Utilizing machine learning to optimize agricultural inputs for improved rice production benefits.

Lower efficiency of agricultural inputs in the four conventional rice planting methods limits productivity and environmental benefits in Southwest China. Thus, we developed a machine-learning-based decision-making system for achieving optimal comprehensive benefits during rice production. Based on conventional benefits for achieving optimal benefits, implemented strategies in these planting methods: reducing N fertilizer by 16% while increasing seed inputs by 9% in mechanical transplanting (MT) method improved yield and environmental benefits; reducing N fertilizer and seed inputs by 10-12% in mechanical direct seeding (MD) method decreased environmental impacts; increasing N-K fertilizers and seed inputs by 15-33% in manual transplanting (MAT) method improved its comprehensive benefits by 7-14%; applying N-P-K fertilizer ratio of 2:1:2 in manual direct seeding (MAD) method enhanced yield.

Incorporation of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) for the modulation of physio-chemical characteristics and cell proliferation environment of the composite hydrogel microspheres.

Hydrogels have excellent swelling properties and have been widely applied in tissue engineering because of their similarity to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Sodium alginate (SA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) were prepared into hydrogel microspheres with Cacrosslinking in our study. The morphology, inner structure, mechanical properties, water content, swelling rate and BMP-2 loading and releasing properties were characterized.

Enhancing rice ecological production: synergistic effects of wheat-straw decomposition and microbial agents on soil health and yield.

Aims: This study evaluated the impact of wheat straw return and microbial agent application on rice field environments.

Methods: Using Rice variety Chuankangyou 2115 and a microbial mix of and . Five treatments were tested: T (no straw return), T (straw return), T, T, and T (straw return with varying ratios of and ).

Bioinspired film-terminated ridges for enhancing friction force on lubricated soft surfaces.

Enhancing friction force in lubricated, compliant contacts is of particular interest due to its wide application in various engineering and biological systems. In this study, we have developed bioinspired surfaces featuring film-terminated ridges, which exhibit a significant increase in lubricated friction force compared to flat samples. We propose that the enhanced sliding friction can be attributed to the energy dissipation at the lubricated interface caused by elastic hysteresis resulting from cyclic terminal film deformation.

Effects of urea topdressing time on yield, nitrogen utilization, and quality of mechanical direct-seeding hybrid rice under slow-mixed fertilizer base application.

Introduction: The use of controlled-release nitrogen (N) fertilizers has been shown to improve yield and N-use efficiency (NUE) in mechanical transplanted rice. However, the fertilizer requirements for mechanical direct-seeding rice differ from those for mechanical transplanted rice. The effects of controlled-release fertilizers on yield, NUE, and quality in mechanical direct-seeding rice are still unknown.

Grain Chalkiness Is Decreased by Balancing the Synthesis of Protein and Starch in Hybrid Indica Rice Grains under Nitrogen Fertilization.

The important reason for the commercial value of hybrid rice suffering is due to excessive chalkiness, and the biosynthesis of starch and proteins is critical for regulating chalkiness; however, it is currently unclear how the application of N fertilizer affects grains to reduce their chalkiness and improve their quality. The 2019, 2020, and 2021 trials were conducted in a split-plot design, with high and low chalky varieties as the main plot and N fertilizer rate as the split-plot. The effects of fertilization with 75, 150, and 225 kg N ha on the dynamic synthesis of starch, protein, and endogenous hormones and on the amino acid of hybrid indica rice kernels with different degrees of chalkiness were investigated.

M2 microglia-derived exosome-loaded electroconductive hydrogel for enhancing neurological recovery after spinal cord injury.

Electroconductive hydrogels offer a promising avenue for enhancing the repair efficacy of spinal cord injuries (SCI) by restoring disrupted electrical signals along the spinal cord's conduction pathway. Nonetheless, the application of hydrogels composed of diverse electroconductive materials has demonstrated limited capacity to mitigate the post-SCI inflammatory response. Recent research has indicated that the transplantation of M2 microglia effectively fosters SCI recovery by attenuating the excessive inflammatory response.

Effects of postponing nitrogen topdressing on starch structural properties of superior and inferior grains in hybrid rice cultivars with different taste values.

Introduction: Nitrogen (N) fertilizer management, especially postponing N topdressing can affect rice eating quality by regulating starch quality of superior and inferior grains, but the details are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of N topdressing on starch structure and properties of superior and inferior grains in hybrid rice with different tastes and to clarify the relationship between starch structure, properties, and taste quality.

