In men with adverse prognostic factors (APFs) after radical prostatectomy (RP), the most appropriate timing to administer radiotherapy remains a subject for debate. We conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the therapeutic strategies: adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) and salvage radiotherapy (SRT). We comprehensively searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library and performed the meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective comparative studies assessing the prognostic factors of ART and SRT. Between May 1998 and July 2012, 2 matched control studies and 16 retrospective studies including a total of 2629 cases were identified (1404 cases for ART and 1185 cases for SRT). 5-year biochemical failure free survival (BFFS) for ART was longer than that for SRT (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 0.37; 95% CI, 0.30–0.46; p<0.00001, I² = 0%). 3-year BFFS was significantly longer in the ART (HR: 0.38; 95% CI, 0.28–0.52; p<0.00001, I² = 0%). Overall survival (OS) was also better in the ART (RR: 0.53; 95% CI, 0.41–0.68; p<0.00001, I² = 0%), as did disease free survival (DFS) (RR: 0.53; 95% CI, 0.43–0.66; p<0.00001, I² = 0%). Exploratory subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis revealed the similar results with original analysis. ART therapy offers a safe and efficient alternative to SRT with longer 3-year and 5-year BFFS, better OS and DFS. Our recommendation is to suggest ART for patients with APFs and may reduce the need for SRT. Given the inherent limitations of the included studies, future well-designed RCTs are awaited to confirm and update this analysis.

Gynostemma is an important medicinal and food plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. The phylogenetic position of the genus Gynostemma in the Cucurbitaceae family has been determined by morphology and phylogenetics, but the evolutionary relationships within the genus Gynostemma remain to be explored. The chloroplast genomes of seven species of the genus Gynostemma were sequenced and annotated, of which the genomes of Gynostemma simplicifolium, Gynostemma guangxiense and Gynostemma laxum were sequenced and annotated for the first time. The chloroplast genomes ranged from 157,419 bp (Gynostemma compressum) to 157,840 bp (G. simplicifolium) in length, including 133 identical genes: 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, eight rRNA genes and one pseudogene. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the genus Gynostemma is divided into three primary taxonomic clusters, which differs from the traditional morphological classification of the genus Gynostemma into the subgenus Gynostemma and Trirostellum. The highly variable regions of atpH-atpL, rpl32-trnL, and ccsA-ndhD, the repeat unilts of AAG/CTT and ATC/ATG in simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and the length of overlapping regions between rps19 and inverted repeats(IRb) and between ycf1 and small single-copy (SSC) were found to be consistent with the phylogeny. Observations of fruit morphology of the genus Gynostemma revealed that transitional state species have independent morphological characteristics, such as oblate fruit and inferior ovaries. In conclusion, both molecular and morphological results showed consistency with those of phylogenetic analysis.

To provide a theoretical basis for developing intensive cultivation practices for Populus tomentosa plantations, the leaf phenology variation within the canopy and its relationship with transpiration of well-watered P. tomentosa tree in a dense plantation were investigated. The variation in canopy light interception, indicated by the ratio between net radiation under (R_n-u) and above (R_n-a) canopy, with leaf development was also studied. During the growing season, the achievement of maximum leaf number tended to be later in higher parts of the canopy. In the lower and middle canopy, the leaf number maximized earlier in the east-facing side than in the west-facing side, but this difference disappeared in the upper canopy. The R_n-u/R_n-a was stable in May, but declined and then varied steadily until late August. Generally, in May, the crop coefficient (K_cb) of the tree reached its highest level and was not correlated with leaf area (LA) in all layers (p > 0.05). However, it increased linearly (p < 0.001) with LA in the layers above a canopy height of 3 m from June to late August, and most of its variation was explained by LA in the 5–7 m layer. After late August, K_cb decreased linearly with decreasing LA in all layers (p < 0.001). Consequently, a temporal ecological strategy seems to be adopted by P. tomentosa leaves in different layers and azimuthal sides for efficient light acquisition. The contribution of the different canopy layers to tree transpiration can vary, with the leaves in the upper and all layers mainly controlling transpiration in summer and in spring and autumn, respectively.

Epimedium pubescens, a shade-tolerant medicinal plant, currently faces supply shortages. To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of shading intensity on its growth and quality, this study established four treatments under a Phoebe zhennan plantation: inter-row artificial shading (0% shading, S-0; 50% shading, S-50; 75% shading, S-75) and natural canopy shading (S-93). When monitoring environmental factors, photosynthetic parameters, biomass, and total flavonol glycoside content, significant differences among treatments were only observed regarding solar radiation. Compared with inter-row treatments, S-93 reduced the maximum net photosynthetic rate and per-plant biomass by 33%–86% and 35%–71%, respectively. Structural equation modeling revealed that understory radiation indirectly influenced yield by regulating the vapor pressure deficit and net photosynthetic rate (R² = 0.95). Economic assessments, based on hectare-scaled yield (converted from plot units) and input costs (seedlings, land rental, labor), indicated that the 75% inter-row shading treatment applied from July to October (S-75) was optimal, generating a net annual income of 56,924.5 USD·ha⁻¹. This study provides a theoretical basis for the understory cultivation of E. pubescens.

     Understanding the rules of soil water movement under drip irrigation can provide data support and theoretical basis for developing precise drip irrigation strategies. In this study, a two-years-old Populus tomentosa plantation under surface drip irrigation on sandy loam soil was selected to measure the dynamics of soil water potential (ψs), wetting front and soil water content (θ) during irrigation and water redistribution periods were investigated in field experiments. Then, the observed data in the field were used to evaluate the accuracy and feasibility of the HYDRUS-2D/3D model for simulating the short-term soil water movement. Besides, the validated model was used to simulate the dynamics of wetting front under different initial soil water content (θi). During irrigation, the variation of ψs, horizontal and vertical movement distances of the wetting front, and θ within the wetting volume with irrigation duration could be described by the logistic function (R2 = 0.99), the logarithm function (R2 = 0.99), the power function (R2 = 0.82), and the polynomial function (R2 = 0.99), respectively. At the end of irrigation, the horizontal and vertical movement distances of the wetting front reached 22.9 cm and 37.3 cm, respectively. The ψs and θ within the soil wetting volume were 61.6% and 30.9% higher than those at the start of the irrigation, respectively, but the ψs decreased to its initial level about 120 hours later after the stop of irrigation. The average deviations of the horizontal and vertical wetting radius between the simulated and measured values were 1.3 and 4.5 cm, respectively. The mean RMSE and RMAE of HYDRUS-2D/3D for simulating θ at the end of irrigation and during water redistribution were 0.021 cm3∙cm-3 and 9.7%, respectively. The movement distances of wetting front in the experimental plantation under various soil drought degrees (soil water availabilities were 40%, 60%, 73% and 80%) were obtained through scenarios simulations using HYDRUS-2D/3D. And it was found that the wetting front could move further under higher θi, and the movement distance of the wetting front was always smaller in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction under different θi conditions. Consequently, HYDRUS-2D/3D can be used to well simulate the short-term soil water movement in drip-irrigated young P. tomentosa plantations on sandy loam soil. In addition, the constructed figure (describes the variations of the horizontal and vertical soil wetting distances with the irrigation duration) can be used to determine the reasonable irrigation duration for the plantations of P. tomentosa and other tree species on sandy loam soil.