Design of a trichogramma balls UAV delivery system and quality analysis of delivery operation

The field boundaries in our country are complex. In attempts to control pests via trichogramma-dominated biological control, the long-term practice of manual trichogramma release has resulted in low control efficiency, thereby impeding sustainable agricultural development. Currently, the novel approach involves utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for trichogramma balls delivery; however, the system is still in its nascent stages, presenting opportunities for enhancement in terms of stability and accuracy. Furthermore, there is a notable absence of comprehensive operational quality assessment standards. In this study, we establish a stable and accurate trichogramma balls delivery system using a four-axis plant protection UAV and introduce a comprehensive evaluation method for trichogramma balls delivery system. When dealing with fields with complex boundaries, it is beneficial to divide them into rectangular, trapezoidal, and stepped small fields at the boundary and perform operations within these small fields. According to our proposed evaluation method, when only considering the effect of field operations, the most effective boundary division shape is trapezoidal, followed by rectangular. and the worst is stepped. If both field operation effectiveness and the utilization effect of placed trichogramma balls are considered, the optimal shape is trapezoidal, then stepped, with rectangular being the least effective. Consequently, for UAV sub-area operations in complex boundary fields, it is advisable to divide the boundaries into trapezoids wherever possible. Field experiment results indicate that the system’s delivery area can reach up to 4158 m²/min and the coverage rate of released trichogramma balls can exceed 97%. The system design methodology and comprehensive operational quality evaluation method proposed in this article provide technical support and scientific basis for the application and promotion of UAV delivery trichogramma balls system. This is conducive to the high-quality development of agriculture

Recent Progress in Phage Therapy to Modulate Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Including in Human and Poultry

Acinetobacter baumannii is a multidrug-resistant and invasive pathogen associated with the etiopathology of both an increasing number of nosocomial infections and is of relevance to poultry production systems. Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has been reported in connection to severe challenges to clinical treatment, mostly due to an increased rate of resistance to carbapenems. Amid the possible strategies aiming to reduce the insurgence of antimicrobial resistance, phage therapy has gained particular importance for the treatment of bacterial infections. This review summarizes the different phage-therapy approaches currently in use for multiple-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, including single phage therapy, phage cocktails, phage–antibiotic combination therapy, phage-derived enzymes active on Acinetobacter baumannii and some novel technologies based on phage interventions. Although phage therapy represents a potential treatment solution for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, further research is needed to unravel some unanswered questions, especially in regard to its in vivo applications, before possible routine clinical use

Propofol inhibits the release of interleukin-6, 8 and tumor necrosis factor-α correlating with high-mobility group box 1 expression in lipopolysaccharides-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells

Abstract Background Studies have found that propofol can inhibit endotoxin-induced monocyte-macrophages to produce various inflammatory factors. This study is to disclose whether the propofol affects the expression of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6), 8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Methods RAW 264.7 cells were divided into four groups for intervention. After culturing for 16 h, the cells and culture supernatants were collected. The expression of HMGB1 in RAW 264.7 cells was detected by Western blot. The levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in supernatants of cells were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Stimulation of LPS increased the expression of HMGB1 and promoted the release of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in supernatants of RAW 264.7 cells (p < 0.05); however, propofol down-regulated the expression of LPS-stimulated HMGB1 and reduced the LPS-stimulated releases of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in supernatants of RAW 264.7 cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, the releases of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α intimately correlated with the expression of HMGB1 in this process (p < 0.05). Conclusion Propofol inhibited the releases of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, and the levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α intimately correlated with the expression of HMGB1, which indicating that propofol may prevent inflammatory responses through reducing the releases of these cytokines and inflammatory mediators

Influence of different preoperative fasting times on women and neonates in cesarean section: a retrospective analysis

Abstract Background This study was to evaluate the impact of different preoperative fasting conditions on women and neonates through a retrospective analysis. Methods A total of 1599 women were divided into 5 groups according to different preoperative fasting times: group A: solid food ≥8 h; clear fluids ≥6 h; B: solid food ≥8 h; clear fluids ≥2 h  8 h and clear fluids > 2 h at least), the incidence rate of hypoglycemia and acidosis of neonates in group C displayed a certain decrease (P <  0.05). Although shorter fasting times (solid food < 6 h at least) reduced the incidence of hypoglycemia and acidosis in neonates, it increased the risk of vomiting of women. Conclusion The preoperative fasting of solid food ≥6 h < 8 h and clear fluids < 2 h reduces the incidence of vomiting in women’s anesthesia and the risk of hypoglycemia and acidosis in neonates

The WY domain in the Phytophthora effector PSR1 is required for infection and RNA silencing suppression activity

Phytophthora pathogens manipulate host innate immunity by secreting numerous RxLR effectors, thereby facilitating pathogen colonization. Predicted single and tandem repeats of WY domains are the most prominent C-terminal motifs conserved across the Phytophthora RxLR superfamily. However, the functions of individual WY domains in effectors remain poorly understood. The Phytophthora sojae effector PSR1 promotes infection by suppressing small RNA biogenesis in plant hosts. We identified one single WY domain following the RxLR motif in PSR1. This domain was required for RNA silencing suppression activity and infection in Nicotiana benthamiana, Arabidopsis and soybean. Mutations of the conserved residues in the WY domain did not affect the subcellular localization of PSR1 but abolished its effect on plant development and resistance to viral and Phytophthora pathogens. This is at least in part due to decreased protein stability of the PSR1 mutants in planta. The identification of the WY domain in PSR1 allows predicts that a family of PSR1-like effectors also possess RNA silencing suppression activity. Mutation of the conserved residues in two members of this family, PpPSR1L from P. parasitica and PcPSR1L from P. capsici, perturbed their biological functions, indicating that the WY domain is critical in Phytophthora PSR1 and PSR1-like effectors

