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The integration of electronic stimulation devices with insects in the context of cyborg insect systems has great application potential, particularly in the fields of environmental monitoring, urban surveillance, and rescue missions. Despite considerable advantages compared to the current robot technology, including flexibility, durability, and low energy consumption, this integration faces certain challenges related to the potential risk of charge accumulation caused by prolonged and repetitive electrical stimulations. To address these challenges, this study proposes a universal system for remote signal output control using infrared signals. The proposed system integrates high-precision digital-to-analog converters capable of generating customized waveform electrical stimulation signals within defined ranges. This enhances the accuracy of locomotion control in cyborg insects while maintaining real-time control and dynamic parameter adjustment. The proposed system is verified by experiments. The experimental results show that the signals generated by the proposed system have a success rate of over 76.25% in controlling the turning locomotion of cyborg insects, which is higher than previously reported results. In addition, the charge-balanced characteristics of these signals can minimize muscle tissue damage, thus substantially enhancing control repeatability. This study provides a comprehensive solution for the remote control and monitoring of cyborg insects, whose flexibility and adaptability can meet various application and experimental requirements. The results presented in this study lay a robust foundation for further advancement of various technologies, particularly those related to cyborg insect locomotion control systems and wireless control mechanisms for cyborg insects.

Oxidative stress plays a vital role in viral replication. Tripartite motif containing 16 (TRIM16) is involved in diverse cellular processes. However, the role of TRIM16 in oxidative stress induced by infection of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is unclear. We found that under conditions of H5N1 HPAIV infection, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in A549 cells peaked at 24 h post infection (hpi), and antioxidant genes’ expression levels were down-regulated. Overexpression of TRIM16 in A549 cells resulted in a decrease in the titter of H5N1 HPAIV and led to significant up-regulation of the antioxidant genes’ expression levels, which indicates that TRIM16 positively regulates the sequestosome 1/Kelch-like associated enoyl-CoA hydratase 1 protein/nuclear factor erythrocyte 2-derived 2-like 2 (SQSTM1/NRF2/KEAP1) pathway. Under basal conditions, TRIM16 led to a modification of NRF2 through an increase in K63-linked poly-ubiquitination of NRF2. Collectively, our findings provide new insight into understanding TRIM16′s role in anti-oxidative stress in H5N1 HPAIV infected A549 cells.

Canine influenza viruses (CIVs) could be a source of influenza viruses which infect humans because canine are important companion pets. To assess the potential risk of H3N2 CIVs currently circulating in southern China to public health, biological characteristics of A/canine/Guangdong/DY1/2019 (CADY1/2019) were detected. CADY1/2019 bound to both avian-type and human-type receptors. CADY1/2019 had a similar pH value for HA protein fusion to human viruses, but its antigenicity was obviously different from those of current human H3N2 influenza viruses (IVs) or the vaccine strains recommended in the North hemisphere. CADY1/2019 effectively replicated in the respiratory tract and was transmitted by physical contact among guinea pigs. Compared to human H3N2 IV, CADY1/2019 exhibited higher replication in MDCK, A549, 3D4/21, ST, and PK15 cells. Sequence analysis indicated that CADY1/2019 is an avian-origin virus, and belongs to the novel clade and has acquired many adaptation mutations to infect other mammals, including human. Taken together, currently circulating H3N2 CIVs have a zoonotic potential, and there is a need for strengthening surveillance and monitoring of their pathogenicity.

