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It is important to evaluate any effects that biochar may have on tomato yield under deficit-irrigation to develop water-saving and yield-increasing best management practices for greenhouse tomato production. For this purpose, greenhouse trials were conducted in 2021 and 2022 with five biochar (B) application rates and three irrigation (W) levels. The B treatments were B0: 0 t ha−1; B1: 15 t ha−1; B2: 30 t ha−1; B3: 45 t ha−1; and B4: 60 t ha−1, and the W levels were W1: 50–70% of field capacity (θf); W2: 60–80% of θf; and W3B0: 70–90% of θf full irrigation without biochar, which was designated as the control. Our objective was to quantify the effects of biochar on the characteristics of tomato sources and sinks to determine, first, the optimal irrigation–biochar combination to achieve high yield tomato production, and, second, evaluate the mechanisms of this effect. At W1 and W2 irrigation levels, the addition of 30–60 t ha−1 and 45–60 t ha−1 biochar could compensate for the adverse effects of deficit-irrigation on the tomato source and sink characteristics. Our results show that in both years the highest tomato yield was obtained with the W2 irrigation level and the B3 biochar application rate, with 52% higher tomato yield compared to the lowest value obtained with the W1 irrigation level and B0 application rate. We conclude that biochar application can improve tomato yield by promoting the filling rather than the building of the sink capacity. The tomato yield was mainly affected by the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), followed by the leaf area, and the leaf chlorophyll content indirectly affected tomato yield through Pn. The W2 irrigation level combined with the B3 biochar application rate resulted in the best water–biochar combination under the experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ways of understanding and quantifying the effectiveness of new irrigation methods are required in order to more precisely evaluate them, including the effect of root growth on water storage pit irrigation (WSPI). In this study, the effective root growth zone (ERGZ) of 5-year-old apple trees under WSPI and traditional surface irrigation (CK) treatment was estimated using stable isotope technology during two seasons 2015 and 2016. The stable isotopes of water in stems and different soil depths were analyzed using four analysis methods (namely direct inference, the Romero-Saltos model, the IsoSource model and the coupled model). Results showed that the ERGZ depth under surface irrigation ranged from 10 cm to 60 cm, with the main contribution at 0–40 cm during the growth stage. Under water storage pit irrigation, the ERGZ depth for the apple tree was deeper and ranged from 20 cm to 100 cm, with the main contribution of ERGZ deepened to 20–100 cm after the earlier of shoot rapid-growing stage. The use of a water storage pit irrigation system on apple demonstrated improved root growth in the middle-depth soils, as compared to traditional surface irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a type of chronic cerebrovascular occlusion disease, which frequently occurs in East Asian populations, including pediatric and adult patients, and may lead to ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, headache, epilepsy or transient ischemic attack. To date, the underlying mechanisms of MMD have remained to be fully elucidated, but certain studies have indicated that genetic factors may be an important component of its development. Cerebral angiography is the best approach for diagnosing MMD. However, with technological advances, non-invasive techniques are increasingly used to accurately evaluate MMD. MMD is commonly treated via surgery, and an increasing number of patients are benefitting from the intra- and extra-cranial revascularization. The present article provides a comprehensive review of MMD on the basis of previous research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment using PVC growth tubes was conducted in the Loess Plateau of China to determine the effective root depth (ERD) of winter wheat and its relationship with root distributions and soil water conditions. The water stable isotopes technique was used to estimate the water uptake contributions of different root depths during the growth stages. On the basis of IsoSource and the Romero-Saltos model, the ERD was 0-40 cm in the majority of the growth stage. However, in the heading and filling stages, the ERD could reach 60%-75% of the maximum root depth. Furthermore, the contributions to water uptake of different root depths were correlated with variations in soil water and root length density (r=0.395 and 0.368, respectively; p<0.05). However, by path analysis, the low decisive coefficient indicated that root distribution and soil water content did not always follow the same trend as water uptake. The conclusions of this study can help with understanding winter wheat water uptake mechanisms in arid and semi-arid regions and increasing water use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdTe and related II–VI compound semiconductors have been widely utilized in