Alternate cotton-peanut intercropping:a new approach to increasing productivity and minimizing environmental impact

Recent publications have highlighted the development of an alternate cotton-peanut intercropping as a novel strat-egy to enhance agricultural productivity.In this article,we provide an overview of the progress made in the alternate cotton-peanut intercropping,specifically focusing on its yield benefits,environmental impacts,and the underlying mechanisms.In addition,we advocate for future investigations into the selection or development of appropriate crop varieties and agricultural equipment,pest management options,and the mechanisms of root-canopy interactions.This review is intended to provide a valuable reference for understanding and adopting an alternate intercropping system for sustainable cotton production.

Pile foundation in alternate layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposits subjected to earthquake loading

Pile foundations are still the preferred foundation system for high-rise structures in earthquake-prone regions.Pile foundations have experienced failures in past earthquakes due to liquefaction.Research on pile foundations in liquefiable soils has primarily focused on the pile foundation behavior in two or three-layered soil profiles.However,in natural occurrence,it may occur in alternative layers of liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil.However,the experimental and/or numerical studies on the layered effect on pile foundations have not been widely addressed in the literature.Most of the design codes across the world do not explicitly mention the effect of sandwiched non-liquefiable soil layers on the pile response.In the present study,the behavior of an end-bearing pile in layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposit is studied numerically.This study found that the kinematic bending moment is higher and governs the design when the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer is considered in the analysis as opposed to when its effect is ignored.Therefore,ignoring the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer in a liquefiable soil deposit might be a nonconservative design approach.

Effect of fertigation frequency on soil nitrogen distribution and tomato yield under alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation

Alternate partial root-zone drip fertigation (ADF) is a combination of alternating irrigation and drip fertigation,with the potential to save water and increase nitrogen (N) fertilizer efficiency.A 2-year greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different fertigation frequencies on the distribution of soil moisture and nutrients and tomato yield under ADF.The treatments included three ADF frequencies with intervals of 3 days (F3),6 days (F6) and 12 days (F12),and conventional drip fertigation as a control (CK),which was fertilized once every 6 days.For the ADF treatments,two drip tapes were placed 10 cm away on each side of the tomato row,and alternate drip irrigation was realized using a manual valve on the distribution tapes.For the CK treatment,a drip tape was located close to the roots of the tomato plants.The total N application rate of all treatments was 180 kg ha^(-1).The total irrigation amounts applied to the CK treatment were450.6 and 446.1 mm in 2019 and 2020,respectively;and the irrigation amounts applied to the ADF treatments were 60%of those of the CK treatment.The F3 treatment resulted in water and N being distributed mainly in the 0–40-cm soil layer with less water and N being distributed in the 40–60-cm soil layer.The F6 treatment led to 21.0 and 29.0%higher 2-year average concentration of mineral N in the 0–20 and 20–40-cm soil layer,respectively and a 23.0%lower N concentration in the 40–60-cm soil layer than in the CK treatment.The 2-year average tomato yields of the F3,F6,F12,and CK treatments were 107.5,102.6,87.2,and 98.7 t ha^(-1),respectively.The tomato yield of F3 was significantly higher (23.3%) than that in the F12 treatment,whereas there was no significant difference between the F3 and F6 treatment.The F6 treatment resulted in yield similar to the CK treatment,indicating that ADF could maintain tomato yield with a 40%saving in water use.Based on the distribution of water and N,and tomato yield,a fertigation frequency of 6 days under ADF should be considered as a water-saving strategy for greenhouse tomato production.

Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated with Six Rice Cultivars in Italian Agricultural Ecosystem Managed with Alternate Wetting and Drying

Alternate wetting and drying(AWD)system,in which water has been reduced by approximately 35%with an increased occurrence of beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)symbiosis and no negative impact on rice yield,was proposed to utilize water and nutrients more sustainable.In this study,we selected six rice cultivars(Centauro,Loto,Selenio,Vialone nano,JSendra and Puntal)grown under AWD conditions,and investigated their responsiveness to AM colonization and how they select diverse AM taxa.In order to investigate root-associated AM fungus communities,molecular cloning-Sanger sequencing on small subunit rDNA data were obtained from five out of the six rice cultivars and compared with Next Generation Sequencing(NGS)data,which were previously obtained in Vialone nano.The results showed that all the cultivars were responsive to AM colonization with the development of AM symbiotic structures,even if with differences in the colonization and arbuscule abundance in the root systems.We identified 16 virtual taxa(VT)in the soil compartment and 7 VT in the root apparatus.We emphasized that the NGS analysis gives additional value to the results thanks to a more in-depth reading of the less represented AM fungus taxa.