The WY

Phytophthora pathogens manipulate host innate immunity by secreting numerous RxLR effectors, thereby facilitating pathogen colonization. Predicted single and tandem repeats of WY domains are the most prominent C-terminal motifs conserved across the Phytophthora RxLR superfamily. However, the functions of individual WY domains in effectors remain poorly understood. The Phytophthora sojae effector PSR1 promotes infection by suppressing small RNA biogenesis in plant hosts. We identified one single WY domain following the RxLR motif in PSR1. This domain was required for RNA silencing suppression activity and infection in Nicotiana benthamiana, Arabidopsis and soybean. Mutations of the conserved residues in the WY domain did not affect the subcellular localization of PSR1 but abolished its effect on plant development and resistance to viral and Phytophthora pathogens. This is at least in part due to decreased protein stability of the PSR1 mutants in planta. The identification of the WY domain in PSR1 allows predicts that a family of PSR1-like effectors also possess RNA silencing suppression activity. Mutation of the conserved residues in two members of this family, PpPSR1L from P. parasitica and PcPSR1L from P. capsici, perturbed their biological functions, indicating that the WY domain is critical in Phytophthora PSR1 and PSR1-like effectors

Assessment of Mound Soils Bacterial Community of the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i> across Guangdong Province of China

Soil microbes have a wide range of distribution across the world and can be found in different agricultural and forest systems including cultivated soils, ant mounds, decaying trees, leaves, roots, and on insect bodies. Across five counties of Guangdong province of China, the assemblage of bacterial associates of red imported fire ant (RIFA) were examined. The locations were selected based on evidence of high presence of RIFA mounds in these regions. Samples were analyzed from mound soils, plant debris within mounds, and the ant body. The current study analyzed bacterial species composition and richness patterns, where 525 isolates were recovered in total, comprising 44 bacterial taxa. Taxa abundance was highest in the ant body at 35 taxa, while the values were relatively similar across soil substrate and plant debris, where 3 and 6 taxa, respectively, were recorded. The highest bacterial taxa recovery rate was recorded in Guangzhou, where a total of 17 taxa were isolated. Myroides odoratimimus was the most common across all substrates and locations among the bacterial taxa. Others with the highest isolation frequencies includes, Enterobacter cloacae, Vagococcus fluvialis, and Myroides odoratus. The understanding of the bacterial community composition of RIFA is crucial for the development of successful management techniques for these notorious social ants. In order to expand on the findings of the current study, it is imperative to understand if the associated microbial communities of the RIFA form a parasitic, antagonistic, or mutualistic relationship with their host. In this vein, further studies would examine the influence of the characterized bacterial associates of the RIFA on the social behavior, physiology, and the host response to foreign pathogens

Co-administration of 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (g-PPT) and EGFR-TKI overcomes EGFR-TKI resistance by decreasing SCD1 induced lipid accumulation in non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with sensitive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are successfully treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs); however, resistance to treatment inevitably occurs. Given lipid metabolic reprogramming is widely known as a hallmark of cancer and intimately linked with EGFR-stimulated cancer growth. Activation of EGFR signal pathway increased monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and lipid metabolism key enzyme Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1 (SCD1) expression. However the correlation between EGFR-TKI resistance and lipid metabolism remains to be determined. Methods In this study the differences in lipid synthesis between paired TKI-sensitive and TKI-resistant patient tissues and NSCLC cell lines were explored. Oleic acid (OA, a kind of MUFA, the SCD1 enzymatic product) was used to simulate a high lipid metabolic environment and detected the affection on the cytotoxic effect of TKIs (Gefitinib and osimertinib) in cell lines with EGFR-activating mutations. (20S)-Protopanaxatriol (g-PPT), an aglycone of ginsenosides, has been reported to be an effective lipid metabolism inhibitor, was used to inhibit lipid metabolism. Additionally, synergism in cytotoxic effects and signal pathway activation were evaluated using CCK-8 assays, Western blotting, flow cytometry, Edu assays, plate clone formation assays and immunofluorescence. Furthermore, two xenograft mouse models were used to verify the in vitro results. Results Gefitinib-resistant cells have higher lipid droplet content and SCD1 expression than Gefitinib-sensitive cells in both NSCLC cell lines and patient tissues. Additionally oleic acid (OA, a kind of MUFA, the SCD1 enzymatic product) abrogates the cytotoxic effect of both Gefitinib and osimertinib in cell lines with EGFR-activating mutations. As a reported effective lipid metabolism inhibitor, g-PPT significantly inhibited the expression of SCD1 in lung adenocarcinoma cells, and then down-regulated the content of intracellular lipid droplets. Combined treatment with Gefitinib and g-PPT reverses the resistance to Gefitinib and inhibits the activation of p-EGFR and the downstream signaling pathways. Conclusions Our findings uncover a link between lipid metabolic reprogramming and EGFR-TKI resistance, confirmed that combination target both EGFR and abnormal lipid metabolism maybe a promising therapy for EGFR-TKI resistance and highlighting the possibility of monitoring lipid accumulation in tumors for predicting drug resistance

The effects of glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists on weight and glycaemic control in Prader-Willi syndrome: A systematic review

10.1111/cen.14583CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY962144-15