Pattern of trunk diameter fluctuations of almond trees in deficit irrigation scheduling during the first seasons

Irrigation needs in mature almond orchards are very high. Although almond trees grow in rainfed conditions, the yield response is very sensitive to irrigation. Continuous monitoring of the water status could be an adequate tool to optimize deficit irrigation. In this sense, trunk diameter fluctuations appeared as a very promising indicator at the beginning of the century, but few data have been published. The aim of this work is to check threshold values of maximum daily shrikage (MDS) and identify possible limitations to their use in commercial orchards. The experiment was performed in a commercial farm in Dos Hermanas (Seville, Spain) during the 2017 season on a 7-years-old orchard (cv Vairo). The irrigation treatments were Control (100% ETc), sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) with a maximum seasonal irrigation of 100 mm and two regulated deficit treatments (RDI). Both RDI treatments (RDI-1 and RDI-2) were scheduled using the signal of maximum daily shrinkage (signal) and the midday stem water potential (SWP). In RDI-1, full irrigation conditions were provided before kernel filling and during postharvest, using the threshold values suggested in the bibliography. During kernel filling, the water stress level was designed to be -1.5 MPa (SWP) and 1.75 (signal). RDI-2 trees were irrigated using the same scheduling as RDI-1, but target water stress values were higher in kernel filling (-2 MPa and 2.75) and with a maximum seasonal amount of water of 100 mm. SWP in Control trees was near the McCutchan and Shackel baseline for most of the season. None of the deficit treatments reached the signal values suggested. Moreover, the signal values were almost equal between treatments, with no water stress effect. The trunk growth rate (TGR) presented clear differences depending on the water status

Identification of water stress conditions in olive trees through frequencies of trunk growth rate

Continuous monitoring of the tree water status will enhance irrigation performance, particularly when applying deficit schedules. The olive tree is a highly drought-resistant species and management of the water stress could increase water savings. Trunk diameter fluctuations can be displayed as daily curves representing the shrinkage and swelling, and can provide information about tree water status. In olive trees, trunk growth rate (TGR) is the most useful indicator, but the daily variability reduced the commercial applications. Recently, weekly frequencies of TGR values were associated to the water status in one seasonal experiment. The aim of this work is to study the seasonal pattern and the interannual variations of these parameters in order to integrate them in an irrigation scheduling tool. The experiment was performed during two consecutive seasons (2018 and 2019) in a superhigh density mature olive orchard at Carmona (Seville, Spain). Three different irrigation scheduling treatments were considered in a randomized complete block design. The control treatment was fully irrigated with 150–175% crop evapotranspiration (ETc) in order to ensure an optimum water status. Regulated deficit irrigation-1 (RDI-1) was scheduled using only TGR data provided through the continuous measurements from a dendrometer. In this treatment, water stress conditions were controlled during the pit hardening period. RDI-2 was similar to RDI-1, but with a more severe water stress conditions during pit hardening and a maximum seasonal amount of water that limited rehydration. Water stress was greater during the 2019 season than the 2018 season, according to the midday stem water potential (SWP). Weekly frequencies of TGR values lower than − 0.3 mm day− 1 (Severe FR) and values between − 0.1 and 0.3 mm day− 1 (Good FR) described the water status pattern in the three treatments for both seasons. Only under severe water stress conditions (SWP more negative than − 4 MPa) the values of these frequencies did not identify accurately the water status. However, the use of weekly frequencies of values greater than 0.3 mm day− 1 (Alert FR) and the pattern of these Severe FR and Good FR themselves identified such conditions. The use of these three weekly frequencies (Severe, Good and Alert (SGA) approach) are suggested for continuous deficit irrigation scheduling in olive trees

Physics of Solar Prominences: II - Magnetic Structure and Dynamics

Observations and models of solar prominences are reviewed. We focus on non-eruptive prominences, and describe recent progress in four areas of prominence research: (1) magnetic structure deduced from observations and models, (2) the dynamics of prominence plasmas (formation and flows), (3) Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) waves in prominences and (4) the formation and large-scale patterns of the filament channels in which prominences are located. Finally, several outstanding issues in prominence research are discussed, along with observations and models required to resolve them.Comment: 75 pages, 31 pictures, review pape

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

Evaluation of growers’ efforts to improve the sustainability of olive orchards: Development of the hydroSOStainable index

Sustainability is a feature that most companies adopt in order to improve their profits, even when their activity is not sustainable or the definition in their sector is not clear. This concept actually relates to the management of natural resources. Agriculture, and particularly irrigation scheduling, is strongly linked to a sustainable management; however, it is not clear what defines a sustainable management. Several efforts have been made to improve the conservation of water resources, but most of them have not involved growers at the orchard level; and consequently, they have lost their opportunity to create a real improvement in terms of sustainability. The aim of this work was to design a “hydroSOStainable index” (or “hydroSOS index”) that evaluates different aspects at orchard level to improve the sustainability of the water resources. The hydroSOS index considers 16 indicators grouped in 4 areas: (i) hydraulic indicators, (ii) horticultural indicators not related to irrigation scheduling, (iii) horticultural indicators related to the moment when deficit irrigation is applied (when?), and (iv) horticultural indicators related to the way deficit irrigation is applied (how?). Each indicator provides different marks or scores, and their sum allows classifying orchard management into four labels. The weight of each indicator and each group is not in itself enough to obtain a maximum label. Groups allow to easily identify the main limitations for the orchard to achieve a sustainable irrigation management. This index was used to evaluate water management of two cases of stud

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/‘proxy’ AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele. © 2022, The Author(s)

Safety of hospital discharge before return of bowel function after elective colorectal surgery

© 2020 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons LtdBackground: Ileus is common after colorectal surgery and is associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. Identifying features of normal bowel recovery and the appropriateness for hospital discharge is challenging. This study explored the safety of hospital discharge before the return of bowel function. Methods: A prospective, multicentre cohort study was undertaken across an international collaborative network. Adult patients undergoing elective colorectal resection between January and April 2018 were included. The main outcome of interest was readmission to hospital within 30 days of surgery. The impact of discharge timing according to the return of bowel function was explored using multivariable regression analysis. Other outcomes were postoperative complications within 30 days of surgery, measured using the Clavien–Dindo classification system. Results: A total of 3288 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 301 (9·2 per cent) were discharged before the return of bowel function. The median duration of hospital stay for patients discharged before and after return of bowel function was 5 (i.q.r. 4–7) and 7 (6–8) days respectively (P < 0·001). There were no significant differences in rates of readmission between these groups (6·6 versus 8·0 per cent; P = 0·499), and this remained the case after multivariable adjustment for baseline differences (odds ratio 0·90, 95 per cent c.i. 0·55 to 1·46; P = 0·659). Rates of postoperative complications were also similar in those discharged before versus after return of bowel function (minor: 34·7 versus 39·5 per cent; major 3·3 versus 3·4 per cent; P = 0·110). Conclusion: Discharge before return of bowel function after elective colorectal surgery appears to be safe in appropriately selected patients