ABSTRACT
A field experiment was conducted in maize-cultivated sandy loam soil in the old flooded area of the Yellow River to evaluate the responses of N2O emissions to application of different type of controlled-release urea. An inorganic N fertilizer was applied at 270 kg·hm-2 during the maize season. Urea was applied alone and in combination with sulfur-coated urea (SCU) or polyurethane-coated urea (PCU) at N ratios of 30%:70%, 50%:50%, and 70%:30%, respectively. Cumulative N2O emission under urea treatment alone (CN) was 1.78 kg·hm-2 with a N2O emission factor of 0.38%. In comparison to CN, 70% urea+30% SCU, 50% urea+50% SCU, and 30% urea+70% SCU treatments reduced N2O emission by 1.12%, 22.5%, and 11.2%, respectively. In contrast, application of urea in combination with PCU (with the proportion varied from 30%-70%) increased N2O emission by 0.02-0.41 kg·hm-2 compared with the CN, while 30% urea+70% PCU treatment showed a 23.0% increase. Regression analysis showed that N2O flux was significantly (P<0.01) correlated with soil temperature at 10 cm depth and concentrations of soil NH4+-N and NO3--N in all the treatments, but not with soil moisture or dissolved organic carbon concentration. Compared with the CN, the 50% urea+50% SCU and 50% urea+50% PCU treatments slightly, but not significantly, increased the maize yield, whereas the 30% urea+70% SCU treatment showed a reduction effect. Overall, the mitigation effect of controlled-release urea on N2O emission may primarily depend on its coating material and application rate.
ABSTRACT
Background/aim: Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a rare but fatal disease if left untreated. Symptoms are often similar to common conditions; therefore, the diagnostic strategy is important. We aimed to identify the atypical symptoms in a timely manner without putting patients at greater risk for undetected AAD. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of 59 AAD patients with both atypical and typical symptoms from January 2012 to December 2016. Patients with atypical symptoms continuing more than 30 min underwent a D-dimer test and computed tomography (CT) or computed tomographic angiography (CTA). Results: Of the 59 AAD patients, 22 were atypical. In the atypical group, the median delay time in our hospital was 3.1 h; average delay time after July 2015 was shorter than average delay time before June 2015 (16.59 ± 24.70 vs. 1.90 ± 0.57 h, P = 0.076). Conclusions: For patients in the emergency department who are suspected of having AAD, incorporating atypical symptoms with high levels of D-dimer into a triage strategy could improve the efficiency of clinical decision making. Furthermore, essential education directed towards the recognition of the atypical symptoms of AAD for front-line physicians may aid in a timely diagnosis, as compared with the usual assessments in the emergency department.
