This study evaluated the impact of four cover crop species and their termination timings on cover crop biomass, weed control, and corn yield. A field experiment was arranged in a split-plot design in which cover crop species (wheat, cereal rye, hairy vetch, and rapeseed) were the main plot factor, and termination timings [4, 2, 1, and 0 wk before planting corn (WBP)] was the subplot factor. In both years (2021 and 2022), hairy vetch produced the most biomass (5,021 kg ha–1) among cover crop species, followed by cereal rye (4,387 kg ha–1), wheat (3,876 kg ha–1), and rapeseed (2,575 kg ha–1). Regression analysis of cover crop biomass with accumulated growing degree days (AGDDs) indicated that for every 100 AGDD increase, the biomass of cereal rye, wheat, hairy vetch, and rapeseed increased by 880, 670, 780, and 620 kg ha–1, respectively. The density of grass and small-seeded broadleaf (SSB) weeds at 4 wk after preemergence herbicide (WAPR) application varied significantly across termination timings. The grass and SSB weed densities were 56% and 36% less at 0 WBP compared with 2 WBP, and 67% and 61% less compared with 4 WBP. The sole use of a roller-crimper did not affect the termination of rapeseed at 0 WBP and resulted in the least corn yield (3,046 kg ha–1), whereas several different combinations of cover crops and termination timings resulted in greater corn yield. In conclusion, allowing cover crops to grow longer in the spring offers more biomass for weed suppression and impacts corn yield.

We provide an assessment of the Infinity Two fusion pilot plant (FPP) baseline plasma physics design. Infinity Two is a four-field period, aspect ratio $A = 10$, quasi-isodynamic stellarator with improved confinement appealing to a max-$J$ approach, elevated plasma density and high magnetic fields ($ \langle B\rangle = 9$ T). Here $J$ denotes the second adiabatic invariant. At the envisioned operating point ($800$ MW deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion), the configuration has robust magnetic surfaces based on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium calculations and is stable to both local and global MHD instabilities. The configuration has excellent confinement properties with small neoclassical transport and low bootstrap current ($|I_{bootstrap}| \sim 2$ kA). Calculations of collisional alpha-particle confinement in a DT FPP scenario show small energy losses to the first wall (${\lt}1.5 \,\%$) and stable energetic particle/Alfvén eigenmodes at high ion density. Low turbulent transport is produced using a combination of density profile control consistent with pellet fueling and reduced stiffness to turbulent transport via three-dimensional shaping. Transport simulations with the T3D-GX-SFINCS code suite with self-consistent turbulent and neoclassical transport predict that the DT fusion power$P_{{fus}}=800$ MW operating point is attainable with high fusion gain ($Q=40$) at volume-averaged electron densities $n_e\approx 2 \times 10^{20}$ m$^{-3}$, below the Sudo density limit. Additional transport calculations show that an ignited ($Q=\infty$) solution is available at slightly higher density ($2.2 \times 10^{20}$ m$^{-3}$) with $P_{{fus}}=1.5$ GW. The magnetic configuration is defined by a magnetic coil set with sufficient room for an island divertor, shielding and blanket solutions with tritium breeding ratios (TBR) above unity. An optimistic estimate for the gas-cooled solid breeder designed helium-cooled pebble bed is TBR $\sim 1.3$. Infinity Two satisfies the physics requirements of a stellarator fusion pilot plant.

In this work, we present a detailed assessment of fusion-born alpha-particle confinement, their wall loads, and stability of Alfvén eigenmodes driven by these energetic particles in the Infinity Two Fusion Pilot Plant Baseline Plasma Design, a 4-field-period quasiisodynamic stellarator to operate in deuterium-tritium fusion conditions. Using the Monte-Carlo codes SIMPLE, ASCOT5, and KORC-T, we study the collisionless and collisional dynamics of guiding-center and full-orbit alpha-particles in the core plasma. We find that core energy losses to the wall are less than 4%. Our simulations shows that peak power loads on the wall of this configuration are around 2.5 MW/m2 and are spatially localized, toroidally, and poloidaly in the vicinity of x-points of the magnetic island chain n/m = 4/5 outside the plasma volume. Also, an exploratory analysis using various simplified walls shows that shaping and distance of the wall from the plasma volume can help reduce peak power loads. Our stability assessment of Alfvén eigenmodes using the STELLGAP and FAR3d codes shows the absence of unstable modes driven by alpha-particles in Infinity Two due to the relatively low alpha-particle beta at the envisioned 800 MW operating scenario.