Methods: Two hybrid rice varieties, namely the low-taste Fyou 498 and high-taste Shuangyou 573, were used as experimental materials.

A Structure Variation in Detrimentally Affects Plant Architecture and Yield in Rice.

Plant height is an important agronomic trait associated with plant architecture and grain yield in rice ( L.). In this study, we report the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for plant height using a chromosomal segment substitution line (CSSL) population with substituted segments from variety Nipponbare (NIP) in the background of the variety 9311.

ZIP Genes Are Involved in the Retransfer of Zinc Ions during the Senescence of Zinc-Deficient Rice Leaves.

Rice lacks sufficient amounts of zinc despite its vitality for human health. Leaf senescence enables redistribution of nutrients to other organs, yet Zn retransfer during deficiency is often overlooked. In this hydroponic experiment, we studied the effect of Zn deficiency on rice seedlings, focusing on the fourth leaf under control and deficient conditions.

Improving the yield and nitrogen use efficiency of hybrid rice through rational use of controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer and urea topdressing.

Introduction: Controlled-release fertilizers effectively improve crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, their use increases the cost of crop production. Optimal management modes involving urea replacement with controlled-release N fertilizers to increase rice yield through enhanced NUE are not widely explored.

Strategies for fertilizer management to achieve higher yields and environmental and fertilizer benefits of rice production in China.

The challenge in China is to retain high yields while lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the context of the increasing global and Chinese demand for rice yield. Better fertilizer management is a key factor that favors intensive rice systems toward more intensive, diverse, and sustainable development to obtain higher yield and environmental benefits. Thus, we used a data-intensive approach to estimate yield, fertilizer productivity (FP) and GHG emissions based on fertilizer and soil characteristics across major Chinese rice-producing regions.

Effects of elevated nitrogen fertilizer on the multi-level structure and thermal properties of rice starch granules and their relationship with chalkiness traits.

Background: Chalkiness in rice reduces its market value and affects consumer acceptance. Research on the mechanism of chalkiness formation has focused primarily on the activity of key enzymes of carbon metabolism and starch accumulation. The relationship between the formation of chalkiness induced by N fertilizer and rice starch's multi-level structure and thermal properties still needs to be fully elucidated.

Ectopic Expression of a Maize Gene in Rice Increases Grain Length and Yield, but Reduces Drought Stress Tolerance.

As the human population grows rapidly, food shortages will become an even greater problem; therefore, increasing crop yield has become a focus of rice breeding programs. The maize gene, , encoding a putative member of the DUF1645 protein family with an unknown function, was transformed into rice. Phenotypic analysis showed that enhanced expression significantly altered various traits in transgenic rice plants, including increased grain length, width, weight, and number per panicle, resulting in a significant increase in yield, but a decrease in rice tolerance to drought stress.

Preparation, Physicochemical Properties, and Structural Characterization of Resistant Starch-Aspirin-Loaded Microspheres.

BACKGROUND Resistant starch is a novel type of dietary fiber that can be considered as a natural polymer carrier with potential development prospects in the field of oral colonic release preparations since it can be degraded by bacteria in the large intestine. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, oral resistant starch-drug-loaded microspheres were prepared by spraydrying, and the response surface method was used to optimize the process based on the encapsulation efficiency. RESULTS The optimal preparation process conditions for the resistant starch-aspirin-loaded microspheres were as follows: core material: wall material ratio of 1: 1.

No-tillage with straw mulching promotes the utilization of soil nitrogen by rice under wheat-rice and oilseed rape-rice cropping systems.

Introduction: To investigate the effects of no-tillage with straw mulching on the absorption and utilization of soil nitrogen (N), fertilizer N, and straw N by rice under paddy-upland rotations.

Methods: A field experiment with three cropping systems: fallow-rice rotation without straw mulching (FRN), wheat-rice rotation with wheat mulching in rice season (WRS), and oilseed rape-rice rotation with oilseed rape straw mulching in rice season (ORS) was conducted from 2015 to 2017, along with a mini-plot experiment with N-labeled urea and straws, which was conducted in 2017.

Results: No-tillage with straw reduced rice N uptake up to 20 days after transplanting, the total amount of fertilizer N uptake of WRS and ORS rice plants was 46.