Abstract Background Slow transit constipation (STC) is highly prevalent and has rising incidence. Shouhui Tongbian capsule (SHTB) is a traditional Chinese Medicine formula with extensive and highly efficacious usage in STC treatment, however, its mechanism of action, especially the regulation of microbiome and lipid metabolites, remains unclear. Methods After quality control of SHTB using LC‒MS to obtain its material basis, we tried to elucidate the cohesive modulatory network of SHTB against STC using hyphenated methods from microbiomics, lipidomics, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and molecular methods. Results SHTB could repair intestinal barrier damage, reduce systemic inflammation and increase intestinal motility in a diphenoxylate-induced STC rat model. Based on 16S rDNA sequencing results, SHTB rehabilitated the abnormal changes in Alloprevotella, Coprococcus, Marvinbryantia, etc., which were associated with STC symptoms. Meanwhile, microbial functional prediction showed that lipid metabolism was improved with SHTB administration. The differential lipids, including fatty acids, lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin triglyceride and ceramide, that are closely related to STC disease and SHTB efficacy. Furthermore, SHTB significantly reversed the abnormal expression of these key target enzymes in colon samples, including CTP-phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase, CTP-phosphoethanolamine cytidylyltransferase, phosphatidic acid phosphatase, acid sphingomyelinase etc. Conclusions Combined analysis demonstrated that SHTB reducing lipid accumulation and recovery of intestinal microbial homeostasis was the critical mechanism by which SHTB treats STC.

Abstract The soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines) is the most yield-limiting pathogen in soybeans worldwide. Using chemical pesticides to control this disease is harmful to human and environment. It is urgent to develop environment-friendly nematicides. The aim of this study was to discover novel biocontrol agents on H. glycines control and soybean growth under greenhouse and field conditions Eight Bacillus strains were isolated from soil rhizosphere soils and the stability and efficiency of H. glycines was assessed in greenhouse and field experiments in 2021 and 2022. In particular, the Ba2-6 strain had the highest potential, because it was a biocontrol agent against H. glycines shown to cause 93.85% juvenile mortality. Furthermore, strains Ba 1–7, Ba2-4, and Ba2-6 effectively reduced the number of females and improved the soybean seed number per plant. Based on their morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular (16 S rRNA) characteristics, the three strains were identified as B. aryabhattai (Ba1-7), B. megatherium (Ba2-4), and B. halotolerans (Ba2-6). The ability of Ba2-6 to induce systemic resistance to H. glycines in soybeans was investigated by the split-root system and real-time quantitative PCR experiments. The results indicated that the Ba2-6 strain induced systemic resistance to suppress the penetration of H. glycines, and enhanced gene expression of PR1, PR3a, PR5, and NPR1-2, involved in the salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways. The study suggests that the strains of B. aryabhattai Ba1-7, B. megatherium Ba2-4, and B. halotolerans Ba2-6 can be considered as effective biocontrol agents to control H. glycines. Further, B. halotolerans Ba2-6 not only promotes soybean growth but also enhances resistance to H. glycines by regulating defense-related gene expression and inducing systemic resistance in soybean.

Abstract Background Industrial hemp is an important industrial crop and has strong resistance to saline-alkaline stress. However, research on the industrial hemp response to NaHCO3 stress is limited. Therefore, the response mechanisms of industrial hemp under NaHCO3 stress were analysed through miRNA–mRNA regulatory networks. Results Seedlings of two salt–alkali tolerant and sensitive varieties were cultured in a solution containing 100 mM NaHCO3 and randomly sampled at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h. With prolonged NaHCO3 stress, the seedlings gradually withered, and the contents of jasmonic acid, lignin, trehalose, soluble protein, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the roots increased significantly. The abscisic acid content decreased and then gradually increased. Overall, 18,215 mRNAs and 74 miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed under NaHCO3 stress. The network showed that 230 miRNA–mRNA interactions involved 16 miRNAs and 179 mRNAs, including some key hub novel mRNAs of these crucial pathways. Carbon metabolism, starch, sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, and the spliceosome (SPL) were crucial pathways in industrial hemp's response to NaHCO3 stress. Conclusions It is speculated that industrial hemp can regulate SPL pathway by upregulating miRNAs such as novel_miR_179 and novel_miR_75, thus affecting starch and sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction and carbon metabolism and improving key physiological indices such as jasmonic acid content, trehalose content, and peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities under NaHCO3 stress.

Taking kidney bean as the research object, row spacing, fertilizer application and planting density were selected as experimental factors, production for the response indicators, the chaos theory, krill herd algorithm is introduced into the BP neural network, the minimum error in training as a target, the model of weight and threshold as variables to optimize the BP neural network and chaotic krill herd algorithm BP neural network prediction model was set up (C-KHA-BP). The RMSE of C-KHA-BP model is 191.93 kg/hm2、MAE is 153.18 kg/hm2, and MAPE is 12.67%, the correlation coefficient R2 is 0.95.By solving the global optimal solution of C-KHA-BP model, the optimal row spacing of kidney bean was 72.63 cm, the fertilizer application rate was 103.91 kg/hm2, and the planting density was 30 × 104 plants /hm2. The next year, the validation test was conducted in the same test area, and the yield of kidney bean under the test scheme was 2843.2 kg /hm2, the relative error between the test result and the simulation optimization result (2949.5 kg /hm2) was only −3.65%, indicating that the fitting function of C-KHA-BP prediction model was precision and the optimization result was accurate. The results of this study can provide a new approach to the prediction and optimization of similar models in the field of grain production.

Abstract Background To advance the understanding of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) resistance to infection with the rust-causing fungus Uromyces vignae (Uv), we comprehensively analyzed histological events and the transcriptome of Uv-infected adzuki bean. Results Compared with the susceptible cv. Baoqinghong (BQH), the resistant cv. QH1 showed inhibition of uredospore germination and substomatal vesicle development, intense autofluorescence of cells around the infection site, and cell wall deposit formation in response to Uv infection. In cv. QH1, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed enrichment of chitin catabolic processes and responses to biotic stimuli at 24 h post-inoculation (hpi) and cell wall modification and structural constituent of cytoskeleton at 48 hpi. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated enrichment of WRKY transcription factors (TFs), the calcium binding protein cml, and hydroquinone glucosyltransferase at both 24 and 48 hpi. In total, 1992 and 557 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at 24 and 48 hpi, respectively. Cell surface pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), WRKY TFs, defense-associated pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, and lignin and antimicrobial phenolic compound biosynthesis were significantly induced. Finally, we detected the chitinase (CHI) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity were higher in QH1 and increased much earlier than in BQH. Conclusion In cv. QH1, cell-surface PRRs rapidly recognize Uv invasion and activate the corresponding TFs to increase the transcription of defense-related genes and corresponding enzymatic activities to prevent fungal development and spread in host tissues.

Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a major soybean pest that often poses a serious threat to soybean production. Imidacloprid is one of the commonly used insecticides to control the soybean aphid. To investigate the effect of termination of imidacloprid stress on the adaptive strategies of soybean aphid populations, we studied the growth, development, and related metabolism changes when the stress was terminated after 24 generations of imidacloprid stress on A. glycines. The results show that the A. glycines population accelerated its recovery and expanded its population size across generations. The longevity of the adults of the recovering population in the F12, F18, and F24 generations, respectively, was 1.11, 1.15, and 1.11 times longer than the control, while the fecundity was 10.38%, 11.74%, and 11.61% higher than that of the control. The net reproductive rate (R0) of the recovering population was always significantly higher than that of the control in the F1 to F24 generations. In addition, metabolisms related to the regulation of cell proliferation and oocyte meiosis were significantly upregulated in the recovering population. Even when the imidacloprid pressure disappeared, intergenerational stimuli still affected the adaptive strategies of soybean aphid populations. This effect was manifested as inhibiting the growth and development of the soybean aphid in the early generations and improving the fecundity of the soybean aphid in the later generations. Adaptive soybean aphid populations would surge in the absence of imidacloprid pressure. This study provides an important reference for exploring the adaptability of the A. glycines population under termination of stress from low lethal concentrations of imidacloprid across generations. It also provides important data for monitoring the population dynamics of A. glycines in the field and analyzing the degree of pharmacodynamic stress.