Generation and Evolution of Cavitation Bubbles in Volume Alternate Cavitation(VAC)

Cavitation generation methods have been used in multifarious directions because of their diversity,and numerous studies and discussions have been conducted on cavitation generation methods.This study aims to explore the generating mechanism and evolution law of volume alternate cavitation(VAC).In the VAC,liquid water is placed in an airtight container with a variable volume.As the volume alternately changes,the liquid water inside the container continues to cavitate.Then,the mixture turbulence model and in-cylinder dynamic grid model are adopted to conduct computational fluid dynamics simulation of volume alternate cavitation.In the simulation,the cloud images at seven heights on the central axis are monitored,and the phenomenon and mechanism of height and eccentricity are analyzed in detail.By employing the cavitation flow visualization method,the generating mechanism and evolution law of cavitation are revealed.The synergistic effects of experiments and high-speed camera capturing confirm the correctness of the simulation results.In the experiment,the volume change stroke of the airtight container is set to 20 mm,the volume change frequency is 18 Hz,and the shooting frequency of the high-speed camera is set to 10000 FPS.The experimental results indicate that the position of the cavitation phenomenon has a reasonable law during the whole evolution cycle of the cavitation cloud.Also,the volume alternation cycle corresponds to the generation,development,and collapse stages of cavitation bubbles.

Alternate Reality of the Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott is considered to be one of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s masterpieces.The poem conversely demonstrates art and life,the aesthetic and the political,are fully interwoven:the involvement in the social world which is symbolically the destination of the Lady in the poem.The Lady who is the emblem of such an artwork can be ascribed qualities,for instance,self-containment,objectified otherness,removal from the fluidity of life,and participation in a higher order of existence,for which it is autonomy.Kermode points out that“the Romantic artwork often identifies itself with an emblematic image of autonomy and femininity”,inextricably interlinked.Her mirror shows her only“Shadows of the world”.The Lady’s web flies“Out”and floats“wide”when she“turns round”with“that desire of making an impression upon another mind”,when she seeks to address Lancelot.The mirror reconnects the Lady’s art to the real world beyond her window.Though the artist is unable to see it during the process of production,her artistic web,once out in a wider space than the tower and freed from the loom,is a true representation of outward things,the actions,and events of Camelot.This paper examines that the traditional referentiality of Tennyson’s‘The Lady of Shalott’can be better understood by supplementing the poet’s medieval sources,of little more than tangential relevance to the poem,with Homeric influences.The poem is similar to a fairytale,however,I have given an alternate reality of the Lady of Shallot in my version of a fairytale,where the characters remain the same but the fairytale takes a happy ending rather than a tragic death.My version is different from Tennyson’s since I believe the lady deserves to be jovial.Sir Lancelot was unaware of her fascination and feelings for him,as she could hardly express her feelings due to her imprisonment.She is so taken by him that she stops her work and looks at Camelot,though she risks the mysterious curse.The mirror breaks and her web magically floats out of the window on its own.She realizes that she is cursed.

Field performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation on tomato crop growth, yield, water use efficiency, quality and profitability

Sustainable irrigation method is now essential for adaptation and adoption in the areas where water resources are limited. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to test the performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation(AWDFI) on crop growth, yield, water use efficiency(WUE), fruit quality and profitability analysis of tomato. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with six treatments replicated thrice during the dry seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Irrigation water was applied through three ways of furrow: AWDFI, fixed wetting and drying furrow irrigation(FWDFI) and traditional(every) furrow irrigation(TFI). Each irrigation method was divided into two levels: irrigation up to 100 and 80% field capacity(FC). Results showed that plant biomass(dry matter) and marketable fruit yield of tomato did not differ significantly between the treatments of AWDFI and TFI, but significant difference was observed in AWDFI and in TFI compared to FWDFI at same irrigation level. AWDFI saved irrigation water by 35 to 38% for the irrigation levels up to 80 and 100% FC, compared to the TFI, respectively. AWDFI improved WUE by around 37 to 40% compared to TFI when irrigated with 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Fruit quality(total soluble solids and pulp) was found greater in AWDFI than in TFI. Net return from AWDFI technique was found nearly similar compared to TFI and more than FWDFI. The benefit cost ratio was viewed higher in AWDFI than in TFI and FWDFI by 2.8, 8.7 and 11, 10.4% when irrigation water was applied up to 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Unit production cost was obtained lower in AWDFI compared to TFI and FWDFI. However, AWDFI is a useful water-saving furrow irrigation technique which may resolve as an alternative choice compared with TFI in the areas where available water and supply methods are limited to irrigation.