Dose evaluations of organs at risk and predictions of gastrointestinal toxicity after re-irradiation with stereotactic body radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer by deformable image registration.

Purpose: Re-irradiation of locally recurrent pancreatic cancer may be an optimal choice as a local ablative therapy. However, dose constraints of organs at risk (OARs) predictive of severe toxicity remain unknown. Therefore, we aim to calculate and identify accumulated dose distributions of OARs correlating with severe adverse effects and determine possible dose constraints regarding re-irradiation.

Biodegradable Dual-Cross-Linked Hydrogels with Stem Cell Differentiation Regulatory Properties Promote Growth Plate Injury Repair via Controllable Three-Dimensional Mechanics and a Cartilage-like Extracellular Matrix.

Recent breakthroughs in cell transplantation therapy have revealed the promising potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for promoting the regeneration of growth plate cartilage injury. However, the high apoptosis rate and the uncertainty of the differentiation direction of cells often lead to poor therapeutic effects. Cells are often grown under three-dimensional (3D) conditions in vivo, and the stiffness and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) are important regulators of stem cell differentiation.

MATE transporter GFD1 cooperates with sugar transporters, mediates carbohydrate partitioning and controls grain-filling duration, grain size and number in rice.

More than half of the world's food is provided by cereals, as humans obtain >60% of daily calories from grains. Producing more carbohydrates is always the final target of crop cultivation. The carbohydrate partitioning pathway directly affects grain yield, but the molecular mechanisms and biological functions are poorly understood, including rice (Oryza sativa L.

Increasing the Contents of Paddy Soil Available Nutrients and Crop Yield via Optimization of Nitrogen Management in a Wheat-Rice Rotation System.

To explore the impact of nitrogen (N) rate during the wheat season and N fertilizer management during the rice season on carbon and soil nutrient pools in paddy soil, a wheat-rice rotation system for 2 successive years was implemented. In the rotation system, a conventional N rate (Nc; 150 kg/ha) and a reduced N rate (Nr; 120 kg/ha) were applied in the wheat season. Based on an application rate of 150 kg/hm N in the rice season, three N management models were applied, in which the application ratio of base:tiller:panicle fertilizer was 20%:20%:60% in treatment M1, 30%:30%:40% in treatment M2, and 40%:40%:20% in treatment M3.

Role of exosomes in bone and joint disease metabolism, diagnosis, and therapy.

Bone and joint diseases are prevalent and often fatal conditions in elderly individuals. Additionally, bone-derived cells may release exosomes that package and distribute a range of active substances, such as proteins, miRNAs, and numerous active factors, thereby facilitating material and information interchange between cells. Exososmes generated from bone may be utilized to manage bone production and resorption balance or even as biological or gene therapy carriers, depending on their properties and composition.

Nitrogen Application Rate Affects the Accumulation of Carbohydrates in Functional Leaves and Grains to Improve Grain Filling and Reduce the Occurrence of Chalkiness.

Chalkiness, which is highly affected by nitrogen (N) management during grain filling, is critical in determining rice appearance quality and consumer acceptability. We investigated the effects of N application rates 75 (N), 150 (N), and 225 (N) kg ha on the source-sink carbohydrate accumulation and grain filling characteristics of two hybrid rice cultivars with different chalkiness levels in 2019 and 2020. We further explored the relationship between grain filling and formation of chalkiness in superior and inferior grains.

Estimation of Rice Aboveground Biomass by Combining Canopy Spectral Reflectance and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Red Green Blue Imagery Data.

Estimating the aboveground biomass (AGB) of rice using remotely sensed data is critical for reflecting growth status, predicting grain yield, and indicating carbon stocks in agroecosystems. A combination of multisource remotely sensed data has great potential for providing complementary datasets, improving estimation accuracy, and strengthening precision agricultural insights. Here, we explored the potential to estimate rice AGB by using a combination of spectral vegetation indices and wavelet features (spectral parameters) derived from canopy spectral reflectance and texture features and texture indices (texture parameters) derived from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RGB imagery.

Rotational osteotomy with single incision and elastic fixation for congenital radioulnar synostosis in children: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Derotational osteotomy remains the most commonly performed procedure in patients with congenital radioulnar synostosis (CRUS). Bone fixation is mostly performed using K-wires or plates. Many scars, loss of correction and neurovascular complications in the form were the most common complications across the studies.