Search

Northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) often requires frequent irrigation for commercial production, but irrigation is becoming increasingly challenging for many growers because of warmer and drier weather conditions, increased water regulations, and other water-use limitations. The purpose of this study was to develop improved methods of irrigation to prepare the industry more effectively against future water uncertainties. Treatments were applied for 2 years (2021 and 2022) and included a combination of weather-based or fixed irrigation schedules using continuous or pulse irrigation in a commercial field of ‘Draper’ blueberry in eastern Washington, USA. The soil at the site was a silt loam, and irrigation was applied using two laterals of drip tubing per row. Plants on a fixed schedule were irrigated for 12 to 13 hours per application (set by the grower), whereas those on a weather-based schedule were irrigated according to daily estimates of crop evapotranspiration (downloaded from an automated weather station). In both cases, irrigation was applied every 2 to 4 days as a single, continuous application or in 30- to 50-minute pulses every 2 hours (up to nine times per day) with the same amount of water as the continuous treatment. During the first year of the study, weather-based scheduling maintained greater stem water potentials in the plants and, on average, increased yield by 3.4 t·ha–1, berry weight by 0.14 g/berry, berry diameter by 0.4 mm, and fruit bud set by 4.3% when compared with fixed scheduling. Likewise, pulse irrigation maintained greater stem water potentials and, on average, increased berry weight and diameter by 0.10 g and 0.4 mm, respectively, fruit bud set by 3.3%, and canopy cover by 2.4% relative to continuous irrigation. Yield and canopy cover were unaffected by any treatment in the second year, which was likely a result of uncharacteristically cool, wet weather in the spring. However, weather-based scheduling continued to maintain greater stem water potentials and, when combined with pulse irrigation, increased berry weight and diameter by 3.7 g and 1.0 mm, respectively, relative to continuous irrigation on a fixed schedule. Pulse drip irrigation also increased fruit bud set by 5.1% during the second year. These results demonstrate the potential benefits of using weather-based scheduling and pulse drip in northern highbush blueberry, especially when the plants are grown on light-textured soils in hot, dry climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulse irrigation, the practice of applying water in small doses over time, is known to reduce deep percolation and runoff and, relative to irrigating in single continuous applications, can increase plant growth and production by supplying water and nutrients at an optimal rate. The objective of the present study was to determine whether pulse irrigation was beneficial in red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L. 'Wakefield'). Treatments included continuous or pulse drip irrigation and were evaluated for three growing seasons (2018-20) in a commercial field with silt loam soil. Continuous irrigation was applied up to 4 hours/day, whereas pulse irrigation was programmed to run for 30 minutes every 2 hours, up to eight times/day, using the same amount of water as the continuous treatment. Pulsing improved soil water availability relative to continuous irrigation and, by the second and third year, increased fruit production by 1210 to 1230 kg·ha21, which, based on recent market prices, was equivalent to $2420 to $2460/ha per year. Much of this yield increase occurred during the latter 3 to 4 weeks of the harvest season and was primarily due to larger fruit size during the second year and more berries per plant during the third year. In 1 or both years, pulse irrigation also produced more canopy cover, larger cane diameters, and higher concentrations of Mg and S in the leaves than continuous irrigation, but it reduced K and B in the soil and had variable effects on sugar-to-acid ratio in the berries. On the basis of these results, pulsing appears to be an effective means of irrigating raspberry plants in sandy or silty loam soils, but more research is needed to determine whether it is useful technique in heavier soil types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ability to extinguish a maladaptive conditioned fear response is crucial for healthy emotional processing and resiliency to aversive experiences. Therefore, enhancing fear extinction learning has immense potential emotional and health benefits. Mindfulness training enhances both fear conditioning and recall of extinguished fear; however, its effects on fear extinction learning are unknown. Here we investigated the impact of mindfulness training on brain mechanisms associated with fear-extinction learning, compared to an exercise-based program. Methods: We investigated BOLD activations in response to a previously learned fear-inducing cue during an extinction paradigm, before and after an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR, n = 49) or exercise-based stress management education program (n = 27). Results: The groups exhibited similar reductions in stress, but the MBSR group was uniquely associated with enhanced activation of salience network nodes and increased hippocampal engagement. Conclusions: Our results suggest that mindfulness training increases attention to anticipatory aversive stimuli, which in turn facilitates decreased aversive subjective responses and enhanced reappraisal of the memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their letter to the editor, Steenen and colleagues (1) argue that the conclusions of our meta-analysis (2) on the clinical efficacy of reconsolidation impairment using propranolol are 'incorrect in [...]

