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Although nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) co-application improves crop growth, yield, and N use efficiency (NUE) of rice, few studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying these interactions. To investigate root morphological and physiological characteristics and determine yield and nitrogen use parameters, rhizo-box experiments were performed on rice using six treatments (no fertilizer, PK, N, NK, NP, and NPK) and plants were harvested at maturity. The aboveground biomass at the elongating stage and grain yield at maturity for NPK treatment were higher than the sum of PK and N treatments. N, P, and K interactions enhanced grain yield due to an increase in agronomic N use efficiency (NAE). The co-application of N, P, and K improved N uptake and N recovery efficiency, exceeding the decreases in physiological and internal NUE and thereby improving NAE. Increases in root length and biomass, N uptake per unit root length/root biomass, root oxidation activity, total roots absorption area, and roots active absorption area at the elongating stage improved N uptake via N, P, and K interactions. The higher total N uptake from N, P, and K interactions was due to improved root characteristics, which enhanced the rice yield and NUE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Effect of volatile organic compounds absorbedto fresh biochar on survival of Bacillus mucilaginosus and structure of soil microbial communities" that was published in the December 14, 2014 issue is presented.

Hamsters are valuable rodent models that are distinct from mice and rats. Currently, the main hamster species used for experimental research are the Syrian golden hamster and Chinese hamster, in addition to hamster species from other countries. Chinese hamsters are small, easy to run and feed, and inexpensive. They are prominent species found only in China and are part of the experimental animal resources of Chinese specialty. Chinese hamsters are distinguished by a black stripe on their back, short tail, pair of easily retractable cheek pouches, and pair of large drooping testes in males with 22 chromosomes. Due to their unique anatomical structure and biological features, Chinese hamsters have been used as a model in biomedical research. Moreover, the breeding and use of Chinese hamsters was comprehensively studied in 1958, with significant breakthroughs. We present a thorough review of the current developments and applications of Chinese hamsters and support the use of this species as a suitable and innovative experimental research model. With the success of Chinese hamster transgenic technology, this species will become more commonly employed in biological and medical research in the future.

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in diverse biological processes such as cell differentiation, proliferation, senescence, tumorigenesis, malignant transformation, and drug resistance. Aberrant Hh signaling, resulting from mutations and excessive activation, can contribute to the development of various diseases during different stages of biogenesis and development. Moreover, it has been linked to unfavorable outcomes in several human cancers, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), multiple myeloma (MM), melanoma, and breast cancer. Hence, the presence of mutations and excessive activation of the Hh pathway presents obstacles and constraints in the realm of cancer treatment. Extant research has demonstrated that small molecule inhibitors are regarded as the most effective therapeutic approaches for targeting the Hh pathway in contrast to traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Consequently, this review focuses on the present repertoire of small molecule inhibitors that target various components of the Hh pathway, including Hh ligands, Ptch receptors, Smo transmembrane proteins, and Gli nuclear transcription factors. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of small molecules' structural and functional aspects in the preclinical and clinical management of cancer. Additionally, it elucidates the obstacles encountered in targeting the Hh pathway for human cancer therapy and proposes potential therapeutic approaches., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 18 (MAPKKK18) has been reported to play a role in abiotic stress priming in long-term abscisic acid (ABA) response including drought tolerance and leaf senescence. However, the upstream transcriptional regulators of MAPKKK18 remain to be determined. Here, we report ABA-responsive element binding factors (ABFs) as upstream transcription factors of MAPKKK18 expression. Mutants of abf2, abf3, abf4, and abf2abf3abf4 dramatically reduced the transcription of MAPKKK18. Our electrophoresis mobility shift assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that ABF2, ABF3, and ABF4 bound to ABA-responsive element cis-elements within the promoter of MAPKKK18 to transactivate its expression. Furthermore, enrichments of the promoter region of MAPKKK18 by ABF2, ABF3, and ABF4 were confirmed by in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative PCR. In addition, we found that mutants of mapkkk18 exhibited obvious delayed leaf senescence. Moreover, a genetic study showed that overexpression of ABF2, ABF3, and ABF4 in the background of mapkkk18 mostly phenocopied the stay-green phenotype of mapkkk18 and, expression levels of five target genes of ABFs, that is, NYE1, NYE2, NYC1, PAO, and SAG29, were attenuated as a result of MAPKKK18 mutation. These findings demonstrate that ABF2, ABF3, and ABF4 act as transcription regulators of MAPKKK18 and also suggest that, at least in part, ABA acts in priming leaf senescence via ABF-induced expression of MAPKKK18., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Food safety has become a major issue, with serious environmental pollution resulting from losses of nitrogen (N) fertilizers. N is a key element for plant growth and is often one of the most important yield-limiting nutrients in paddy soil. Urea-N immobilization is an important process for restoring the levels of soil nutrient depleted by rice production and sustaining productivity. The benefits of biochar application include improved soil fertility, altered N dynamics, and reduced nutrient leaching. However, due to high variability in the quality of biochar, the responses of N loss and rice productivity to biochar amendments, especially those prepared at different pyrolysis temperatures, are still unclear. The main objectives of the present study were to examine the effects of biochar prepared at different pyrolysis temperatures on fertilizer N immobilization in paddy soil and explore the underlying mechanisms., Methods: Two biochar samples were prepared by pyrolysis of maize straw at 400 °C (B400) and 700 °C (B700), respectively. The biochar was applied to paddy soil at three rates (0, 0.7, and 2.1%, w/w), with or without N fertilization (0, 168, and 210 kg N ha -1 ). Pot experiments were performed to determine nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions and 15 N recovery from paddy soil using a 15 N tracer across the rice growing season., Results: Compared with the non-biochar control, biochar significantly decreased soil bulk density while increasing soil porosity, irrespective of pyrolysis temperature and N fertilizer level. Under B400 and B700, a high biochar rate decreased N loss rate to 66.42 and 68.90%, whereas a high N level increased it to 77.21 and 76.99%, respectively. Biochar also markedly decreased N 2 O emissions to 1.06 (B400) and 0.75 kg ha -1 (B700); low-N treatment caused a decrease in N 2 O emissions under B400, but this decrease was not observed under B700. An application rate of biochar of 2.1% plus 210 kg ha -1 N fertilizer substantially decreased the N fertilizer-induced N 2 O emission factor under B400, whereas under B700 no significant difference was observed. Biochar combined with N fertilizer treatment decreased rice biomass and grain yield by an average of 51.55 and 23.90 g pot -1 , respectively, but the yield reduction under B700 was lower than under B400., Conclusion: Irrespective of pyrolysis temperature, biochar had a positive effect on residual soil 15 N content, while it negatively affected the 15 N recovery of rice, N 2 O emissions from soil, rice biomass, and grain yield in the first year. Generally, a high application rate of biochar prepared at high or low pyrolysis temperature reduced the N fertilizer-induced N 2 O emission factor considerably. These biochar effects were dependent on N fertilizer level, biochar application rate, and their interactions., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests.

