Optimal planting pattern of cotton is regulated by irrigation amount under mulch drip irrigation

ObjectiveIt is of great importance to explore agronomic management measures for water conservation and cotton yield in arid areas.MethodsA four–year field experiment was conducted to evaluate cotton yield and soil water consumption under four row spacing configurations (high/low density with 66+10 cm wide, narrow row spacing, RS66+10H and RS66+10L; high/low density with 76 cm equal row spacing, RS76H and RS76L) and two irrigation amounts (CI:conventional drip irrigation; LI:limited drip irrigation) during the growing seasons in Shihezi, Xinjiang.ResultsA quadratic relationship was observed between the maximum LAI (LAImax) and seed yield. Canopy apparent transpiration rate(CAT), daily water consumption intensity (DWCI) and crop evapotranspiration (ETC) were positively and linearly correlated with LAI. The seed yields, lint yields, and ETC under CI were 6.6–18.3%,7.1–20.8% and 22.9–32.6%higher than those observed under LI, respectively. The RS66+10H under CI had the highest seed and lint yields. RS76L had an optimum LAImax range, which ensured a higher canopy apparent photosynthesis and daily dry matter accumulation and reached the same yield level as RS66+10H; however, soil water consumption in RS76L was reduced ETC by 51–60 mm at a depth of 20–60 cm at a radius of 19–38 cm from the cotton row,and water use efficiency increased by 5.6–8.3%compared to RS66+10H under CI.ConclusionA 5.0<LAImax<5.5 is optimum for cotton production in northern Xinjiang, and RS76L under CI is recommended for high yield and can further reduce water consumption. Under LI, the seed and lint yield of RS66+10H were 3.7–6.0% and 4.6–6.9% higher than those of RS76L, respectively. In addition, high-density planting can exploit the potential of soil water to increase cotton yields under water shortage conditions

Colored Basalt Fibers Preparation via One-Step Drawing Lubricated by a Composite Sizing Consisted with Rhodamine B

The continuous basalt fibers (BFs) dyed with cationic dyes (RhB) were prepared through one-step drawing strategy using miscible liquids of phosphorylating starch (PS) cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium silicate (SS) as infiltration agents. The new method of dyeing was relied on the residual temperature of melt drawing, and the dye molecules were lubricated onto fibers firmly. Different means were used to characterize the color fibers, and a compact layer was formed on the fiber surface. The prepared composite fibers (PVA-SS-PS-RhB/BF) exhibited stable color fastness (washing and rubbing fastness achieved to 4–5 grade). The crosslinking significantly improved the water resistance with dissolved residue up to 80%, and the heightened glass transition temperature was observed. The breaking force of dyed fibers was observed to be 50.3% higher than that of raw fibers, and the breaking elongation was 71.8% higher than the original fibers

A Strategy Inspired by the Cicada Shedding Its Skin for Synthesizing the Natural Material NaFe₃S₅·2H₂O

Sulfide minerals hold significant importance in both fundamental science and industrial advancement. However, certain natural sulfide minerals, such as NaFe3S5·2H2O (NFS), pose great challenges for exploitation and synthesis due to their high susceptibility to oxidation. To date, no successful precedent exists for synthesizing NFS. Here, a novel approach to synthesizing low-cost and pollution-free NFS with high stability using the high-pressure hydrothermal method based solely on knowledge of its chemical formula is presented. Moreover, an innovative strategy inspired by the cicada's molting process to develop unstable natural materials is proposed. The mechanical, thermal, optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties of the NFS are thoroughly investigated. The storage of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions is primarily concentrated in the gap between (0 0 1) crystal planes. Additionally, as a catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at 10 mA cm−2, micron-sized NFS exhibits an excellent overpotential of 6.5 mV at 90 °C, surpassing those of reported HER catalysts of similar size. This research bridges the gap in the sulfide mineral family, overcomes limitations of the high-pressure hydrothermal method, and paves the way for future synthesis of natural minerals, lunar minerals, and Martian minerals.</p

Concentration Quantification of Oil Samples by Three-Dimensional Concentration-Emission Matrix (CEM) Spectroscopy

Developing fast and accurate fluorescence detection technology of oil spill is significant for quantitative analysis in unexpected oil spill events. As the oil sample concentration increases, the fluorescence spectrum produces red-shift behavior, which seriously affects the quantitative detection of concentration. In this work, a three-dimensional concentration-emission matrix (CEM) was constructed by using a series of emission spectra with different levels of concentration at the excitation wavelength of 266 nm. The database is the interpolated CEM of six samples using bicubic interpolation in the concentration dimension. With matrix similarity matching, the database was used to achieve quantification of the concentration of oil samples. The recovery rates of prediction for test samples and weathering samples of six oil samples were between 86.8% and 116.11%, with relative errors of predictions ranging from 2.09% to 15.2%. The results show that this method can provide accurate quantitative determination of the concentration of different oil samples

Bis(boryl anion)-Substituted Pyrenes: Syntheses, Characterizations, and Crystal Structures

The two new diboranes <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> connected by a pyrene moiety at the 1,6- and 1,3-positions, respectively, were synthesized, and their two-electron-reduction reactions were investigated. The doubly reduced species <b>1</b>^••2– is silent in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic measurements, suggesting a quasi-quinoidal structure with a diradical character of <b>1</b>^••2–, which has a singlet–triplet gap of 6.6 kcal mol^–1 as determined by theoretical calculations. In contrast, the reduction product <b>2</b>^••2– is EPR active and theoretical calculations indicate that <b>2</b>^••2– has an open-shell singlet ground state with a singlet–triplet energy gap of 4.9 kcal mol^–1

The Combination of Schisandrol B and Wedelolactone Synergistically Reverses Hepatic Fibrosis Via Modulating Multiple Signaling Pathways in Mice

Hepatic fibrosis represents an important event in the progression of chronic liver injury to cirrhosis, and is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix proteins aggregation. Early fibrosis can be reversed by inhibiting hepatocyte injury, inflammation, or hepatic stellate cells activation, so the development of antifibrotic drugs is important to reduce the incidence of hepatic cirrhosis or even hepatic carcinoma. Here we demonstrate that Schisandrol B (SolB), one of the major active constituents of traditional hepato-protective Chinese medicine, Schisandra sphenanthera, significantly protects against hepatocyte injury, while Wedelolactone (WeD) suppresses the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and inflammation, the combination of the two reverses hepatic fibrosis in mice and the inhibitory effect of the combination on hepatic fibrosis is superior to that of SolB or WeD treatment alone. Combined pharmacotherapy represents a promising strategy for the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis