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Efficient acquisition of crop leaf moisture information holds significant importance for agricultural production. This information provides farmers with accurate data foundations, enabling them to implement timely and effective irrigation management strategies, thereby maximizing crop growth efficiency and yield. In this study, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral technology was employed. Through two consecutive years of field experiments (2021–2022), soybean (Glycine max L.) leaf moisture data and corresponding UAV multispectral images were collected. Vegetation indices, canopy texture features, and randomly extracted texture indices in combination, which exhibited strong correlations with previous studies and crop parameters, were established. By analyzing the correlation between these parameters and soybean leaf moisture, parameters with significantly correlated coefficients (p < 0.05) were selected as input variables for the model (combination 1: vegetation indices; combination 2: texture features; combination 3: randomly extracted texture indices in combination; combination 4: combination of vegetation indices, texture features, and randomly extracted texture indices). Subsequently, extreme learning machine (ELM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and back propagation neural network (BPNN) were utilized to model the leaf moisture content. The results indicated that most vegetation indices exhibited higher correlation coefficients with soybean leaf moisture compared with texture features, while randomly extracted texture indices could enhance the correlation with soybean leaf moisture to some extent. RDTI, the random combination texture index, showed the highest correlation coefficient with leaf moisture at 0.683, with the texture combination being Variance1 and Correlation5. When combination 4 (combination of vegetation indices, texture features, and randomly extracted texture indices) was utilized as the input and the XGBoost model was employed for soybean leaf moisture monitoring, the highest level was achieved in this study. The coefficient of determination (R2) of the estimation model validation set reached 0.816, with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 1.404 and a mean relative error (MRE) of 1.934%. This study provides a foundation for UAV multispectral monitoring of soybean leaf moisture, offering valuable insights for rapid assessment of crop growth.

The porous architectures of oxygen cathodes are highly desired for high-capacity lithium–oxygen batteries (LOBs) to support cathodic catalysts and provide accommodation for discharge products. However, controllable porosity is still a challenge for laminated cathodes with cathode materials and binders, since polymer binders usually shield the active sites of catalysts and block the pores of cathodes. In addition, polymer binders such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) are not stable under the nucleophilic attack of intermediate product superoxide radicals in the oxygen electrochemical environment. The parasitic reactions and blocking effect of binders deteriorate and then quickly shut down the operation of LOBs. Herein, the present work proposes a binder-free three-dimensional (3D) porous graphene (PG) cathode for LOBs, which is prepared by the self-assembly and the chemical reduction of GO with triblock copolymer soft templates (Pluronic F127). The interconnected mesoporous architecture of resultant 3D PG cathodes achieved an ultrahigh capacity of 10,300 mAh g−1 for LOBs. Further, the cathodic catalysts ruthenium (Ru) and manganese dioxide (MnO2) were, respectively, loaded onto the inner surface of PG cathodes to lower the polarization and enhance the cycling performance of LOBs. This work provides an effective way to fabricate free-standing 3D porous oxygen cathodes for high-performance LOBs.

All-inorganic cesium copper halide nanocrystals have attracted extensive attention due to their cost-effectiveness, low toxicity, and rich luminescence properties. However, controlling the synthesis of these nanocrystals to achieve a precise composition and high luminous efficiency remains a challenge that limits their future application. Herein, we report the effect of oleylammonium iodide on the synthesis of copper halide nanocrystals to control the composition and phase and modulate their photoluminescence (PL) quantum yields (QYs). For CsCu2I3, the PL peak is centered at 560 nm with a PLQY of 47.3%, while the PL peak of Cs3Cu2I5 is located at 440 nm with an unprecedently high PLQY of 95.3%. Furthermore, the intermediate-state CsCu2I3/Cs3Cu2I5 heterostructure shows white light emission with a PLQY of 66.4%, chromaticity coordinates of (0.3176, 0.3306), a high color rendering index (CRI) of 90, and a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 6234 K, indicating that it is promising for single-component white-light-emitting applications. The nanocrystals reported in this study have excellent luminescence properties, low toxicity, and superior stability, so they are more suitable for future light-emitting applications.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, associated with progressive cognitive impairment and memory loss. In the present study, we examined the protective effects of paeoniflorin against memory loss and cognitive decline in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mice. Treatment with paeoniflorin alleviated LPS-induced neurobehavioral dysfunction, as confirmed by behavioral tests, including the T-maze test, novel-object recognition test, and Morris water maze test. LPS stimulated the amyloidogenic pathway-related proteins (amyloid precursor protein, APP; β-site APP cleavage enzyme, BACE; presenilin1, PS1; presenilin2, PS2) expression in the brain. However, paeoniflorin decreased APP, BACE, PS1, and PS2 protein levels. Therefore, paeoniflorin reverses LPS-induced cognitive impairment via inhibition of the amyloidogenic pathway in mice, which suggests that paeoniflorin may be useful in the prevention of neuroinflammation related to AD.