The magneto-hydrodynamic equilibrium and stability properties of the Infinity Two Fusion Pilot Plant baseline plasma physics design are presented. The configuration is a four field period, aspect ratio A = 10 quasi-isodynamic stellarator optimized for excellent confinement at elevated density and high magnetic field B = 9 T. Magnetic surfaces exist in the plasma core in vacuum and retain good equilibrium surface integrity from vacuum to an operational β = 1.6%, the ratio of the volume average of the plasma and magnetic pressures, corresponding to 800 MW Deuterium-Tritium fusion operation. Neoclassical calculations show that a selfconsistent bootstrap current on the order of ∼ 1 kA slightly increases the rotational transform profile by less than 0.001. The configuration has a magnetic well across its entire radius. From vacuum to the operating point, the configuration exhibits good ballooning stability characteristics, exhibits good Mercier stability across most of its minor radius, and it is stable against global low-n MHD instabilities up to β = 3.2%.

The aviation industry’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions have driven the rapid development and scale-up of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). SAFs have the potential to significantly reduce CO2 lifecycle emissions by up to 80% in comparison to Jet A and other conventional fossil-derived jet fuels. For multiple logistical and practical reasons, it is preferable to ensure that SAFs are ‘essentially identical’ (also referred to as ‘drop-in SAF’) to conventional jet fuel in terms of their performance, durability and compatibility with existing hardware systems. Because the majority of SAFs are not identical (non-drop-in) to conventional jet fuel, they have not been approved for use in their neat (100%) form. Instead, these non-identical SAFs are named synthetic blend components (SBC) as they are blended with conventional fuels to different extents per ASTM D7566-23a. It should be noted that there are on-going efforts to develop non-drop in SAF specifications to broaden their proliferation and maximise the aviation industries’ ability to reduce CO2 lifecycle emissions. One very important area of focus is the compatibility of SAFs with engine and fuel system seals, specifically understanding the dynamics of elastomeric seals. To address this, a novel approach has been developed to measure seal dynamics in flowing fuel. This technique has been applied to study the dynamic seal behaviour of four industrially relevant elastomer seals commonly employed in aviation fuel systems. The study involved three test fuels: (i) conventional fossil-derived Jet A, neat hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) SAF, and neat alcohol to jet (ATJ) SAF. Notably, both HEFA and ATJ fuels contain 0% aromatics, in contrast to Jet A, which typically contains around 17% aromatics by volume. The novel fuel-elastomer test rig used in this study was designed to simulate a practical scenario in which fuel flows through the inner surface of a pre-loaded static O-ring. The results of these tests demonstrate that the behaviour of different nitrile elastomers is unique to their formulation, and in all cases, the behaviour in HEFA and ATJ SAF differs significantly from that in Jet A. However, new fuel approval tests may only list one type of elastomer for evaluation, for example the ‘Fit-for-Purpose’ test in ASTM D4054-22 Tier 2 lists one specific nitrile. The findings of this study highlight the complexities of fuel-elastomer interactions within nominally identical chemical families and emphasise the potential risks of assessing compatibility based on tests conducted with a single member of a chemical family.

We evaluated whether universal chlorhexidine bathing (decolonization) with or without COVID-19 intensive training impacted COVID-19 rates in 63 nursing homes (NHs) during the 2020–2021 Fall/Winter surge. Decolonization was associated with a 43% lesser rise in staff case-rates (P < .001) and a 52% lesser rise in resident case-rates (P < .001) versus control.