the field of optoelectronic devices, detectors, solar cells and so on. As the surface treatment on the wafer involved in the device fabrication process has an important impact on its subsequent photoelectric performance, the investigations on the change in structures and properties of the wafer after different surface treatments, especially the formation of new phases at the surface, have important theoretical significance and practical application value. In this work, the surface morphology and microstructure of CdTe single crystal wafers after different chemical etching processes were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With the increase of etching time to 10 min, the surface gradually became smoother with a significantly reduced surface roughness from 61.4 nm to 30.5 nm. In addition, the I–V curves of Au/CdTe contact structure illustrate the optimized ohmic contact characteristics after chemical etching with the surface leakage current increasing from 4.723 × 10−10 A to 3.640 × 10−9 A when the etching time extends up to 10 min. TEM analysis on the chemical etched surface of CdTe confirms the formation of Cd2Te2O7 phase with two variants. The d-spacing of (100)CTO and twice that of {111}CdTe being similar is the main reason for the existence of low lattice mismatch and formation of coherent interface between Cd2Te2O7 and CdTe. Furthermore, the chemical etching process is also confirmed to remove the surface damage caused by mechanical polishing effectively by comparing the interface microstructures of Au/CdTe contacts without and after 10 min of chemical etching. The formation mechanism of Cd2Te2O7 and the structure model of Au/CdTe interface are also proposed based on the TEM results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat induced self-welding of nanomaterials is an important method for the artificial design and synthesis of heterogeneous composite materials. The connection and growth of solid-state crystalline nanomaterials under heat treatment normally follow the oriented attachment growth mechanism. However, there is a lack of systematic research on the interface crystallography under such formation conditions, especially for crystals with relatively large structure differences. In this work, hydrothermally grown TiO2 (B) (TB) nanofibers are chosen as examples to investigate the welded interface structure and crystallography between the same and different TiO2 polymorphs. Through the manipulation of calcination temperature, TB–TB and TB–anatase (TA) self-welded nanofiber pairs can be firstly obtained. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results suggest that two TB nanofibers with the same {100} single crystal form (SCF) can be connected with the same orientation or by being rotated along the fiber growth direction for certain angles. In addition, the TB nanofibers with different SCFs can also be welded through the extension and growth of (010)TB. For TB–TA self-welded pairs, the welding direction is confirmed along the long axis direction of the fiber, which is different from that of TB–TB self-welded pairs. Moreover, it is proved that the TB nanofibers with both SCFs can be welded with TA, leading to the formation of two different interfaces with typical orientation relationships. Furthermore, fewer dislocations can be found in the welded pairs with the {100} SCF of TB, which is due to the similar distribution of the voids between TiO6 octahedra for TB and TA with the orientation relationships of [010]TB//[010]TA, [100]TB//[100]TA and [106]TB//[001]TA. For the self-welded cases between TA nanofibers, the mutual rotation along different axes followed by the attachment growth was considered to be the mechanism of different interface formations. The results of this work can provide useful experimental support for the controlled synthesis of heat induced self-welded metal-oxide nanofibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scarce rainfall and low water productivity (WP) are the primary problems constraining development of the grape industry in the extremely arid region of Xinjiang. Reducing evaporative loss and improving deep soil water use are important measures to solve this problem. In this study, a root zone irrigation (RI) method was introduced and studied in irrigation experiments in Shanshan, Xinjiang, to compare the effects of three types of irrigation emitter burial depths and furrow irrigation (FI) on soil water–root system coupling characteristics, root water uptake strategies, and leaf water physiology, yield, and quality. The results showed that RI optimized the coupling level of the soil water–root system and improved root water uptake strategies. Compared with FI, RI increased the water contribution rate of the middle and deep soil layers, resulting in an increase in the average root water uptake depth by 50.1–74.5 %. RI expanded the root water uptake range, which in turn increased the midday leaf water potential (ψ m) and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 8.9–15.6 % and 9.9–18.9 %, respectively. Increasing the burial depth of the irrigation emitter under RI could lead to the migration of water, root, and average root water