Cryptosporidium spp. are important foodborne and waterborne pathogens in humans and animals, causing diarrheal diseases. Cattle are one of the reservoirs of Cryptosporidium infection in humans. However, data on the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in cattle in Yunnan Province remains limited. A total of 700 fecal samples were collected from Holstein cows (n = 442) and dairy buffaloes (n = 258) in six counties of Yunnan Province. The occurrence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. were analyzed using nested PCR and DNA sequencing. Furthermore, the C. andersoni isolates were further analyzed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) at four gene loci (MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS16), and the C. parvum isolate was subtyped by 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) loci. The occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Holstein cows and dairy buffaloes was 14.7% (65/442) and 1.1% (3/258), respectively. Of these positive samples, 56 Holstein cow samples represented C. andersoni, four Holstein cow samples represented C. bovis, three Holstein cow samples represented C. ryanae, and one represented C. parvum. Meanwhile, only three dairy buffalo samples represented C. ryanae. MLST analysis of subtypes of C. andersoni detected four subtypes, including A5A4A2A1 (n = 7), A4A4A4A1 (n = 7), A1A4A4A1 (n = 2), and A4A4A2A1 (n = 1). One C. parvum isolate was identified as the IIdA18G1 subtype. These results revealed the high occurrence and high genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. in Holstein cows in Yunnan Province, enriching the knowledge of the population genetic structure of Cryptosporidium spp. in Yunnan Province.

The objective of this article is to review the current status of the bacteria-virus interplay in Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection and KSHV-driven cancers. KSHV is the etiological agent of several cancers, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and primary effusion lymphoma. Due to immunosuppression, patients with KSHV are at an increased risk for bacterial infections. Moreover, among patients coinfected by HIV and KSHV, patients with KS have distinct oral microbiota compared to non-KS patients. Bacterial biomarkers associated with KSHV-driven cancers can provide insights in discerning the mechanisms of KSHV-induced oncogenesis. For example, pathogen-associated molecular patterns and bacterial products of certain bacterial species can regulate the expression of KSHV lytic and latent genes, thereby affecting viral replication and dissemination. In addition, infection with distinct opportunistic bacterial species have been associated with increased cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in KSHV-induced cancers through activation of pro-survival and -mitogenic cell signaling pathways. By elucidating the various mechanisms in which bacteria affect KSHV-associated pathogenesis, we will be able to pinpoint therapeutic targets for KSHV infection and KSHV-related cancers.

In the present study, we investigated the cognitive improvement effects and its mechanisms of krill oil (KO) in Aβ25–35-induced Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse model. The Aβ25–35-injected AD mouse showed memory and cognitive impairment in the behavior tests. However, the administration of KO improved novel object recognition ability and passive avoidance ability compared with Aβ25–35-injected control mice in behavior tests. In addition, KO-administered mice showed shorter latency to find the hidden platform in a Morris water maze test, indicating that KO improved learning and memory abilities. To evaluate the cognitive improvement mechanisms of KO, we measured the oxidative stress-related biomarkers and apoptosis-related protein expressions in the brain. The administration of KO inhibited oxidative stress-related biomarkers such as reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide compared with AD control mice induced by Aβ25–35. In addition, KO-administered mice showed down-regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the brain. Therefore, this study indicated that KO-administered mice improved cognitive function against Aβ25–35 by attenuations of neuronal oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis. It suggests that KO might be a potential agent for prevention and treatment of AD.

This paper introduces a new way to analyze mixtures of inflammable gases with a single catalytic sensor. The analysis technology was based on a new finding that an electric field on the catalytic sensor can change the output sensitivity of the sensor. The analysis of mixed inflammable gases results from processing the output signals obtained by adjusting the electric field parameter of the catalytic sensor. For the signal process, we designed a group of equations based on the heat balance of catalytic sensor expressing the relationship between the output signals and the concentration of gases. With these equations and the outputs of different electric fields, the gas concentration in a mixture could be calculated. In experiments, a mixture of methane, butane and ethane was analyzed by this new method, and the results showed that the concentration of each gas in the mixture could be detected with a single catalytic sensor, and the maximum relative error was less than 5%.

