Root growth is one of the main strategies to improve phosphorus (P) uptake from soils, but both root growth and P movement to the roots are impaired by soil water shortage. Several studies have evaluated the effect of P availability on root growth, as well as the impact of root growth on drought tolerance, but there is still a lack of unity in this knowledge. Thus, the objective of this review article is to identify the primary P management strategies that can enhance root growth and P acquisition in crops during dry spells. This review synthesizes studies published from 1963 to 2025, with emphasis on field-based experiments conducted under rainfed or water-limited conditions. For this purpose, articles carried out in different parts of the world were reviewed. Based on these studies, we found that the main challenge to improving P acquisition by plants under water stress is to enhance P availability in the soil subsurface, which remains wetter for a longer period. Broadcast application of P has been a problem mainly in rainfed and water-restricted environments, and application of P in the sowing furrow is recommended in these environments. The use of cover crops, crop-livestock integration, crop rotation, liming, adjustment of optimum pH, and increase of C and humic substances in the soil are important techniques to improve the availability and mobility of P in the soil and consequently the root growth and P uptake in depth. Plants and cultivars with larger root systems and especially long and dense root hairs can improve drought tolerance and PUE. Growth-promoting microorganisms can help in drought tolerance through better hormonal balance and root growth, but there is still a need for new knowledge associated with P solubilization under field conditions. Future research should seek to evaluate the interactive effects of the use of microorganisms, root growth, and drought tolerance with field studies in different production systems.
Lithium is the most commonly used medicine to treat bipolar disorder (BD). It is considered a mood regulator, and the mechanisms underlying this effect still need to be elucidated. Some modulations are involved in neuroprotection, including neuronal communication, neuron differentiation and survival, synaptic modulation and plasticity, modulation of cognition, contribution to antioxidant defense, and reduction of inflammation, glial dysfunction, and apoptosis. In general, about 50
This scoping review examined the economic components of implementing Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in health professions education. Forty-nine studies published between 1986 and 2024, spanning multiple countries, professions, and simulation modalities, were analyzed. Key cost categories included standardized patients, evaluator compensation, infrastructure, logistics, and digital resources. Reported costs ranged from less than US$7 per student to more than US$150,000 per cycle. Traditional in-person OSCEs incurred higher recurring operational expenses, whereas online and hybrid formats concentrated spending in initial infrastructure and showed potential for scalability and cost containment. Significant inconsistencies in cost definitions and reporting practices limited comparability across studies. The findings highlight the urgent need for standardized economic frameworks, cost-reporting tools, and context-sensitive strategies to guide sustainable OSCE implementation, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where resource allocation must be strategic and aligned with institutional capacity.
Machinery traffic–induced compaction has detrimental effects on soil structure and physical properties, leading to the degradation of soil physical functionality. However, the potential of cover crops to mitigate the deleterious effects of cotton harvester traffic in sandy soils remains poorly investigated. This study aimed to evaluate how different cover crops grown either as sole crops or in mixtures can mitigate the adverse effects of cotton harvester traffic on the physical quality of a tropical sandy loam Oxisol in southeastern Brazil. The experiment was established in 2015 using a randomised complete block design with five cover crop treatments: Ruzigrass (Urochloa ruziziensis); Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) + Ruzigrass; Millet + Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea); Mixture (Ruzigrass + millet + radish (Raphanus sativus) + sunn hemp); and a control treatment (Fallow - weed). The harvester passed only once over each experimental plot, which were subdivided into trafficked and non-trafficked zones. Undisturbed soil samples were collected from the 0.00–0.10 and 0.10–0.20m soil layers. Soil bulk density and degree of compaction, total porosity, mesoporosity and macroporosity, plant-available water, saturated and unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity, matrix and relative soil aeration capacity, soil water storage capacity, and an index of soil resistance to compaction were determined for both soil layers. The results showed that the first harvester traffic substantially degraded soil physical quality, particularly in the 0.00–0.10m layer, with increases in soil bulk density of up to 49% and reductions of 35% in saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, 28% in mesoporosity, 44% in macroporosity and 55% in relative soil aeration capacity, compared with non-trafficked soil, irrespective of the cover crop. The soil resistance to compaction index indicated that 96% of the increase in the degree of compaction occurred after the first machine pass, with the treatment Fallow exhibiting a 97% increase. The Millet + Ruzigrass treatment exhibited the lowest soil bulk density (1.57 Mg m⁻³) and degree of compaction (84%), as well as the highest values of total porosity (0.41m³ m⁻³), saturated soil hydraulic conductivity (8.58cmh⁻¹) and plant-available water (0.20m³ m⁻³) following harvester traffic. The Mixture treatment showed the highest unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity at a matric potential of −100 hPa (0.149cm day⁻¹). Overall, the results suggest that the adoption of cover crops, particularly the Millet + Ruzigrass and Mixture, represents an agronomically efficient strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of harvester traffic on the soil physical quality. Improvements in soil physical attributes promoted by cover crops are essential for maintaining soil physical functionality, ensuring greater soil water and air availability.
BACKGROUND:The role of statins in cirrhosis remains controversial. Historically restricted due to safety concerns, emerging evidence highlights potential pleiotropic benefits, though effects on mortality and decompensation remain uncertain. AIMS:To evaluate the effects of statin therapy on all-cause mortality, hepatic decompensation, hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhosis. METHODS:We systematically searched major databases until July 2025 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing statin therapy versus non-use in cirrhosis. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed. RESULTS:The meta-analysis included 25 studies (9 RCTs, 16 observational) with 81,992 patients. Statins reduced all-cause mortality in the overall analysis (unadjusted odds ratio 0.59; 95% CI: 0.48-0.71) and in RCTs (odds ratio 0.45; 95% CI 0.25-0.82), supported by a significant HVPG reduction. Conversely, statins reduced hepatic decompensation in the overall analysis (unadjusted odds ratio 0.56; 95% CI: 0.47-0.66) but not in RCTs (odds ratio 0.75; 95% CI: 0.52-1.09). Observational data indicated a protective association for HCC (adjusted hazard ratio 0.61; 95% CI: 0.46-0.82), and no RCT reported this outcome. CONCLUSIONS:Statin therapy is associated with improved survival in cirrhosis, supported mechanistically by reductions in portal pressure. Observational evidence suggests benefits for decompensation and HCC, though these remain uncertain due to residual confounding. Large-scale, long-term RCTs are needed to clarify the role of statins as disease-modifying therapy in cirrhosis.
