Evaluating the effect of biochar rate and combination with fertilizer on the dynamics of soil nitrogen supply in tea plantation.

Tea plantations commonly receive substantial quantities of nitrogen (N) fertilizer, with potential for considerable N loss to occur. This study assessed N retention in acidic tea plantation soil and examined how different biochar application rates and fertilizer combinations affect N dynamics, highlighting the importance of innovative technologies to monitor and enhance N supply management. This research adopted a modified 2-week aerobic incubation and ion-exchange membrane (IEM) techniques to evaluate the soil N supply in tea plantations following early-summer top-dressing as influenced by various biochar rates and fertilizer combinations.

Passive infusion of an S2-Stem broadly neutralizing antibody protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection and lower airway inflammation in rhesus macaques.

The continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants capable of subverting vaccine and infection-induced immunity suggests the advantage of a broadly protective vaccine against betacoronaviruses (β-CoVs). Recent studies have isolated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from SARS-CoV-2 recovered-vaccinated donors capable of neutralizing many variants of SARS-CoV-2 and other β-CoVs. Many of these mAbs target the conserved S2 stem region of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, rather than the receptor binding domain contained within S1 primarily targeted by current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Comparison of clinical and radiological outcomes of three-column lumbar osteotomies with and without interbody cages for adult spinal deformity.

Background Context: Correcting sagittal malalignment in adult spinal deformity (ASD) is a challenging task, often requiring complex surgical interventions like pedicle subtraction osteotomies (PSOs). Different types of three-column osteotomies (3COs), including Schwab 3, Schwab 4, Schwab 4 with interbody cages, and the "sandwich" technique, aim to optimize alignment and fusion outcomes. The role of interbody cages in enhancing fusion and segmental correction remains unclear.

Overall and Regional Colonic Transit Abnormalities in Elderly Patients with Constipation.

Objective: Chronic constipation (CC) more frequently affects the elderly; pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) may confuse the appraisal of the pathophysiology of CC. The aim was to characterize colonic transit (CT) in elderly with CC with/without PFD.

Design: We conducted retrospective medical records review of 191 patients ≥ 65 years who underwent scintigraphic CT for assessing CC.

Comparative Analysis of Outcomes in Adult Spinal Deformity Patients with Proximal Junctional Kyphosis or Failure Initially Fused to Upper Versus Lower Thoracic Spine.

Patients with proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) or failure (PJF) may demonstrate disparate outcomes and recovery when fused to the upper (UT) versus lower (LT) thoracic spine. Few studies have distinguished the reoperation and recovery abilities of patients with PJK or PJF when fused to the upper (UT) versus lower (LT) thoracic spine. Adult spine deformity patients ≥ 18 yrs with preoperative and 5-year (5Y) data fused to the sacrum/pelvis were included.