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Precise nitrogen supply is crucial for ensuring the quality of cut chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.). The nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) serves as an important indicator for diagnosing crop nitrogen (N) nutrition. Hyperspectral remote sensing (HRS) technology has been widely used in monitoring crop N status due to its rapid, accurate, and non-destructive capabilities. However, its application in estimating the NNI of cut chrysanthemums has received limited attention. Therefore, this study aimed to use HRS to accurately determine the cut chrysanthemum NNI, thereby providing valuable guidance for managing N fertilization. During several key growth stages, a hyperspectral spectroradiometer was used to capture hyperspectral reflectance data (350–2500 nm) from three leaf layers. Subsequently, cut chrysanthemum canopies were sampled for aboveground biomass (AGB) and plant nitrogen concentration (PNC). The collected AGB and PNC data were then utilized to fit the critical N (Nc) dilution curve of cut chrysanthemums using a Bayesian hierarchical model, enabling the calculation of the NNI. Finally, spectral indices and partial least squares regression (PLSR) were used to establish the NNI estimation model for cut chrysanthemums. The results showed that the Nc dilution curve of the cut chrysanthemums was Nc = 5.401 × AGB−0.468. The first leaf layer (L1) proved to be optimal for estimating cut chrysanthemum NNI. Additionally, a newly proposed two-band spectral index, DVI-L1 (R1105, R700), demonstrated moderate predictive capabilities for the NNI of cut chrysanthemums (R2 = 0.5309, RMSE = 0.3210). Compared with the spectral index-based NNI estimation model, PLSR-L1 showed the best performance in estimating the cut chrysanthemum NNI (R2 = 0.8177, RMSE = 0.2000). Our results highlight the rapid NNI prediction potential of HRS and its significance in facilitating precise N management in cut chrysanthemums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), investigated using routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained section slides (H&E-sTILs), provide a robust prognostic biomarker in various types of solid cancer. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of H&E-sTILs in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Methods: The clinical data of patients with SCLC who had been treated in our cancer center between January 2013 and October 2019 were collected and retrospectively reviewed. The H&E-sTILs were re-assessed by two experienced pathologists independently. H&E-sTILs that affected the overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS) and brain-metastasis free survival (BMFS) rates were explored using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to assess the differences. Multivariate analysis was subsequently performed using the Cox proportion hazards model. Results: A total of 159 patients with SCLC who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the current study. The OS rates at 1, 2 and 3 years were 59.8, 28.6 and 19.8%, respectively, for the whole group. The 3-year OS, PFS and BMFS rates for the H&E-sTILs(+) and H&E-sTILs(−) groups were 25.1% cf. 5.1% (P = 0.030), 14.0% cf. 4.0% (P = 0.013), and 66.0% cf. 11.4% (P = 0.023), respectively. Multivariate analyses subsequently revealed that H&E-sTILs, clinical M stage, the cycles of chemotherapy and short-term response to thoracic radiotherapy were independent factors affecting OS, whereas H&E-sTILs, clinical N stage, clinical M stage and short-term response to chemotherapy were factors affecting PFS. The H&E-sTILs affected OS, PFS and BMFS simultaneously. Conclusions: The results of this retrospective study have shown that H&E-sTILs may be considered as a prognostic biomarker affecting the short-term response to treatment, and they are the one and only risk factor for BMFS. However, due to the limitations of the nature of the retrospective design and shortcomings in visually assessing the TILs based on the H&E-stained slides, further prospective studies are required to confirm these conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are three macronutrients that are crucial in plant growth and development. Deficiency or excess of any or all directly decreases crop yield and quality. There is increasing awareness of the importance of rhizosphere microorganisms in plant growth, nutrient transportation, and nutrient uptake. Little is known about the influence of N, P, and K as nutrients for the optimal production of Chrysanthemum morifolium. In this study, a field experiment was performed to investigate the effects of N, P, and K on the growth, nutrient use efficiency, microbial diversity, and composition of C. morifolium. Significant relationships were evident between N application rates, C. morifolium nutrient use, and plant growth. The N distribution in plant locations decreased in the order of leaf > stem > root; the distributions were closely related to rates of N application. Total P fluctuated slightly during growth. No significant differences were found between total P in the roots, stems, and leaves of C. morifolium vegetative organs. Principle component analysis revealed that combinations of N, P, and K influenced soil nutrient properties through their indirect impact on operational taxonomic units, Shannon index, and abundance of predominant bacterial taxa. Treatment with N, P, and K (600, 120, and 80 mg·plant−1, respectively) significantly improved plant growth and quality and contributed to the bacterial richness and diversity more than other concentrations of N, P, and K. At the flowering time, the plant height, leaf fresh weight, root dry weight, stem and leaf dry weight were increased 10.6%, 19.0%, 40.4%, 27% and 34.0%, respectively, when compared to the CK. The optimal concentrations of N, P, and K had a positive indirect influence on the available soil nutrient content and efficiency of nutrient use by plants by increasing the abundance of Proteobacteria, decreasing the abundance of Actinobacteria, and enhancing the potential functions of nitrogen metabolism pathways. N, P, and K fertilization concentrations of 600, 120, and 80 mg·plant−1 were optimal for C. morifolium cultivation, which could change environmental niches and drive the evolution of the soil microbial community and diversity. Shifts in the composition of soil microbes and functional metabolism pathways, such as ABC transporters, nitrogen metabolism, porphyrin, and the metabolism of chlorophyll II, glyoxylate, and dicarboxylate, greatly affected soil nutrient cycling, with potential feedback on C. morifolium nutrient use efficiency and growth. These results provide new insights into the efficient cultivation and management of C. morifolium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]