Publications by authors named "Xu-cheng Zhang"

Excessive nitrogen fertilizer application is the main driving force threatening soil health and reducing multiple soil functions. The enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers (EENFs), such as urease inhibitors (NBPT), nitrification inhibitors (DCD), and coated controlled-release urea (RCN), have been proven to be effective measures for reducing nitrogen fertilizer application. However, the effects of EENFs on soil quality (SQI), microbial metabolic characteristics, and soil ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) and their internal relationships are still unclear.

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Metabolic responses to cellular stress are pivotal in cell ferroptosis, with mitophagy serving as a crucial mechanism in both metabolic processes and ferroptosis. This study aims to elucidate the effects of high glucose on cardiomyocytes (CMs) and cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) regarding ferroptosis and to uncover the underlying mechanisms involved. We examined alterations in glycolysis, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and mitophagy, which are essential for metabolic adaptations and ferroptosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on predicting distant metastasis (DM) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using detailed MRI reports, which is essential for improving treatment outcomes.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 792 non-distant metastatic NPC patients and identified 469 imaging variables to develop predictive models using gradient boosting tree (GBT) techniques.
  • The results showed that the GBT models, particularly those focusing on factors like the number of metastatic cervical nodes, had better predictive accuracy (AUC of 0.76) compared to the traditional tumor node-staging system (AUC of 0.67).
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Nitrogen limitation is an important factor for the improvement of crop water production potential in rain-fed areas of the Loess Plateau. The reasonable deep application of nitrogen fertilizer is a promising method to increase yield of rain-fed crop. Based on APSIM model, this study simulated spring wheat yield under different nitrogen application rates and depths, by using meteorological observation data from 1990 to 2020 in the semiarid areas of central Gansu Province, aiming to provide theoretical reference for optimizing wheat fertilization strategy.

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Both reasonable soil tillage and fertilization management play critical roles in improving the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of forage maize in the semi-arid area of Loess Plateau. A field experiment was conducted at Dingxi experimental station of Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences between 2017 and 2019. We explored the effects of tillage method and fertilization type on yields and WUE of forage maize, as well as the economic benefits.

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The relieving of drought and cold restriction on spring wheat development is one of the key factors increasing wheat yield in arid areas of central Gansu Province. A field experiment with spring wheat (Longchun No. 35) was carried out in central Gansu Province from 2016 to 2018.

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A field experiment was conducted in the rain-fed semi-arid region of central Gansu in 2016 and 2017, with the treatments 1) hill-drop flat planting with full plastic film mulching (PMS), 2) hill-drop flat planting with full plastic film mulching plus organic fertilizers (PMO), and 3) hill-drop flat planting without soil mulching (CK). We investigated the relations among soil moisture, photosynthetic rate (), stomatal conductance () and transpiration rate (), C/N ratio, and total nitrogen of flag leaf from the heading stage to the seed-filling stage in different treatments to probe into their effects on the yield and yield components of spring wheat variety 'Longchun 27'. The results showed that organic fertilizer application could increase soil moisture at the middle and late growth stages of spring wheat.

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Prolonged endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is the key driving force behind diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Autophagy is extensively implicated in adaptive mechanisms for cell survival. Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is known to be a potent cardiac protector, but its roles in DCM, ER stress, and autophagy are currently unknown.

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Based on a 3-year field experiment (2015-2017) with two treatments, annual whole-film mulching (PM) and uncovered (CK), we analyzed the relationship between soil temperature, moisture, and soil hydrothermal movement in semi-arid area. The results showed that freezing-thawing processes under both PM and CK were one-way freezing and two-way melting. Compared with CK, the freezing period in PM treatment was lagged, freezing rate was slowed down, freezing depth was 20 cm shallower, but melting rate was faster, and melting period was shortened by 6-7 days.

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Improper fertilization style is one of the main reasons for low water and fertilizer use efficiency of double-ridge-furrow sowing with the whole plastic film mulching in maize production in the semi-arid area. Understanding the effects of reduction, postponing, and organic fertilizer substitution of nitrogen fertilizer on water and fertilizer use efficiency and yield of maize can provide theore-tical basis for effective management of water and fertilizer in maize production. Based on a 4-year field experiment with three treatments: all fertilizers as base fertilizer under double-ridge-furrow sowing with the whole plastic film mulching (CK), nitrogen fertilizer reduced by 15% and topdres-sing in tasseling stage (RN), 30% of the chemical fertilizer replaced by organic fertilizer and topdressing in tasseling stage (RNM), we measured water consumption characteristics, growth and development, water and fertilizer utilization efficiency of maize.

