and abandoned by the younger generation. Therefore, measures are urgently needed to document and protect the forage plant resources and preserve the traditional knowledge of ecological immigrants.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) has been cultivated for over one thousand years in the Liangshan Prefecture of Sichuan, China. Growing population pressures, economic modernization pressures, and the erosion of traditional culture have led to the rapid loss of area covered by Tartary buckwheat landraces. Morphological and molecular characterization of 112 Tartary buckwheat accessions from 29 populations were assessed based on 10 morphological traits of seeds and 10 SSR markers, respectively. The coefficient of variation and Shannon index showed diversity within the morphological characteristics of the seeds. All accessions were divided into three categories according to phylogenetic dendrogram analysis, which was consistent with folk nomenclature and taxonomy. Genetic analysis using SSR markers identified 45 alleles with a mean value of 4.5 alleles per locus. The high average PIC value (0.459) indicated polymorphism of the SSR markers. The genetic similarity coefficient of the 112 Tartary buckwheat accessions showed a high level of genetic diversity ranging from 0.130 to 0.978. The genetic structure analysis revealed high genetic differentiation (Nei = 0.255). The folk nomenclature, folk taxonomy, and sociocultural norms may also contribute to a significant influence on the diversity of folk nomenclature and taxonomy. The assessment of the genetic diversity of Tartary buckwheat landraces and detection of SSR loci associated with traits could be used as scientific guidance for selecting Tartary buckwheat seed for improved production relative to local farmers and consumer preferences. Local traditional knowledge (seed exchange network) and culture also contribute to breeding and the maintenance of the genetic diversity of Tartary buckwheat.

Four new sesquiterpenoids, named artemivestinolide D–G (1–4) and three known sesquiterpenoids (5–7), were isolated from Artemisia vestita. The structures of these new compounds were determined based on extensive spectroscopic data analyses. Furthermore, the electronic circular dichroism data determined the absolute configurations of the new compounds. The antifeedant and antifungal activities of the isolates were evaluated against third-instar larvae of Plutella xylostella and three plant pathogenic fungi. Compounds 1–7 showed moderate antifeedant activities and compounds 1–4 and 6–7 exhibited antifungal activities.