Tight focusing with very small f-numbers is necessary to achieve the highest at-focus irradiances. However, tight focusing imposes strong demands on precise target positioning in-focus to achieve the highest on-target irradiance. We describe several near-infrared, visible, ultraviolet and soft and hard X-ray diagnostics employed in a ∼1022 W/cm2 laser–plasma experiment. We used nearly 10 J total energy femtosecond laser pulses focused into an approximately 1.3-μm focal spot on 5–20 μm thick stainless-steel targets. We discuss the applicability of these diagnostics to determine the best in-focus target position with approximately 5 μm accuracy (i.e., around half of the short Rayleigh length) and show that several diagnostics (in particular, 3$\omega$ reflection and on-axis hard X-rays) can ensure this accuracy. We demonstrated target positioning within several micrometers from the focus, ensuring over 80% of the ideal peak laser intensity on-target. Our approach is relatively fast (it requires 10–20 laser shots) and does not rely on the coincidence of low-power and high-power focal planes.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the research and development of hybrid airships for various applications. Airship design involves multiple design parameters from various disciplines that interact mutually. Existing design methodologies, however, are often limited to fixed shapes and geometry. This paper provides a comprehensive parametric design approach for the sizing of multi-lobed hybrid air vehicles for low- and high-altitude applications. The proposed design techniques are robust so that the designer has the freedom to change the number of lobes, the relative location of lobes, the envelope profile, and the optimiser for the design optimisation process. The outcomes of the proposed methodology are envelope volume, wetted surface area, length and span of the envelope, sizing and layout of the solar array, and sizing and layout of the fins. The modeling techniques highlighted in this paper are very efficient for the design and optimisation of multi-lobed airships in the conceptual design phase with a large design exploration space. The robustness of the shape generation algorithms is tested on some of the standard envelope profiles of airships. The effect of the shape and geometry of the multi-lobed envelope on added mass is demonstrated through the added mass estimation using Boundary Element Method.

Sustainability of maize production systems is threatened by poor economic returns and resource intensiveness. Therefore, an experiment was conducted at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during 2016–17 to 2017–18 to assess the effect of tillage and microbial inoculantsintegrated phosphorus (P) management on productivity, quality, economic outcome and energy dynamics of maize. Three tillage practices viz., CT–R (conventional tillage with no residue), ZT–R (zero tillage with no residue) and ZT + R (zero tillage with wheat crop residue at 2.5 Mg/ha) were assigned in main plots and five P management practices viz., P1 (control–NK as per recommendation, but no P), P2 (17.2 kg P/ha), P3 (17.2 kg P/ha + PSB), P4 (17.2 kg P/ha + compost inoculants) and P5 (34.4 kg P/ha) were allocated in subplots in three times replicated split-plot design. The maximum grain yield (5.96 Mg/ha), protein content (9.13%), protein yield (546 kg/ha) and gross energy returns (209 × 103 MJ/ha) were recorded under ZT + R while higher benefit: cost ratio (B: C ratio – the amount of economic gain per unit investment) (1.53) and energy efficiency (12.5) was noticed under ZT–R. Among the P management practices, the application of 34.4 kg P/ha recorded the highest grain yield (6.45 Mg/ha), protein content (9.34%), protein yield (603 kg/ha), B: C ratio (1.65) and energy efficiency (10.1). The results suggested that the application of P at the rate of 34.4 kg/ha under ZT + R is an economically robust approach for the quality maize production in semi-arid region.

We compare detailed observations of multiple H2O maser transitions around the red supergiant star VY CMa with models to constrain the physical conditions in the complex outflows. The temperature profile is consistent with a variable mass loss rate but the masers are mostly concentrated in dense clumps. High-excitation lines trace localised outflows near the star.

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum truncatum is a major soybean disease in India. Genetic resistance is the viable option to combat yield losses due to this disease. In the current study, 19 soybean genotypes were evaluated for anthracnose disease resistance at five locations (Medziphema, Palampur, Dharwad, Jabalpur and Indore) for three consecutive years (2017–2019) to identify stable and superior genotypes as resistant sources and to elucidate genotype (G) × environment (E) interactions. Genotype effect, environment effect and G × E interactions were found significant (P < 0.001) where G × E interactions contributed highest (42.44) to the total variation followed by environment (29.71) and genotype (18.84). Through Weighted Average of Absolute Scores (WAASB) stability analysis, PS 1611 (WAASB score = 0.33) was found to be most stable and through WAASBY superiority analysis NRC 128 (WAASBY score = 94.31) and PS 1611 (WAASBY score = 89.43) were found to be superior for mean performance and stability. These two genotypes could be candidate parents for breeding for durable and stable anthracnose resistance. Through principal component analysis, disease score was found to be positively associated with relative humidity, wind speed at 2 m above ground level, effect of temperature on radiation use efficiency and global solar radiation based on latitude and Julian day. Among the five locations, Indore was found to be highly discriminative with the highest mean disease incidence and could differentiate anthracnose-resistant and susceptible genotypes effectively, therefore can be considered an ideal location for breeding for field resistance against anthracnose disease.