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A field experiment was conducted from 2015 to 2016 in the northwestern Loess Plateau, China, to analyze the relationships among flag-leaf photosynthetic characteristics, water-consumption characteristics, and yield components of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum 'Longchun 35'). There were three treatments: whole-field plastic mulching (PMS), sand mulching (SM), and uncovered (CK). The results showed that soil-water storage levels at 0-300 cm of soil profile before wheat filling under PMS and SM treatments were greater than that in CK by 47.

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To examine the effects of vertically rotary sub-soiling tillage (VRT) on stage water consumption, individual and population development, yield, water use efficiency, and economic profit of potato is helpful to find the optimized tillage method which could increase crop drought-resistant, yield, and resource use efficiency. With randomized block design, the field experiment involved in three treatments, 1) vertically rotary sub-soiling tillage for 40 cm depth (VRT), 2) deep loosing tillage for 40 cm (DLT), and 3) rotary tillage for 15 cm (TT). The soil water storage in 0-200 cm soil profile in different growth stages of potato, foliar SPAD value, leaf area index (LAI), plant dry matter content, tuber yield were recorded, and stage water consumption, water use efficiency (WUE), tuber commodity rate, tuber commodity yield, and profit were calculated, to investigate the effects of VRT on production efficiency and economic profit.

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Based on the field experiment which was conducted in Dingxi County of Gansu Province, and involved in the three treatments: (1) plastic mulching on entire land with soil coverage and bunching (PMS), (2) plastic mulching on entire land and bunching (PM), and (3) direct bunching without mulching (CK). The parameters of SPAD values, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, photosynthetic gas exchange parameters, as well as leaf area index (LAI), yield, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency in flag leaves of spring wheat were recorded and analyzed from 2012 to 2013 continuously. The results showed that SPAD values of wheat flag leaves increased in PMS by 10.

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Chemical fertilizer reduction and organic manure substitution are the useful methods to increase potato water-and nutrient use efficiency, which is cultured under ridge-furrow and whole soil surface mulched by plastic film in semiarid rain-fed area. A 4-year field experiment was carried out from 2011 to 2014 with three treatments: 1) traditional chemical fertilizer application (F), 2) chemical nitrogen fertilizer reduced by 25% and dressing at flowering stage (DF), and 3) chemical nitrogen fertilizer reduced by 50% and organic manure substitution (OF). The soil moisture and potato yield were investigated, and seasonal water consumption, water use efficiency (WUE) were calculated to study the regulations of different nutrient management methods on potato water use process, as well as its effects on potato tuber yield and WUE.

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Taking spring corn (Zea mays) cultivar Shendan 16 as test material, a field experiment was conducted to study the effects of the treatments whole-field surface plastic mulching and planting in furrow (PMF), whole-field surface sand mulching and flat planting (SM), and uncovered and flat planting (CK) on the soil temperature, soil moisture, and corn yield on the dry land of arid area (annual average precipitation 415 mm) in middle Gansu Province. Comparing with CK, treatments PMF and SM increased the average temperature in 0-25 cm soil layer before tasselling stage, with the highest increment in treatment PMF. As for the soil water consumption, its depth in the three treatments increased with increasing years of planting.

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Wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants were pot-cultured in open top chambers at the nitrogen application rate of 0 and 200 mg x kg(-1) soil and the atmospheric CO2 concentration of 400 and 760 micromol x mol(-1). Through the determination of flag leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic rate (Pn)-intercellar CO2 concentration (Ci) response curve, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters at heading stage, the photosynthetic electron transport rate and others were calculated, aimed to investigate the effects of nitrogen application and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration on the photosynthetic energy partitioning in wheat flag leaves. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration decreased the leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll contents, compared with the ambient one, and the chlorophyll a/b ratio increased at the nitrogen application rate of 200 mg x kg(-1).

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In this paper, the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization on the wheat leaf photosynthesis under long-term elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (760 micromol x mol(-1)) was studied, based on the measurements of photosynthetic gas exchange parameters and light intensity-photosynthetic rate response curves at jointing stage. Under the long-term elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration, applying sufficient N could increase the wheat leaf photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), and instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi). Comparing with those under ambient atmospheric CO2 concentration, the Po and WUEi under the elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration increased, while the stomatal conductance (Gs) and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) decreased.

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