Low expression of CCKBR in the acinar cells is associated with insufficient starch hydrolysis in ruminants.

Unlike monogastric animals, ruminants exhibit significantly lower starch digestibility in the small intestine. A better understanding of the physiological mechanisms that regulate digestion patterns in ruminants could lead to an increased use of starch concentrates. Here we show more robust pancreatic exocrine function in adult goats (AG) than in neonatal goats (NG) by combining scRNA-seq and proteomic analysis.

How to develop nature-based solutions for revegetation on abandoned farmland in the Loess Plateau of China?

Adequate revegetation of abandoned farmland acts as a defence against desertification and soil loss, and can help remove carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thereby playing an important role in regulating regional climate change. Legume, a nitrogen-fixation species, which could effectively improve vegetation coverage to control soil erosion, was widely used for revegetation. However, the dynamics of soil and plant development after legume introduction on abandoned farmland remain unclear.

Root exudate-mediated assemblage of rhizo-microbiome enhances Fusarium wilt suppression in chrysanthemum.

Intercropping is emerging as a sustainable strategy to manage soil-borne diseases, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. Here, we investigated how intercropping chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) with ginger (Zingiber officinale) suppressed Fusarium wilt and influenced the associated rhizo-microbiome. Chrysanthemum plants in intercropping systems exhibited a marked reduction in wilt severity and greater biomass compared to those grown in monoculture.

The brassinosteroid signaling-related ILI-OsAIF-OsbHLH92 transcription factor module antagonistically controls leaf angle and grain size in rice.

Atypical basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors, which lack the basic region for DNA binding, are important elements of brassinosteroid (BR) signaling. Recently, our systematic characterization of the rice (Oryza sativa) INCREASED LEAF INCLINATION (ILI) subfamily of atypical bHLHs revealed their indispensable roles in BR-mediated growth and development. Here, we reported the isolation of two additional rice ILI-interacting atypical bHLHs, ATBS1-INTERACTING FACTOR 1 (OsAIF1)/OsbHLH176 and OsAIF2/OsbHLH178.

COBRA-LIKE 9 modulates cotton cell wall development via regulating cellulose deposition.

Plant cell walls are complex and dynamic cellular structures critical for plant growth, development, physiology, and adaptation. Cellulose is one of the most important components of the cell wall. However, how cellulose microfibrils deposit and assemble into crystalline cellulose remains elusive.

CALMODULIN-BINDING RECEPTOR-LIKE CYTOPLASMIC KINASE 3 regulates salt tolerance through CATALASE 2 in Arabidopsis.

Soil salinization threatens global crop production. Here, we report that a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK), CALMODULIN-BINDING RECEPTOR-LIKE CYTOPLASMIC KINASE 3 (CRCK3), plays an essential role in plant salt tolerance via CATALASE 2 (CAT2), a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-scavenging enzyme in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). CRCK3 was induced by salt stress, and its knockout mutant displayed a salt-sensitive phenotype compared to wild-type (WT) plants.

Beneficial microorganisms: Regulating growth and defense for plant welfare.

Beneficial microorganisms (BMs) promote plant growth and enhance stress resistance. This review summarizes how BMs induce growth promotion by improving nutrient uptake, producing growth-promoting hormones and stimulating root development. How BMs enhance disease resistance and help protect plants from abiotic stresses has also been explored.

From Images to Loci: Applying 3D Deep Learning to Enable Multivariate and Multitemporal Digital Phenotyping and Mapping the Genetics Underlying Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Wheat.

The selection and promotion of high-yielding and nitrogen-efficient wheat varieties can reduce nitrogen fertilizer application while ensuring wheat yield and quality and contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture; thus, the mining and localization of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) genes is particularly important, but the localization of NUE genes requires a large amount of phenotypic data support. In view of this, we propose the use of low-altitude aerial photography to acquire field images at a large scale, generate 3-dimensional (3D) point clouds and multispectral images of wheat plots, propose a wheat 3D plot segmentation dataset, quantify the plot canopy height via combination with PointNet++, and generate 4 nitrogen utilization-related vegetation indices via index calculations. Six height-related and 24 vegetation-index-related dynamic digital phenotypes were extracted from the digital phenotypes collected at different time points and fitted to generate dynamic curves.