Rice ( Oryza sativa ; background Nipponbare) contains nine HKT (high-affinity K + transport)-like genes encoding membrane proteins belonging to the superfamily of Ktr/TRK/HKT. OsHKTs have been proposed to include four selectivity filter-pore-forming domains homologous to the bacterial K + channel KcsA, and are separated into OsHKT1s with Na + -selective activity and OsHKT2s with Na + -K + symport activity. As a member of the OsHKT2 subfamily, OsHKT2;4 renders Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ permeability for yeast cells and Xenopus laevis oocytes, besides K + and Na + . However, physiological functions related to Mg 2+ in planta have not yet been identified. Here we report that OsHKT2;4 from rice ( O. sativa ; background Nipponbare) functions as a low-affinity Mg 2+ transporter to mediate Mg 2+ homeostasis in plants under high-Mg 2+ environments. Using the functional complementation assay in Mg 2+ -uptake deficient Salmonella typhimurium strains MM281 and electrophysiological analysis in X. laevis oocytes, we found that OsHKT2;4 could rescue the growth of MM281 in Mg 2+ -deficient conditions and induced the Mg 2+ currents in oocytes at millimolar range of Mg 2+ . Additionally, overexpression of OsHKT2;4 to Arabidopsis mutant lines with a knockout of AtMGT6 , a gene encoding the transporter protein necessary for Mg 2+ adaptation in Arabidopsis , caused the Mg 2+ toxicity to the leaves under the high-Mg 2+ stress, but not under low-Mg 2+ environments. Moreover, this Mg 2+ toxicity symptom resulted from the excessive Mg 2+ translocation from roots to shoots, and was relieved by the increase in supplemental Ca 2+ . Together, our results demonstrated that OsHKT2;4 is a low-affinity Mg 2+ transporter responsible for Mg 2+ transport to aerials in plants under high-Mg 2+ conditions.

Objective: To study the relationship between death receptor pathway, mitochondrion pathway and fluoride-induced apoptosis of renal cell., Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into four groups (control, low-fluoride, medium-fluoride,and high-fluoride) and administered 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/L of sodium fluoride, respectively, via drinking water for 120 days. The incidence of dental fluorosis were observed, the body weights and urine fluoride levels were measured. Apoptosis was detected by the Flow Cytometry (FCM). The expressions of protein of Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, Cyt C were detectedby immunohistoehemistry., Results: The apoptosis rate in the fluoride exposed low does group,middle dose group and high dose group increased significantly as compared with control group. The average optical density value of Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9 and Cyt C were higher in the fluoride exposed middle dose group and high dose group than those in the control group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Death receptor pathway and mitochondrion pathway may participate in the process of fluoride-induced apoptosis of renal cell.