A full-length cDNA coding for hydroperoxide lyase (CsHPL) was isolated from cucumber fruits of No. 26 (Southern China type) and No.14-1 (Northern China type), which differed significantly in fruit flavor. The deduced amino acid sequences of CsHPL from both lines show the same and significant similarity to known plant HPLs and contain typical conserved domains of HPLs. The recombinant CsHPL was confirmed to have 9/13-HPL enzymatic activity. Gene expression levels of CsHPL were measured in different organs, especially in fruits of different development stages of both lines. The HPL activities of fruit were identified basing on the catalytic action of crude enzyme extracts incubating with 13-HPOD (13-hydroperoxy-(9Z,12E)-octadecadienoic acid) and 13-HPOD + 9-HPOD (9-hydroperoxy-(10E,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid), and volatile reaction products were analyzed by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). CsHPL gene expression in No. 26 fruit occurred earlier than that of total HPL enzyme activity and 13-HPL enzyme activity, and that in No. 14-1 fruit was consistent with total HPL enzyme activity and 9-HPL enzyme activity. 13-HPL enzyme activities decreased significantly and the 9-HPL enzyme activities increased significantly with fruit ripening in both lines, which accounted for the higher content of C6 aldehydes at 0–6 day post-anthesis (dpa) and higher content of C9 aldehydes at 9–12 dpa.

To complement traditional antivirals, natural compounds that act via host targets and present high barriers to resistance are of increasing interest. In the work reported here, we detected that homoharringtonine (HHT) presents effective antiviral activity. HHT completely inhibited infections of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) at concentrations of 50, 100, and 500 nM in cell cultures, respectively. Treatment with HHT at doses of 0.05 or 0.2 mg/kg significantly reduced viral load and relieved severe symptoms in PEDV- or NDV-infected animals. HHT treatment, however, moderately inhibited avian influenza virus (AIV) infection, suggesting its potent antiviral action is restricted to a number of classes of RNA viruses. In this study, we also observed that HHT actively inhibited herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) replication with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 139 nM; the treatment with HHT at 1000 nM led to reductions of three orders of magnitude. Moreover, HHT antagonized the phosphorylation level of endogenous and exogenous eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (p-eIF4E), which might regulate the selective translation of specific messenger RNA (mRNA). HHT provides a starting point for further progress toward the clinical development of broad-spectrum antivirals.

A new unusual minor triterpenoid saponin, platycoside O (1), was isolated from the 75% EtOH extract obtained from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum, together with four known saponins: platycoside M-3 (2), platycoside J (3), platycoside F (4) and platycoside B (5). The structure of 1 was determined as 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2β,3β,16α,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-24-methoxyl, 24-oxo-28-oic acid 28-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranoside on the basis of spectral analysis and chemical evidence.

NOP53 is a tumor suppressor protein located in the nucleolus and is translocated to the cytoplasm during infection by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), as shown in our previous study. Cytoplasmic NOP53 interacts with the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) to remove its K63-linked ubiquitination, leading to attenuation of type I interferon IFN-β. In the present study, we found no obvious translocation of NOP53 in infection by a mutant virus lacking ICP4 (HSV-1/d120, replication inadequate). Blocking cytoplasmic translocation of NOP53 by the deletion of its nuclear export sequence (NES) abrogated its ability to support viral replication. These results demonstrated that NOP53 redistribution is related to viral replication. It is interesting that treatment with poly (I:C) or RIG-I-N (a constitutively-active variant) directly induced NOP53 cytoplasmic translocation. To better assess the function of cytoplasmic NOP53 in viral replication, the NOP53-derived protein N3-T, which contains a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-derived cell-penetrating Tat peptide at the C-terminal region of N3 (residues 330–432), was constructed and expressed. The recombinant N3-T protein formed trimers, attenuated the expression of IFN-β and IFN-stimulated genes, as well as decreased the phosphorylation level of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Furthermore, N3-T promoted the efficient replication of enveloped and non-enveloped DNA and RNA viruses belonging to 5 families. Our findings expand the understanding of the mechanism by which viruses utilize the nucleolar protein NOP53 for optimal viral replication.