uptake depth to the deep soil, however, the ψ m and Pn would also decrease. RI reduced evaporative loss and actual crop evapotranspiration (ET c act), however, the RI yield and WP were higher than those of FI by 8.6–18.7 % and 27.1–52.3 %, respectively. Moreover, RI significantly increased the soluble solid content, berry volume, and berry weight of grapes compared with that of FI. Under RI, increasing the burial depth of the irrigation emitter did not significantly affect WP, however, the yield and grape quality gradually decreased. The results showed that an irrigation emitter burial depth of 0–40 cm under RI in an extremely arid region is a scientific and reasonable irrigation method. • Root zone irrigation induced root growth in deep soil and improved soil water–root degree of coupling coordination. • Root zone irrigation was beneficial for enhancing root water uptake in the middle and deep soil layers. • Increased soil water–root degree of coupling coordination improved leaf water status and photosynthetic capacity. • The irrigation emitter burial depth of 0–40 cm could obtain the optimal soil water–root coupling level and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural producers in China are presently confronting the challenge of "white pollution" caused by the continuous expansion of plastic film area coverage. The main objective of this research is to address the increasing interest in the effects of film residual on tomato growth, yield, and quality under drip irrigation. To reveal the effects of film residual on tomato physiology, field trials were conducted with five levels of film residual treatment applied in two consecutive cropping seasons from 2019 to 2020. Soil water content, plant height, stem diameter, photosynthetic characteristics, yield, soluble sugar content (SSC), organic acid (OA), vitamin C (VC), and nitrate content (NC) were measured; furthermore, four analysis methods were used to assess the comprehensive tomato quality. The results showed that film residuals significantly affected soil water content in 2019 and 2020 and inhibited tomato plant height and stem diameter. The variations in photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance showed practically the same trend, increasing with an increase in the film residual at the seedling stage. The maximum yields were observed at 94.02 ton/hm2 and 84.44 ton/hm2 in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and tomato yield exhibited a shape reduction with increasing amounts of film residual in all years. SSC, VC, and NC showed an increasing trend with increasing amounts of film residual. The best tomato comprehensive quality was observed when the amount of film residual was lower than 200 kg/hm2 and declined with an increasing amount of film residual. Overall, the soil water content, tomato growth, and fruit quality changed significantly under the influence of film residual. These results not only deepen our understanding of the harm caused by film residual to tomato growth and fruit quality but also provide reasonable advice to establish a management system for residual pollution on cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors apologize for any inconvenience caused and state that the scientific conclusions are unaffected. Application of DSSAT CERES-Maize to Identify the Optimum Irrigation Management and Sowing Dates on Improving Maize Yield in Northern China. Reference 1 Rugira P., Ma J., Zheng L., Wu C., Liu E. Application of DSSAT CERES-Maize to Identify the Optimum Irrigation Management and Sowing Dates on Improving Maize Yield in Northern China. [Extracted from the article]

The increase in irrigated maize plantings in Northern China has increased the demand for irrigation water in the region, resulting in chronic water shortages in drier years. Efficient irrigation and water use are essential for the sustainable development and management of water resources in the area. This research applied DSSAT-maize in the Loess Plateau (Fenhe basin) to determine the suitable irrigation management and optimum sowing dates to ensure the stability of spring maize production. The model was calibrated using the full irrigation treatment of 2017–2019 growing seasons. Crop data, such as plant phenological phases, aboveground biomass, crop yield, and leaf area index, were used for model calibration. The calibration showed great consistency between the measured and simulated data, with nRMSE (normalized root mean square error) ranging from 0.77% to 21.6%. The field values of crop yield, aboveground biomass, LAI, soil water content, and water use efficiency were used to evaluate the calibrated model's performance, the model evaluation was found to be satisfactory with acceptable nRMSE ranging from 1.9% to 25.3%. Optimum simulated sowing dates for increased productivity and water efficiency were between 15 and 25 May. The optimum irrigation timing and volume of irrigation water application were 85 mm at the tasseling phase and 85 mm at the grouting phase respectively. Therefore, the yield of maize can be increased by applying irrigation and altering the sowing date in case rainfall is insufficient to satisfy the water demand