Ribo-seq and RNA-seq analyses enrich the regulatory network of tomato fruit cracking.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), one of the most widely grown vegetable crops in the world, faces cracking problems before and after harvest. Fruit cracking reduces the commercial value and seriously affects the economic performance of the fruits by affecting the appearance and quality of the fruit.

Non-smooth fixed-time state feedback stabilization of uncertain switched systems with output constraints.

In this paper, non-smooth fixed-time state feedback stabilization of output-constrained uncertain switched systems has been investigated. First, to deal with the output constraints implicitly, a tangent-type barrier Lyapunov function (T-BLF), which degenerates into a quadratic function as the output constraints tend to infinity, is constructed deliberately. Then, the fixed-time state feedback control scheme for the output-constrained uncertain switched systems is established with remoulding the technique called adding a power integrator (AAPI).

PB2 627V and HA 217 sites synergistically affect the lethality of H9N2 in mice.

The H9N2 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) continues to propagate and undergo evolution within China, thereby posing a significant threat to the poultry industry. This study encompassed the collection of 436 samples and swabs in East China over the period spanning 2018 to 2019, from which 31 strains of the H9N2 subtype viruses were isolated and purified. We revealed that the HA and NA genes of the 31 isolates categorized within the Y280 branch, while the PB2 and M genes were associated with the G1 branch, and the remaining genes aligned with the F/98 branch.

Improving the rheological and tribological properties of emulsion-filled gel by ultrasound-assisted cross-linked myofibrillar protein emulsion: Insight into the simulation of oral processing.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasound-assisted cross-linking of myofibrillar protein (MP) emulsions on the enhancement of rheological and tribological properties of emulsion-filled gel. The micro-morphology, texture, water hold capacity (WHC), chemical forces, linear shear rheological behavior, large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS), oil-released content, and simulated oral friction of the water-filled gel (WP-G), the original MP fabricated emulsion-filled gel (NP-G), the crosslinked MP fabricated emulsion-filled gel (NPG-G), and the ultrasound treated crosslinked MP fabricated emulsion-filled gel (NPGU-G) were determined. Results indicated that emulsion as filler phase significantly improved the rheological and tribological properties of the gel, especially for the ultrasound-assisted MP emulsion-filled gel (NPGU-G) group, the smaller droplet size of emulsion contributed to the density and structural uniformity of the gel.

Halogenated bisphenol F compounds: Chlorination-mediated formation and photochemical fate in sunlit surface water.

Halogenated bisphenol compounds are prevalent in urban water systems and may pose greater environmental risks than their bisphenol precursors. This study explored the formation of halogenated bisphenol F (BPF) in water chlorination and their subsequent transformation behaviors in receiving waters. The kinetics and pathways of BPF halogenation with chlorine, bromine, and iodine were firstly investigated.

Point-of-care testing diagnosis of African swine fever virus by targeting multiple genes with enzymatic recombinase amplification and CRISPR/Cas12a System.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection is causing devastating outbreaks globally; pig farming has suffered severe economic losses due to the ASFV. Currently, strict biosecurity control measures can mitigate the incidence of ASF. Rapid, cost-effective, and sensitive detection of ASFV can significantly reduce disease transmission and mortality.

Contribution of fish to food and nutrition security in Southern Africa: challenges and opportunities in fish production.

This study investigated the role of fish in addressing food and nutrition security challenges in Southern Africa, focusing on 10 countries including Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and South Africa. It examined the current state of food and nutrition security, fish production, and fish consumption patterns. Additionally, the study investigated the challenges and opportunities to enhance fish production in these countries thereby enhancing food and nutrition security.

Transcriptional regulatory network reveals key transcription factors for regulating agronomic traits in soybean.

Background: Transcription factors (TFs) bind regulatory genomic regions to orchestrate spatio-temporal expression of target genes. Global dissection of the cistrome is critical for elucidating transcriptional networks underlying complex agronomic traits in crops.

Results: Here, we generate a comprehensive genome-wide binding map for 148 TFs using DNA affinity purification sequencing in soybean.

