JTF-SqueezeNet: A SqueezeNet network based on joint time-frequency data representation for egg-laying detection in individually caged ducks.

Accurate individual egg-laying detection is crucial for eliminating low-yielding breeder ducks and improving production efficiency. However, existing methods are often expensive and require strict environmental conditions. This study proposes a data processing method based on wearable sensors and joint time-frequency representation (TFR), aimed at accurately identifying egg-laying in ducks.

Zearalenone exacerbates lipid metabolism disorders by promoting liver lipid droplet formation and disrupting gut microbiota.

Zearalenone (ZEA), produced by Fusarium, is a fungal toxin commonly found in maize, wheat, and other cereals. ZEA has the ability to bind to estrogen receptors of humans and animals and is an environmental endocrine disruptor that may interfere with glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. In this study, we first investigated the effects of chronic exposure to low doses of ZEA with a high-fat-diet (HFD) in obese C57BL/6 J mice.

Epigenetics in the modern era of crop improvements.

Epigenetic mechanisms are integral to plant growth, development, and adaptation to environmental stimuli. Over the past two decades, our comprehension of these complex regulatory processes has expanded remarkably, producing a substantial body of knowledge on both locus-specific mechanisms and genome-wide regulatory patterns. Studies initially grounded in the model plant Arabidopsis have been broadened to encompass a diverse array of crop species, revealing the multifaceted roles of epigenetics in physiological and agronomic traits.

Comparative Proteomic Atlas of Two Soybean Varieties with Contrasting Seed Oil and Protein Content.

As complex quantitative traits, soybean seed oil and protein contents are governed by dynamic proteome networks that remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the dynamic changes of the proteome during seed maturation across two soybean varieties with contrasting seed oil and protein content. Through optimizing the detectability of low-abundance proteins and utilizing library-free data-independent acquisition (directDIA) mass spectrometry, we unprecedentedly identified 7414 proteins and 3975 protein groups (PGs), substantially expanding the soybean seed proteome.

Field-scale screening of pumpkin cultivars for cost-effectiveness of "repairing while producing" in cadmium-arsenic co-contaminated agricultural land.

Soil contamination with heavy metals poses a significant health risk as these metals can be transferred to humans through agricultural products. This study aimed to identify pumpkin varieties with low cadmium and arsenic accumulation. To this end, we evaluated 25 pumpkin varieties.

Novel full-thickness biomimetic corneal model for studying pathogenesis and treatment of diabetic keratopathy.

Diabetic keratopathy (DK), a significant complication of diabetes, often leads to corneal damage and vision impairment. Effective models are essential for studying DK pathogenesis and evaluating potential therapeutic interventions. This study developed a novel biomimetic full-thickness corneal model for the first time, incorporating corneal epithelial cells, stromal cells, endothelial cells, and nerves to simulate DK conditions .

Comprehensive Passivation of Surface and Bulk Defects in Perovskite for High Efficiency Carbon-Based CsPbI Solar Cells.

Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) have the advantages of high stability and low cost, but their mean efficiency has become an obstacle to commercialization. Defects, which are widely distributed on the surface and bulk of films, are an important factor in C-PSCs for low efficiency. The conventional post-treatment method through forming a low-dimensional (LD) perovskite layer usually fails in manipulating the bulk defects.

On Demand Copper Electrochemical Deposition on Laser Induced Graphene for Flexible Electronics.

The rapid development of flexible electronics necessitates simplified processes that integrate heterogeneous materials and structures. In this study, laser engraving is combined with electrochemical deposition (ECD) to directly fabricate various micro/nano-structured components and flexible electronic circuits. A theoretical framework and simulation model are developed to design the on-demand ECD on laser induced graphene (LIG), enabling the generation of multi-scale copper (Cu) materials with controllable oxidation states.

Precise deletion, replacement and inversion of large DNA fragments in plants using dual prime editing.

Precise manipulation of genome structural variations holds great potential for plant trait improvement and biological research. Here we present a genome-editing approach, dual prime editing (DualPE), that efficiently facilitates precise deletion, replacement and inversion of large DNA fragments in plants. In our experiments, DualPE enabled the production of specific genomic deletions ranging from ~500 bp to 2 Mb in wheat protoplasts and plants.

Purification, characterization, and mechanistic studies of Gassericin GA-3.1: A novel class IIc bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus gasseri LG145.

Bacteriocins, naturally derived antimicrobial peptides, are considered promising alternatives to traditional preservatives and antibiotics, particularly in food and medical applications. Despite extensive research on various bacteriocins, cyclic varieties remain understudied. This study introduces Gassericin GA-3.

Advances of Selenium in Poultry Nutrition and Health.

Selenium is widely acknowledged as an indispensable trace element for humans and various animals, including poultry. The addition of selenium in appropriate doses plays a crucial role in promoting poultry growth and reproduction. Conversely, both deficiency and excessive intake of selenium can pose significant threats to poultry health and production performance.

Gut microbial communities and transcriptional profiles of black soldier fly (Hermitia illucens) larvae fed on fermented sericulture waste.

Sericulture waste poses significant challenges to industrial and environmental safety. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) offer a promising solution for organic waste management by converting it into insect protein. This study aimed to develop a microbial fermented method for utilizing sericulture waste to feed BSFL and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Stage-specific expression and divergent functions of two insulinase-like proteases associated with host infectivity in Cryptosporidium.

Background: The determinants of differences in host infectivity among Cryptosporidium species and subtypes are poorly understood. Results from recent comparative genomic studies suggest that gains and losses of multicopy subtelomeric genes encoding insulinase-like proteases (INS-19 and INS-20 in Cryptosporidium parvum and their orthologs in closely related species) may potentially contribute to these differences.

Methodology/principal Findings: In this study, we investigated the expression and biological function of the INS-19 and INS-20 of C.

Glyphosate-Based Herbicide Stress During Pregnancy Impairs Intestinal Development in Newborn Piglets by Modifying DNA Methylation.

Glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH), a feed contaminant, has been proven to impair the growth and development of humans and animals. Previous research has revealed that maternal toxin exposure during pregnancy could cause permanent fetal changes by epigenetic modulation. However, there was insufficient evidence of the involvement of DNA methylation in maternal GBH exposure-induced intestinal health of offspring.

MaGA20ox2f, an OsSD1 homolog, regulates flowering time and fruit yield in banana.

Unlabelled: Previous studies illustrated that two banana GA20 oxidase2 (MaGA20ox2) genes, and , are implicated in controlling banana growth and development; however, the biological function of each gene remains unknown. Ma04g15900 protein (termed MaGA20ox2f in this article) is the closest homolog to the Rice SD1 (encoded by 'green revolution gene', ) in the banana genome. The expression of is confined to leaves, peduncles, fruit peels, and pulp.

A Highly Efficient System for Separating Glandular and Non-glandular Trichome of Cucumber Fruit for Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis.

Cucumber () trichomes play a critical role in resisting external biological and abiotic stresses. Glandular trichomes are particularly significant as they serve as sites for the synthesis and secretion of secondary metabolites, while non-glandular trichomes are pivotal for determining the appearance quality of cucumbers. However, current methods for separating trichomes encounter challenges such as low efficiency and insufficient accuracy, limiting their applicability in multi-omics sequencing studies.

Tracing the change of the volatile compounds of soy sauce at different fermentation times by PTR-TOF-MS, -nose and GC-MS.

Proton-transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS), combined with electronic nose (-nose), was first used to track the change of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soy sauce in this study. The results showed that 163 VOCs with different mass numbers were identified. Based on the differences in VOCs, the entire fermentation cycle was divided into four stages (0D and 15D; 30D-75D; 90D; 105D-120D).

Initial abiotic factors as key drivers in core microbe assembly: Regulatory effects on flavor profiles in light-flavor .

Instability in initial abiotic factors of open solid-state fermentation systems can significantly alter 's flavor profile, but the mechanisms governing microbial interactions and flavor formation remain unclear. This study comprehensively monitored changes in abiotic factors, microbial communities, and flavor profiles across two distinct fermentation processes in a distillery, which differed significantly in their management of initial abiotic factors. Our results revealed significant differences in abiotic factors between the two groups, including moisture, ethanol, acidity, glucose, and organic acid levels.

Roles of oolong tea extracts in the protection against Staphylococcus aureus infection in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Oolong tea, a popular traditional Chinese tea, possesses various bioactivities, but little is known about its roles in the protection against pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, in vivo. This study investigated the roles of the water-soluble oolong tea extracts (OTE) on S. aureus infection in Caenorhabditis elegans, a promising model to study the host-microbe interactions in vivo.

Gibberellin-3 induced dormancy and suppression of flower bud formation in pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus).

Background: Flowering is a complex, finely regulated process involving multiple phytohormones and transcription factors. However, flowering regulation in pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) remains largely unexamined. This study addresses this gap by investigating gibberellin-3 (GA3) effects on flower bud (FB) development in pitaya.

Utilization of wall-breaking sludge for improving soil structure in abandoned mine land.

Promoting soil structure is considered an essential prerequisite for abandoned mine land restoration. Sewage sludge (SS) has the potential to improve soil structure. However, traditional SS application to improve soil structure requires a lot of SS, potentially exacerbating heavy metal (HM) contamination.

Y-27632 and dual media culture approach promote the construction and transplantation of rabbit limbal epithelial cell sheets via cell spheroid culture and auto-bioprinting.

The shortage of corneal donors and the limitations in tissue engineering grafts, such as biocompatibility and mechanical properties, pose significant challenges in corneal transplantation. Here, for the first time, we investigate the effect of Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 and a dual media culture approach, including proliferative media (M1) and stabilizing media (M2), on rabbit limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs), aiming to explore the feasibility of constructing corneal cell sheets in vitro through auto-bioprinting and assessing their corneal wound healing capacity in vivo. Y-27632 has primarily demonstrated significantly enhanced LESCs growth, proliferation, and reduced apoptosis.

A lamb freshness detection model using a flexible optoelectronic in-situ sensing system and multi-input multi-label causal ensemble learning.

Efficient, non-destructive and real-time meat freshness assessment has always been a hot research topic. This paper presents a novel approach for detecting lamb meat freshness using a flexible optoelectronic sensing system combined with an integrated learning model. We developed a flexible impedance sensing system and a flexible optical sensing system through laser direct writing and transfer technology.

Mangroves increased the mercury methylation potential in the sediment by producing organic matters and altering microbial methylators community.

Mangrove ecosystem has attracted global attention as a hotspot for mercury (Hg) methylation. Although numerous biotic and abiotic parameters have been reported to influence methylmercury (MeHg) production in sediments, the key factors determining the elevated MeHg levels in mangrove wetlands have not been well addressed. In this study, Hg levels in the sediments from different habitats (mudflats, mangrove fringe, and mangrove interior) in the Futian mangrove wetland were investigated, aiming to characterize the predominant factors affecting the MeHg production and distinguish the key microbial taxa responsible for Hg methylation.

Synergistic effect of proanthocyanidins and cefquinoxime sulfate on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

To address the severe problem of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) resistance, this study identified a single component from traditional Chinese medicine that, when used in combination with existing antibiotics, enhances the therapeutic efficacy of the antimicrobial drugs. Using the micro broth dilution method and the checkerboard dilution method, susceptibility tests were conducted on ten commonly used β-lactam antibiotics against eleven strains of MRSA. It was found that cefquinome sulfate exhibits synergistic activity with PROs.