Effects of soil potassium levels on dry matter and nutrient accumulation and distribution in cotton

Background Potassium(K)is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development.However,plant fertilization ignoring the soil K level is very likely to cause excessive fertilizer use,and further arouse a series of side effects.This study investigated the response of cotton growth to different soil K levels and the uptake of major nutrients,aiming to evaluate the appropriate K supply level for cotton growth.Using a random block design with 6 soil K levels,we conducted 18 micro-zones field experiments over two continuous years.The soil available K concentration of each treatment was K1(99.77-100.90 mg·kg^(-1)),K2(110.90-111.26 mg·kg^(-1)),K3(123.48-128.88 mg·kg^(-1)),K4(140.13-145.10 mg·kg^(-1)),K5(154.43-155.38 mg·kg^(-1)),and K6(165.77-168.75 mg·kg^(-1)).Cotton nutrient contents,soil nutrient contents,accumulation and distribution of dry matter in cotton were determined,and the relationships between K content in soil and plants and dry matter accumulation were analyzed.Results The soil K content had a significantly positive relationship with dry matter and K accumulation in cotton plants.There were significant differences in dry matter accumulation,single-plant seed cotton yield,mineral nutrient uptake and the proportion of K accumulation in reproductive organs among different soil K levels.The results showed that there was significant difference between K4 and lower K level treatments(K1 and K2),but no significant difference between K4 and higher K level treatments(K5 and K6)in dry matter,single-plant seed cotton yield,or accumulation,distribution and seed cotton production efficiency of N,P and K.Conclusion The soil K level of K4 was able to provide sufficient K for cotton growth in our experiment.Therefore,when the soil K level reached 140.13 mg·kg^(-1),further increasing the soil K concentration no longer had a significant positive effect on cotton growth.

Costunolide covalently targets NACHT domain of NLRP3 to inhibit inflammasome activation and alleviate NLRP3-driven inflammatory diseases

The NLRP3 inflammasome’s core and most specific protein,NLRP3,has a variety of functions in inflammation-driven diseases.Costunolide(COS)is the major active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Saussurea lappa and has anti-inflammatory activity,but the principal mechanism and molecular target of COS remain unclear.Here,we show that COS covalently binds to cysteine 598 in NACHT domain of NLRP3,altering the ATPase activity and assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome.We declare COS’s great anti-inflammasome efficacy in macrophages and disease models of gouty arthritis and ulcerative colitis via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation.We also reveal that theα-methylene-γ-butyrolactone motif in sesquiterpene lactone is the certain active group in inhibiting NLRP3 activation.Taken together,NLRP3 is identified as a direct target of COS for its anti-inflammasome activity.COS,especially theα-methylene-γ-butyrolactone motif in COS structure,might be used to design and produce novel NLRP3 inhibitors as a lead compound.

Poor outcomes of immunoglobulin D multiple myeloma patients in the era of novel agents:a single-center experience

Dear Editor, Multiple myeloma (MM) is a disease characterized by the clonal expansion of malignant plasma cells in the marrow, leading to anemia, hypercalcemia, bone lesion, and renal dysfunction [1]. Immunoglobulin D (IgD) myeloma is a rare subtype of MM, accounting for approximately 1% to 2% of all MM patients [2]. It occurs at a young age, often accom-panied with a high disease burden and short median sur-vival (18-21 months) [3, 4]. Several studies have suggested that in patients with IgD subtype, the outcomes of those who have had undergone autologous stem cell transplanta-tion (ASCT) were superior than those treated with chemo-therapy alone [5, 6]. However, these have been debatable as other reports have displayed opposite results [7, 8].

Sustainable H2 production from ethanol steam reforming over a macro-mesoporous Ni/Mg-Al-O catalytic monolith

A macro-meso-porous monolithic Ni-based catalyst was prepared via an impregnation route using polystyrene foam as the template and then used in the steam reforming of ethanol to produce a H2-rich gas. The Ni/Mg-A1 catalyst has a hierarchically macro-meso-porous structure as indicated by photographs and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The surface area of the catalyst was 230 m2＂ g 1 and the Ni dispersion was 5.62%. Compared to the pelletized sample that was prepared without a template, the macro-meso-porous Ni/Mg-A1 monolith exhibited superior reactivity in terms of H2 production and also had lower CH4 yields at 700~C and 800℃. Furthermore, the monolithic catalyst maintained excellent activity and H2 selectivity after 100-h on-stream at 700℃, as well as good resistance to coking and metal sintering.

Solution-processed amorphous gallium-tin oxide thin film for low-voltage, high-performance transistors

Gallium-tin oxide(GTO) semiconductor thin films were prepared by spin-coating with 2-methoxyethanol as the solvent. Their crystal structures, optical transparency,chemical states and surface morphologies, along with the electrical properties, were dependent on Ga contents and annealing temperatures. The optimized GTO channel layer was applied in the high-k Al2O3 thin film transistor(TFT) with a low operation voltage of 2 V, a maximum field-effect mobility of 69 cm^2 V^-1 s^-1, a subthreshold swing(SS) of 76 mV dec^-1, a threshold voltage of 0.67 V and an on-off current ratio of 1.8×10^7. The solution-processed amorphousGTO-TFTs would promote the development of low-consumption, low-cost and high performance In-free TFT devices.