Grain yield and water use efficiency of super rice under soil water deficit and alternate wetting and drying irrigation

This study investigated if super rice could better cope with soil water deficit and if it could have better yield performance and water use efficiency(WUE) under alternate wetting and drying(AWD) irrigation than check rice. Two super rice cultivars and two elite check rice cultivars were grown in pots with three soil moisture levels, well watered(WW), moderate water deficit(MWD) and severe water deficit(SWD). Two cultivars, each for super rice and check rice, were grown in field with three irrigation regimes, alternate wetting and moderate drying(AWMD), alternate wetting and severe drying(AWSD) and conventional irrigation(CI). Compared with that under WW, grain yield was significantly decreased under MWD and SWD treatments, with less reduction for super rice than for check rice. Super rice had higher percentage of productive tillers, deeper root distribution, higher root oxidation activity, and greater aboveground biomass production at mid and late growth stages than check rice, especially under WMD and WSD. Compared with CI, AWMD increased, whereas AWSD decreased grain yield, with more increase or less decrease for super rice than for check rice. Both MWD and SWD treatments and either AWMD or AWSD regime significantly increased WUE compared with WW treatment or CI regime, with more increase for super rice than for check rice. The results suggest that super rice has a stronger ability to cope with soil water deficit and holds greater promising to increase both grain yield and WUE by adoption of moderate AWD irrigation.

Agronomic performance of drought-resistance rice cultivars grown under alternate wetting and drying irrigation management in southeast China

Compared to drought-susceptible rice cultivars(DSRs),drought-resistance rice cultivars(DRRs)could drastically reduce the amount of irrigation water input and simultaneously result in higher grain yield under water-saving irrigation conditions.However,the mechanisms underlying these properties are unclear.We investigated how improved agronomic traits contribute to higher yield and higher water use efficiency(WUE)in DRRs than in DSRs under alternate wetting and drying(AWD).Two DRRs and two DSRs were field-grown in 2015 and 2016 using two different irrigation regimes:continuous flooding(CF)and AWD.Under CF,no statistical differences in grain yield and WUE were observed between DRRs and DSRs.Irrigation water under the AWD regime was 275–349 mm,an amount 49.8%–56.2% of that(552–620 mm)applied under the CF regime.Compared to CF,AWD significantly decreased grain yield in both DRRs and DSRs,with a more significant reduction in DSRs,and WUE was increased in DRRs,but not in DSRs,by 9.9%–23.0% under AWD.Under AWD,DRRs showed a 20.2%–26.2% increase in grain yield and an 18.6%–24.5% increase in WUE compared to DSRs.Compared to DSRs,DRRs showed less redundant vegetative growth,greater sink capacity,higher grain filling efficiency,larger root biomass,and deeper root distribution under AWD.We conclude that these improved agronomic traits exert positive influences on WUE in DRRs under AWD.

Identification of three Berberis species as potential alternate hosts for Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in wheat-growing regions of Xinjiang, China

Since the recent discovery of barberry(Berberis spp.)as an alternate host for the stripe rust pathogen Puccinia striiformis,many Chinese Berberis species have been identified as alternate hosts for P.striiformis f.sp.tritici.However,little is known about Berberis species and their distribution in wheat-growing regions in Xinjiang,China,where stripe rust is endemic.As the largest province or autonomous region,Xinjiang represents a relatively independent epidemic region for wheat stripe rust in China.In this study,we con ducted a survey of barberry plants in the main wheat-growi ng areas of Xinjiang.We iden tified three Berberis species,B.heteropoda,B.nummularia and B.kaschgarica,and con firmed their roles as potential alternate hosts for P.striiformis f.sp.tritici in the laboratory.