Background: Thrombus embolization during endovascular treatment (EVT) occurs in up to 9% of cases, making secondary medium-vessel occlusions (MeVOs) of particular interest to neurointerventionalists. We sought to gain insight into the current EVT approaches for secondary MeVO stroke in an international case-based survey as there are currently no clear recommendations for EVT in these patients. Methods: Participants were presented with three secondary MeVO cases, each consisting of three case-vignettes with changes in patient neurological status (improvement, no change, unable to assess). Clustered multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess factors influencing the decision to treat. Results: 366 physicians from 44 countries took part. The majority (54.1%) were in favor of EVT. Participants were more likely to treat occlusions in the anterior M2/3 (74.3%; risk ratio [RR]2.62, 95%CI:2.27-3.03) or A3 (59.7%; RR2.11, 95%CI:1.83-2.42) segment, compared to the M3/4 segment (28.3%;reference). Physicians were less likely to pursue EVT in patients with neurological improvement (49.9% versus 57.0%; RR0.88, 95%CI:0.83-0.92). Interventionalists and more experienced physicians were more likely to treat secondary MeVOs. Conclusions: Physician’s willingness to treat secondary MeVOs endovascularly is limited and varies per occlusion location and change in neurological status. More evidence on the safety and efficacy of EVT for secondary MeVO stroke is needed.

The ablation zones of debris-covered glaciers in Himalaya exhibit heterogeneous processes and melt patterns. Although sub-debris melt is measured at ablation stakes, the high variability of debris thickness necessitates distributed melt measurements at the glacier scale. Focusing on Annapurna III Glacier, we used uncrewed aerial system (UAS) photogrammetry to estimate total volume loss and slope-perpendicular glacier melt between May and November 2019 using flow-corrected point clouds. Results indicated the average elevation change was −1.10 ± 0.19 m, while the mean melt was −0.87 m w.e., equating to a mean melt rate of −0.47 cm w.e. d−1. However, the spatial pattern was highly variable due to complex local processes necessitating future study over short intervals. The evaluation of specific areas showed the interplay of debris thickness variability, subseasonal debris redistribution, supraglacial channel reconfiguration and the imprint of relict ice cliffs in leading to contemporary melt rates. Ice cliffs had higher melt distances (mean −3.9 ± 0.19 m) compared to non-cliff areas (mean −0.75 ± 0.19 m) and were the predominant control on the spatial patterns of seasonal melt rates. Crucially, the definition of ice cliff areas from thinning data has a profound impact on derived melt rates and melt enhancement. Our study demonstrates the possibility and utility of deriving fully-distributed slope-perpendicular melt measurements.

A new optimized quasi-helically symmetric configuration is described that has the desirable properties of improved energetic particle confinement, reduced turbulent transport by three-dimensional shaping and non-resonant divertor capabilities. The configuration presented in this paper is explicitly optimized for quasi-helical symmetry, energetic particle confinement, neoclassical confinement and stability near the axis. Post optimization, the configuration was evaluated for its performance with regard to energetic particle transport, ideal magnetohydrodynamic stability at various values of plasma pressure and ion temperature gradient instability induced turbulent transport. The effects of discrete coils on various confinement figures of merit, including energetic particle confinement, are determined by generating single-filament coils for the configuration. Preliminary divertor analysis shows that coils can be created that do not interfere with expansion of the vessel volume near the regions of outgoing heat flux, thus demonstrating the possibility of operating a non-resonant divertor.