A multi-omics database of buffaloes from Yangtze valley reveals diversity of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is the fundamental livestock resource for local rural populations and holds a promising prospect of their milk and meat. Xuyi mountain (XYM) and Haizi (HZ) buffaloes from Yangtze valley comprises of species diversity of Asian water buffaloes. Current multi-omics enables identification of causal genes and elucidation of genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying complex traits in buffaloes.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly and de novo annotation of Alopecurus aequalis.

Alopecurus aequalis is a winter annual or short-lived perennial bunchgrass which has in recent years emerged as the dominant agricultural weed of barley and wheat in certain regions of China and Japan, causing significant yield losses. Its robust tillering capacity and high fecundity, combined with the development of both target and non-target-site resistance to herbicides means it is a formidable challenge to food security. Here we report on a chromosome-scale assembly of A.

miR-184, a downregulated ovary-elevated miRNA transcriptionally activated by SREBF2, exerts anti-apoptotic properties in ovarian granulosa cells through inducing SMAD3 expression.

Follicular atresia is the primary threat to female fertility. miRNAs are dysregulated in granulosa cells (GCs) during follicular atresia, and have emerged as crucial regulators of the initiation and progression of follicular atresia. However, the downregulated ovary-elevated (OE) miRNAs and their biological functions in ovary remain elusive.

The Influence of Multicultural Experience on Attitudes Towards New Foods in the U.S.

Many people are resuming overseas sojourns for tourism, studying abroad, and emigration to foreign countries, contributing to the increasingly diverse population in the United States. Thanks to the growing ethnic and racial diversity, American consumers can access global cuisine and are exposed to different cultures and media influences. Previous studies have highlighted the significance of comprehending the cultures of ethnic minorities and their cultural dimensions in the context of marketing context.

A sensitive PnpR-based biosensor for p-nitrophenol detection.

A common aromatic and phenolic pollutant, p-nitrophenol (PNP), is widely used in various industry and has serious risk to the environmental health. Biosensors have been extensively employed as an alternative technology for pollutants monitoring. By mining the new sensing elements, more specific biosensors could be characterized for highly sensitive detection.

Usefulness of differential somatic cell count for udder health monitoring: Identifying referential values for differential somatic cell count in healthy quarters and quarters with subclinical mastitis.

Mastitis, an inflammation of the udder primarily caused by an intramammary infection, is one of the most common diseases in dairy cattle. Somatic cell count (SCC) has been widely used as an indicator of udder inflammation, assisting in the detection of subclinical mastitis. More recently, differential somatic cell count (DSCC), which represents the combined proportion of lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, has become available for routine dairy milk screening, though it was not yet widely studied.

Enhancing broiler growth and carcass quality: impact of diets enriched with Moringa oleifera leaf powder conjugated with zinc nanoparticles.

This study evaluated the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf powder extract stabilized with zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs-MLPE) as a natural growth promoter in broiler diets. Randomly assigned 264 one-day-old Ross 308 chicks to four different feeding treatments, with each group being subdivided into six replicates, each comprising 11 unsexed chicks. The control group was fed a basic diet without additives, while the experimental groups were supplemented with 1.

Dynamic changes in the skin transcriptome for the melanin pigmentation in embryonic chickens.

Dermal hyperpigmentation stands out among the various skin pigmentation phenotypes in chickens, where most other pigmentation variants affect feather color and patterning predominantly. Despite numerous black chicken breeds worldwide, only a select few exhibit comprehensive black pigmentation, which encompasses the skin, meat, flesh, and bones. The process of skin melanin pigmentation is intricate and develops successively.

The effect of using Echinacea extract as an immune system stimulant and antioxidant on blood indicators, growth efficiency, and carcass characteristics in broiler chickens to produce a healthy product.

This study aimed to discover how Echinacea powder extract (EPE), an antioxidant, affects the growth rate, body composition, and blood parameters in broilers as an alternative to antibiotics. In a completely randomized design study, 4 experimental groups received 280 broiler chicks, 5-days-old (Cobb 500). Each group was distributed into 7 replicates, each containing ten unsexed chicks.