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) can persist over extended times within their host cell and thereby establish chronic infections. One of the major inducers of chlamydial persistence is interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) released by immune cells as a mechanism of immune defence. IFN-γ activates the catabolic depletion of L-tryptophan (Trp) via indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), resulting in persistent Ctr. Here, we show that IFN-γ induces the downregulation of c-Myc, the key regulator of host cell metabolism, in a STAT1-dependent manner. Expression of c-Myc rescued Ctr from IFN-γ-induced persistence in cell lines and human fallopian tube organoids. Trp concentrations control c-Myc levels most likely via the PI3K-GSK3β axis. Unbiased metabolic analysis revealed that Ctr infection reprograms the host cell tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle to support pyrimidine biosynthesis. Addition of TCA cycle intermediates or pyrimidine/purine nucleosides to infected cells rescued Ctr from IFN-γ-induced persistence. Thus, our results challenge the longstanding hypothesis of Trp depletion through IDO as the major mechanism of IFN-γ-induced metabolic immune defence and significantly extends the understanding of the role of IFN-γ as a broad modulator of host cell metabolism.

Abstract Vaccines based on live attenuated Chlamydia elementary bodies (EBs) can cause disease in vaccinated animals and the comparably safer inactivated whole EBs are only marginally protective. Recent studies show that a vaccine formulation comprising UV-inactivated EBs (EB) and appropriate mucosal delivery systems and/or adjuvants induced significant protective immunity. We tested the hypothesis that intranasal delivery of UV-inactivated C. psittaci EB formulated in Vibrio cholerae ghosts (VCG)-chitosan nanoparticles will induce protective immunity against intranasal challenge in SPF chickens. We first compared the impact of VCG and CpG adjuvants on protective immunity following IN mucosal and IM systemic delivery of EB formulated in chitosan hydrogel/microspheres. Immunologic analysis revealed that IN immunization in the presence of VCG induced higher levels of IFN-γ response than IM delivery or the CpG adjuvanted groups. Also, vaccine efficacy evaluation showed enhanced pharyngeal bacterial clearance and protection against lung lesions with the VCG adjuvanted vaccine formulation, thereby establishing the superior adjuvanticity of VCG over CpG. We next evaluated the impact of different concentrations of VCG on protective immunity following IN mucosal immunization. Interestingly, the adjuvanticity of VCG was concentration-dependent, since protective immunity induced following IN mucosal immunization showed dose-dependent immune responses and protection. These studies reveal that formulation of inactivated chlamydial antigens with adjuvants, such as VCG and chitosan increases their ability to induce protective immune responses against challenge.

Mung bean is characterized by having a good edible and medicinal value, while its flowers and pods have low production. Being a tertiary amine, DCPTA [2-(3,4-dichlorophenoxy) triethylamine] substantially regulates the growth and development of crops, maintaining production. Yet it is still limited in terms of the regulation of DCPTA on growth and development, including the yield and sugar metabolism of mung bean. In this study, DCPTA was sprayed at the beginning of mung flowering through a two-season cultivation, to assess its effects on the yield, leaf area per plant, plant height, seed setting rate, photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, and endogenous protective enzymes. Experimental results illustrated that relative to the control (CK), the DCPTA application significantly (p < 0.05) improved the yield of Bailv 11 mung bean, which rose to 6.9% in 2020 and 7.8% in 2021, respectively. This effect positively corresponded to a significant (p

The effects of biochar application on dry direct-seeded rice paddies remains unclear. Therefore, we applied biochar to dry direct-seeded rice paddy fields over 3 consecutive years to assess its effects on soil physicochemical properties and bacterial diversity (conventional fertilization [CK]; biochar + conventional fertilization [BC]). BC increased the content of 0.25–5 mm soil water-stable aggregate particles, but decreased that of

Abstract In this paper, we are concerned with the inverse spectral problems for differential pencils defined on [0,π] $[0,\pi ]$ with an interior discontinuity. We prove that two potential functions are determined uniquely by one spectrum and a set of values of eigenfunctions at some interior point b∈(0,π) $b\in (0,\pi )$ in the situation of b=π/2 $b=\pi /2$ and b≠π/2 $b\neq \pi /2$. For the latter, we need the knowledge of a part of the second spectrum.