Improving control effects of absence seizures using single-pulse alternately resetting stimulation (SARS) of corticothalamic circuit

Presently,we develop a simplified corticothalamic(SCT)model and propose a single-pulse alternately resetting stimulation(SARS)with sequentially applying anodic(A,“+”)or cathodic(C,“−”)phase pulses to the thalamic reticular(RE)nuclei,thalamus-cortex(TC)relay nuclei,and cortical excitatory(EX)neurons,respectively.Abatement effects of ACC-SARS of RE,TC,and EX for the 2 Hz-4 Hz spike and wave discharges(SWD)of absence seizures are then concerned.The m∶n on-off ACC-SARS protocol is shown to effectively reduce the SWD with the least current consumption.In particular,when its frequency is out of the 2 Hz-4 Hz SWD dominant rhythm,the desired seizure abatements can be obtained,which can be further improved by our proposed directional steering(DS)stimulation.The dynamical explanations for the SARS induced seizure abatements are lastly given by calculating the averaged mean firing rate(AMFR)of neurons and triggering averaged mean firing rates(TAMFRs)of 2 Hz-4 Hz SWD.

Effect of alternate magnetic field on LY12 structure properties after thermal plastic forming

The powerful alternate magnetic field treatment is an effective not-heat treatment, which improves the coriaceous performance of the material. In order to reveal the effect rule of the powerful alternate magnetic field on the structure capability after thermal plastic forming, the experimental methods were adopted to compare the microcosmic structure of the LY12 aluminium alloy test pieces before and after the powerful alternate magnetic field treatment. The mechanism of the structure refining was analyzed theoretically. According to the effect rule of the alternate magnetic field on critical grain growth work and the magnetic vibration-constriction mechanism, the structure dynamics factors were analyzed. The results show that, after a certain powerful alternate magnetic field treatment, the mechanical capability of the LY12 aluminium alloy after thermal plastic forming can be reinforced, the structure intertwist deriving from the thermal plastic forming becomes even and the branch crystal is also smashed, consequently refines the structure. The powerful alternate magnetic field treatment can be regarded as an effective method to improve metal structure performance after heat plastic forming.

Alternate Broyden's Method for Solving Linear Least Squares Problem with Multiple Right-Hand Sides

In this paper, we extend the alternate Broyden’s method to the multiple version fbi solving lincar leastsquarc systems with multiple right-hand sides. We show that the method possesses property of a finite tcrmination.Some numerical cxperiments are gi von to inustrate the effectiveness of the method.

Behaviour of a Moment Resisting Composite Steel and Concrete Joint Under Alternate Loading

The authors show the results of a study conducted on a joint connecting a concrete column to a composite steel concrete floor,subjected to tension on the beams as a result of the decomposition of sagging bending moment.The beam to column connection is achieved by means of headed studs welded to the beam and embedded in the concrete cast.Five different configurations have been tested at failure and the results are compared to formulae proposed in literature.Different degrees of ductility,reliability and strength have been obtained varying geometry and reinforcement ratio on the joints tested.

On the Alternate Direction Implicit (ADI) Method for Solving Heat Transfer in Composite Stamping

Thermostamping of thermoplastic matrix composites is a process where a preheated blank is rapidly shaped in a cold matching mould. Predictive modelling of the main physical phenomena occurring in this process requires an accurate prediction of the temperature field. In this paper, a numerical method is proposed to simulate this heat transfer. The initial three-dimensional heat equation is handled using an additive decomposition, a thin shell assumption, and an operator splitting strategy. An adapted resolution algorithm is then presented. It results in an alternate direction implicit decomposition: the problem is solved successively as a 2D surface problem and several one-dimensional through thickness problems. The strategy was fully validated versus a 3D calculation on a simple test case and the proposed strategy is shown to enable a tremendous calculation speed up. The limits of applicability of this method are investigated with two parametric studies, one on the thickness to width ratio and the other one on the effect of curvature. These conditions are usually fulfilled in industrial cases. Finally, even though the method was developed under linear assumption (constant material properties), the strategy validity is extended to multiply, temperature dependant (nonlinear) case using an industrial test case. Because of the standard methods involved, the proposed ADI method can readily be implemented in existing software.

Heavy Metals and the Alternate Bearing Effect in the Date Palm (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i>)

The alternate bearing effect is when plants produce abundant crops of fruit in some years, but sparse yields in others. This review summarises recent studies that suggest a connection between the alternate bearing effect in the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, and the presence of certain chemical elements (mostly metals) in the tree tissues. So far, there is evidence that levels of Ag, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, N, Na, Se, Tl, and Zn in the dates and leaflets are affected by the alternate bearing phenomenon. The significance of this work, therefore, emphasises the prospect of using our experimental data to overcome sparse yields, due to the alternate bearing effect, and producing more prolific growth of fruits. The potential agricultural, economic, environmental and health implications of these findings are considered.