of the crops in the Fenhe basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Leaf turgor pressure varied significantly in the azimuthal, vertical, and radial apple canopies under drip irrigation. • Water potential, leaf thickness, and solar radiation affected the variation in canopy leaf turgor. • MaxP p was optimal for soil moisture monitoring based on the XGBoost model. • The LPCP probe should be installed in the middle position of the east canopy's central layer for apple trees. Leaf turgor pressure is a relevant metric for determining plant water content. To diagnose an apple tree water shortage, it is critical to precisely establish the features of leaf turgor pressure change in the canopy. In the current study, we continually monitored the leaf turgor pressure parameter (P p) at different azimuthal, vertical, and radial locations of the apple canopy based on leaf patch clamp pressure (LPCP) probes. The results demonstrated that the P p curves on sunny and rainy days were significantly different. A peak occurred on sunny days, during which the turgor pressure remained constant around midday. Under full irrigation, there was a greater change rate and daily maximum of P p (maxP p) at the east (azimuthal), upper layer (vertical), and distal (radial) positions. While leaf turgor pressure dramatically decreased with incomplete watering, maxP p significantly increased at the central and lower layers of the east canopy, as well as on the proximal and middle of the radial parts. This spatial heterogeneity in canopy leaf turgor pressure was related to the soil water potential, midday leaf water potential, sponge tissue thickness, and canopy solar radiation. Then, the ideal drought stress indicator parameter (maxP p) and canopy turgor monitoring leaf location (the middle position of the eastern canopy central layer's radial branch) were determined by multiparameter assessment. The findings presented above serve as a theoretical foundation for the construction of an intelligent irrigation system based on apple tree water status monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Stenosis of the target intracranial vertebral artery is one of the major causes of posterior circulation ischemic stroke. The objective of this paper is to explore methods for reducing the occurrence of medullary artery occlusion after intracranial vertebral artery stenting. Case Description The current research presents a retrospective analysis of 48 patients who received Gateway-Wingspan stent angioplasty to treat severe stenosis of the intracranial vertebral artery, evaluates the results of stenosis remission and perfusion improvement after stent angioplasty, and explores the causes of postoperative medullary artery occlusion. A total of 49 Wingspan stents were implanted in the 48 patients, with a surgical success rate of 100%. After stent implantation, the patients' rates of intracranial vertebral artery stenosis dropped from 75.9% ± 6.3% to 28.4% ± 5.1%. Transcranial Doppler or cranial computed tomography angiography 3 months after surgery showed that none of the patients suffered from in-stent restenosis. Within 24 hours after surgery, medullary perforating artery occlusion occurred in 2 patients, probably because atherosclerotic plaque in the stenotic area became less stable and displaced under the mechanical action of postoperative saccule and stent. As a result, the medullary artery was blocked. After drug and rehabilitation therapies, the patients' symptoms were alleviated. Conclusions Perforating artery occlusion after intracranial vertebral artery stenting can be prevented by strict assessment and preparation before surgery, correct choices of saccule and stent during operation, and other measures. However, large sample data are needed for verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water storage pit irrigation (WSPI) has been proven effective in improving the water use efficiency of fruit trees in Loess Plateau, but so far there are still no matching efficient fertilization management methods. A two-year experiment was conducted to explore the management strategy of fertilization under the consideration of apple production and environmental sustainability. N isotope tracer technique was used to study the distribution of labelled nitrogen in soil, leaf, root and fruit. Moreover, the yield in different fertilizer managements were observed to evaluate the apple production. The results showed that increasing the amount of fertilizer could increase the accumulation of fertilizer nitrogen in soil, but also increased the risk of nitrogen leaching. Under the same amount of fertilizer, split fertilization can effectively increase of fertilizer nitrogen in soil by a mean of 4.7 times. Further, N300 application with split fertilization effectively increased apple yield. The yield of N300II treatment was higher than other treatment by maximum 68.5%. In addition, the root system mainly absorbed the fertilizer nitrogen applied in the current year, and the fruit mainly absorbed the fertilizer nitrogen applied in the previous year, but there was no significant difference in the leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]