The present study examined the effect of expectation and evaluation of spouse’s filial piety on marital satisfaction among young Chinese couples. We administered scales assessing gender role attitude, marital satisfaction, and expectation and evaluation of spouse’s filial piety on 422 married participants and explored the relationships among these variables. The results showed the following: (1) gender role attitude mediated the relationship between participants’ gender and evaluation of their spouse’s filial piety. There was no significant gender difference in the evaluation of spouse’s filial piety; however, men were more likely to have a traditional gender role attitude, and a traditional gender role attitude leads to lower evaluation of spouse’s filial piety. Furthermore, it was found that the wife’s sibling condition influenced the participants’ expectation and evaluation of spouse’s filial piety as compared to the husband’s; (2) the evaluation of spouse’s filial piety was significantly positively correlated with marital satisfaction; and (3) women’s expectations of their husband’s filial piety moderated this relationship. The positive effects of the evaluation of spouse’s filial piety on marital satisfaction were significantly stronger when they had high expectations in this regard.

The aim of this study was to investigate the precise clinical use of Sinitang decoction (SNT) in ulcerative colitis (UC). Network pharmacology-based analysis of the drug components–targets–diseases–pathways was used to predict the possible clinical applications of SNT. Next, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) was used to establish a rat model of UC, and the efficacy of SNT against UC was tested, followed by a proteomic analysis of the specific signatures regulated by SNT against UC. SNT was predicted to be effective in inflammatory bowel disease, UC, and several other diseases. In the rats with UC, SNT decreased the disease activity index and colon mucosal damage index compared to the untreated UC model rats. Additionally, SNT reversed the upregulated levels of serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin (IL)-6, and nitric oxide (NO) in UC model rats. The proteomic analysis identified 78 proteins that were differentially regulated by SNT in the rats with UC, which were associated with the Gene Ontology terms sulfur compound binding, calcium ion binding, and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 binding. Among these differentially regulated proteins, C-reactive protein (CRP) and collagen alpha-1(XII) chain (COL12A1) were found to be signature proteins associated with the efficacy of SNT against UC. This study represents the first precise investigation of the efficacy and mechanisms of SNT against UC, and shows that SNT is a promising candidate for personalized management of UC.

Abstract In this paper, we consider the inverse three spectra problems of recovering the Sturm–Liouville equation by the spectra of the Neumann–Dirichlet boundary value problem on [0,1] $[0,1]$, the Neumann–Robin problem on [0,1/2] $[0,1/2]$, and the Robin–Dirichlet problem on [1/2,1] $[1/2,1]$, where the two Robin parameters at the interior node x=1/2 $x=1/2$ are considered to be different. The algorithm of construction is presented and sufficient conditions for three sequences to be the spectral data of the mentioned boundary problems are given.

In a pilot study, simultaneous infection with Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) and H9N2 virus induced 20% mortality and severe avian airsacculitis, shedding light on animal models of poultry respiratory diseases. However, the pathogenesis is still unclear. In the current study, we hypothesized that C. psittaci infection execrates macrophage function and facilitates H9N2 infection. To explore the potential mechanism, we studied the effect of C. psittaci and H9N2 on the functions of HD11 cells in vitro by simultaneous infection of C. psittaci and H9N2. At the same time, we used infection with C. psittaci or H9N2 alone as the control groups. The results showed that coinfection with C. psittaci and H9N2 could significantly aggravate the mortality of HD11 cells compared to C. psittaci or H9N2 infection alone. In addition, coinfection with C. psittaci and H9N2 did not induce high C. psittaci loads compared to C. psittaci infection alone at 12- and 24-hours post-inoculation (hpi), but coinfection with C. psittaci and H9N2 could increase the loads of H9N2 compared to H9N2 alone in HD11 cells at 12 hpi. More importantly, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression levels, enzyme activity, nitric oxide (NO) production, and phagocytosis were reduced significantly in the group with C. psittaci and H9N2 coinfection compared to those of H9N2 or C. psittaci alone at 24 hpi. Finally, C. psittaci infection induced robust expressions of type Th2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10, while interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) displayed a significant decrease compared to H9N2 infection alone at 24 hpi. All the above data indicate that C. psittaci infection can facilitate H9N2 invasion and to aggravate severe avian airsacculitis by impairing macrophage functions.