Ichthyophthiriasis, which is caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich) infections, has a severe impact on productivity in freshwater aquaculture. These infections were previously treated effectively with malachite green, a compound that is now banned on fish farms due to its carcinogenicity. To find efficacious drugs to control Ich, flowers of tansy Tanacetum vulgare were evaluated for their antiprotozoal activity. Tanacetum vulgare extract significantly reduced the survival of Ich trophonts and theronts. In vitro, the extract killed all trophonts at 3200 mg l-1, terminated tomont reproduction at 50 mg l-1, and caused mortality of all theronts at 100 mg l-1. T. vulgare extract may be a new and efficacious drug for the control of Ich.

The research on the repellent effect of Tanacetum vulgare L. on Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) was conducted in 1997-2000. The results, which were obtained from the laboratory and field examinations, showed a good effectiveness against beetles as well as their individual development stages. Powdered leaves and flowers of the plant both in powdered form and in water slurry were used in the experiments. Due to the lack of its toxic effect on man, T. vulgare can be used in small potato plantations near settlements as well as in ecological farms.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for the growth and development of plants, but excessive use of nitrogen fertiliser in agriculture can result in environmental pollution. As a preferred nitrogen form, ammonium (NH ₄ ⁺) is absorbed from the soil by the plants through ammonium transporters (AMTs). Therefore, it is important to explore AMTs to improve the efficiency of plant N utilisation. Here, we performed a comprehensive genome-wide analysis to identify and characterise the AMT genes in barley ( HvAMTs), which is a very important cereal crop. A total of seven AMT genes were identified in barley and further divided into two subfamilies ( AMT1 and AMT2) based on phylogenetic analysis. All HvAMT genes were distributed on five chromosomes with only one tandem duplication. HvAMTs might play an important role in plant growth, development, and various stress responses, as indicated by cis- regulatory elements, miRNAs, and protein interaction analysis. Further, we analysed the expression pattern of HvAMTs in various developmental plant tissues, which indicated that AMT1 subfamily members might play a major role in the uptake of NH ₄ ⁺ from the soil through the roots in barley. Altogether, these findings might be helpful to improve the barley crop with improved nitrogen use efficiency, which is not only of great significance to the crop but also for land and water as it will reduce N fertiliser pollution in the surrounding ecosystem.

Terms of impoliteness, rudeness and profanity are segments of vocabulary which old Chinese dictionaries, glossaries or encyclopaedias are not introducing in their full varieties. For this reason it is a kind of rarity when one finds a bunch of expressions apparently of vernacular origin, and it is even more extraordinary that they are not only listed in Chinese but being a part of a bilingual glossary included in the largest Chinese military compilation, the Wu Bei Zhi (i 武備志), they are provided with their Middle Mongolian translations. The author presents a study introducing the related vocabulary from both sides of the glossary and alongside he analyses the likeliness of their actual use by the time of compilation from the point of view of historical pragmatics.