Rationale and Study Protocol of the J-SAVER Study: A Phase II Study of S-1 on Alternate Days Combined with Bevacizumab in Patients Aged ≥75 Years with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Fluoropyrimidine combined with bevacizumab is commonly used in elderly patients with metastatic colorectal cancer worldwide. However, the proportion of elderly patients who discontinued treatment due to toxicities was higher than that of younger patients. The aim of this study is to develop a less toxic schedule of S-1, while maintaining the anti-tumor effect. This phase II study is aimed to evaluate an alternate-day administration of S-1 combined with bevacizumab in untreated elderly patients (aged ≥75 years) with metastatic colorectal cancer. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival, and the secondary endpoints are safety, response rate, and overall survival. The expected median progression-free survival is 8.5 months, and the minimum efficacy threshold is 5.0 months. The total required sample size is calculated as 50 patients, with a 2-sided type I error of 0.10 and a power of more than 80%. This study is ongoing, and fifty-four patients were enrolled until October 2016. We hope that S-1 on alternate days combined with bevacizumab for elderly patients with colorectal cancer is well tolerated and can maintain effectiveness. Trial registration: UMIN clinical trials UMIN000010402.

Shortest Alternate Path Discovery through Recursive Bounding Box Pruning

Congestion is a dynamic phenomenon and hence efficiently computing alternate shortest route can only help expedite decongestion. This research is aimed to efficiently compute shortest path for road traffic network so that congestion can be eased resulting in reduced CO2 emission and improved economy. Congestion detection is achieved after evaluating road capacity and road occupancy. Congestion index, a ratio of road occupancy to road capacity is computed, congestion index higher than 0.6 necessitates computation of alternate shortest route. Various algorithms offer shortest alternate route. The paper discusses minimization of graph based by removing redundant nodes which don’t play a role in computation of shortest path. The proposal is based on continuous definition of a bounding box every time a next neighboring node is considered. This reduces maximum number of contentious nodes repeatedly and optimizes the network. The algorithm is deployed from both the ends sequentially to ensure zero error and validate the shortest path discovery. While discovering shortest path, the algorithm also offers an array of shortest path in ascending order of the path length. However, vehicular traffic exhibits network duality viz. static and dynamic network graphs. Shortest route for static distance graph is pre-computed and stored for look-up, alternate shortest path based on assignment of congestion levels to edge weights is triggered by congestion index. The research also supports directed graphs to address traffic rules for lanes having unidirectional and bidirectional traffic.

Structural Properties of Baked Clay Bricks Fired with Alternate Fuels

Coal is used as a traditional fuel for firing of clay bricks in kilns. The cost of coal is high and is increasing continuously. This paper describes the effect of alternate fuels on compressive strength, water absorption and density of fired clay bricks. The alternate fuels used in this study were 1) rapeseed husk (Type I), 2) combination of sugarcane-bagasse, rice husk and used clothes (Type II) and 3) coal (Type III). The results show that compressive strength of bricks fired using Type I and Type II fuels was decreased to 11% and 7%, respectively, compared to those fired with coal. However, the values of water absorption and density of bricks fired with Type I and Type II fuels were almost same as exhibited by those baked with coal. This study shows that a saving of 25%, and 18% could be achieved when the bricks were fired using Type I and Type II fuels, respectively, compared to those fired with coal.

An Interactive Expert System Based Decision Making Model for the Management of Transit System Alternate Fuel Vehicle Assets

Traditionally, the process used by public transportation entities to determine the acquisition strategy for new vehicle asset is based upon a broad range of criteria. Vehicle cost has been cited as one of the more critical factors which decision makers consider. It is currently a common practice to consider other factors (life-cycle cost, fuel efficiency, vehicle reliability, environmental effects, etc.) that contribute to a more comprehensive approach. This study investigates the next generation of advancements in decision making tools in the area of the application of methods to quantify and manage uncertainty. In particular, the uncertainty comes from the public policy arena where future policy and regulations are not always based upon logical and predictable processes. The fleet decision making process in most governmental agencies is a very complex and interdependent activity. There are always competing forces and agendas within the view of the decision maker. Rarely is the decision maker a single person although, within the transit environment, there is often one person charged with the responsibility of fleet management. The focus of this research examines the decision making of the general transit agency community via the development of an expert systems prototype tool. A computer-based prototype system is developed which provide an expert knowledge-based recommendation, based upon variable user inputs. The results shown in this study show that a decision making tool for the management of transit system alternate fuel vehicle assets can be modeled and tested. The direct users of this research are the transit agency administrations. The results can be used by the management teams as a reliable input to inform their urban transit buses expansion decision making process.