Moisture plays a key role in rock decay in the built and natural environments. Rock-cut sites are particularly vulnerable to moisture-related weathering as they are carved into rock outcrops and do not have impermeable foundations or roofs to retard the flow of moisture. To characterise the moisture dynamics and its influence on weathering of rock-cut sites, we undertook a moisture monitoring campaign using a non-destructive Microwave Moisture Measurement System (MMMS) at two monolithic rock-cut churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia. The results showed that the walls were more saturated at depth than on the surface during the wet season. This suggests that low surface temperature and higher moisture content at depth will lead to constant-rate drying and accumulation of salts on the surface of the walls during the wet season. In the dry season, there was higher saturation near the surface than at depth (falling-rate drying). High rock surface temperature during the dry season contributes to subsurface drying and accumulation of salts below the surface. This seasonally shifting moisture dynamics will lead to a complex and dynamic damage profile. This study highlights the significant wetting facilitated by a lack of impermeable roofs and foundations at rock-cut structures during rainy periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation amplifies environmental stressors, including heat, air and noise pollution, while constraining horizontal space for green areas. Vertical greening (VG) offers a sustainable alternative to mitigate these environmental stressors and enhance the well-being of urban residents, particularly in densely built areas. However, heritage buildings are often excluded from VG initiatives due to concerns regarding potential damage caused by invasive plants. Nonetheless, these concerns mainly apply to abandoned structures lacking proper maintenance, overlooking the implementations of VG on urban built heritage. This study addresses this research gap through an evidence-based framework under three main research questions; first, by studying the presence of VG implementations in urban built heritage among neighbourhoods that lack green spaces and face high environmental stressors; second, by investigating the heritage designation status of buildings with VG; last, by analysing street morphologies where most VG implementations are observed. Antwerp, Belgium, a historical city actively promoting VG initiatives, is selected as the study area. Environmental risk index maps for historic urban areas are used for determining case studies among 63 neighbourhoods. VG implementations in three selected neighbourhoods are documented using GIS and field surveying methods. The results reveal that VG is implemented on up to 7–14% of buildings in these neighbourhoods. In the Historical Centre, 59% of these VG implementations are observed on heritage buildings. In densely built neighbourhoods with limited green space, neither narrow streets nor the heritage designation status of buildings hinders VG implementations. This illustrates the great potential for heritage buildings in adopting such types of nature-based solutions, nevertheless requiring proper guidance and integration strategies for implementing VG on heritage buildings. While these results are specific to the study locations, they provide valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners, supporting them to further explore the environmental contributions of VG on heritage buildings and create effective integration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical research has shown that the amygdala, hippocampus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are involved in fear conditioning. However, the functional contribution of each brain area and the nature of their interactions are not clearly understood. Here, we extend existing neural network models of the functional roles of the hippocampus in classical conditioning to include interactions with the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. We apply the model to fear conditioning, in which animals learn physiological (e.g. heart rate) and behavioral (e.g. freezing) responses to stimuli that have been paired with a highly aversive event (e.g. electrical shock). The key feature of our model is that learning of these conditioned responses in the central nucleus of the amygdala is modulated by two separate processes, one from basolateral amygdala and signaling a positive prediction error, and one from the vmPFC, via the intercalated cells of the amygdala, and signaling a negative prediction error. In addition, we propose that hippocampal input to both vmPFC and basolateral amygdala is essential for contextual modulation of fear acquisition and extinction. The model is sufficient to account for a body of data from various animal fear conditioning paradigms, including acquisition, extinction, reacquisition, and context specificity effects. Consistent with studies on lesioned animals, our model shows that damage to the vmPFC impairs extinction, while damage to the hippocampus impairs extinction in a different context (e.g., a different conditioning chamber from that used in initial training in animal experiments). We also discuss model limitations and predictions, including the effects of number of training trials on fear conditioning. (Contains 1 table and 11 figures.)

Ground-based vertical greening is one of the well-known nature-based solutions that is widely used in city centres due to its small footprint and the large surface area of vegetation. Although the impact of vertical greening on the local microclimate has already been extensively researched, there is a poor understanding of the impact of vertical greening on historic building fabrics. The impact of vertical greening on microclimate environments has primarily been researched through in situ case-study monitoring; as such, there are currently no standard protocols for investigating this impact in laboratory studies. By performing simulations in controlled laboratory conditions, the influence of vertical greening on specific environmental conditions can be assessed as well as the significance for key mechanisms, such as the insulation capacity of a vegetation layer. Experimental results on the insulation capacity of vertical greening illustrate that the presence of vertical greening reduces the rate of heat exchange between the wall and the surrounding environment compared to the bare wall, resulting in a delayed temperature response of the wall. This delay varies across the seasons or its intensity, which is represented, for instance, by a more pronounced delay in the wall's surface temperature response in summer than in winter. However, the magnitude of the insulation capacity is more pronounced in winter (up to +2.1 °C) compared to summertime. The insulation capacity of vertical greening is more likely to have a significant impact on façades with a lack of solar irradiation, such as façades facing north or shaded by built surroundings. This experimental investigation can help build an understanding of these processes more fundamentally and support the interpretation of in situ case-study monitoring as well as provide a standardized approach to investigate the environmental performance of vertical greening across climatic regions and seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]