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In recent years, as an important part of precision agricultural aviation, the plant protection unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been widely studied and applied worldwide, especially in East Asia. Banana, as a typical large broad-leaved crop, has high requirements for pests and diseases control. The mechanization degree of plant protection management in banana orchard is low. Therefore, our study focuses on the effects of different flight heights (3-5 m) and droplet sizes (50-150 μm) of plant protection UAV on the droplet deposition distribution characteristics of banana canopy. And the droplet deposition distribution in banana canopy and spraying drift of plant protection UAV and ground air-assisted sprayer were compared. The results showed that droplet size was the main factor affecting droplet deposition density, coverage, uniformity and penetration on both sides of banana canopy leaves. The droplet deposition density and coverage on the adaxial side of leaves were mostly significantly larger than that on the abaxial side. The flight height of 4 m and the droplet size of 100 μm could make the adaxial side of banana canopy leaves have higher droplet deposition density (63.77 droplets per square cm) and coverage (12.75%), and can make the droplets effectively deposit on the abaxial side of banana canopy leaves, with droplet deposition density of 17.46 droplets per square cm and coverage of 1.24%. Choosing an appropriate flight height and a droplet size could improve the droplet deposition uniformity on both sides of banana canopy leaves, but the improvement was not significant. Moreover, at a same operational parameter combination, it was difficult to achieve the best droplet deposition density, coverage, uniformity and penetration at the same time. In addition, appropriately increasing the flight height and droplet size could help to improve the droplet deposition penetration on the adaxial side of banana canopy leaves, but there were few significant improvements. Compared with the plant protection UAV, the ground air-assisted sprayer had higher droplet deposition density and coverage on the abaxial side of banana canopy leaves, but had smaller droplet deposition coverage on the adaxial side. The droplet deposition density and coverage on the abaxial side of banana canopy leaves were obviously larger than the adaxial side during the spraying of ground air-assisted sprayer. The droplet drift distance of the ground air-assisted sprayer was farther than the plant protection UAV. The test results of this study can provide practical and data support for the UAV aerial application in banana orchard, and provide a valuable reference for the implementation of air-ground cooperation spraying strategy in banana orchard, which is of great significance to promote sustainable and intelligent phytoprotection of banana orchard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Pesticide spraying constitutes an essential component of the production and management regimen within banana orchards, extending throughout the entire growth cycle of the banana plants. Exploring the intricate interplay between surfactants, pesticide formulations, and the evolving surface properties of banana leaves throughout their growth stages is critical to the enhancement of pesticide application methods and the elevation of agricultural productivity. RESULTS: Through investigating the regulatory impact of surfactants on the physicochemical properties of medicinal solutions, this study elucidates the interaction mechanism between the physicochemical properties of pesticides and the surface characteristics of banana leaves. The findings reveal that the energy dissipation rate of pesticide droplets exhibits a natural exponential rise in correlation with the increase in both the We number and the concentration of surfactant present. Comparatively, the adaxial surface of banana leaves demonstrates superior spreading and adhesion properties for droplets than the abaxial surface. Specifically, droplets containing the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate on the adaxial surface of banana leaves are found to spread well with a reduced retraction effect. Conversely, the application of the non‐ionic surfactant fatty acid polyoxyethylene ether (AEO‐3) on the abaxial surface of banana leaves is more beneficial for the wetting and retention of droplets. As banana leaves grow, there is a noted decline in the spreading and retraction properties of droplets. However, droplets have a higher propensity to wet and adhere to the surfaces of mature banana leaves. CONCLUSION: To bolster the adherence of pesticide droplets to leaf surfaces, it is imperative to ensure they possess superior spreading properties and a controlled retraction pace. This facilitates an extended period of contact and enhanced stability, thereby optimizing the spray's deposition efficacy. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural (5‐HMF) is an important biomass‐based platform compound that links biomass feedstocks with petrochemical refinery products. In this work, we developed a novel approach using triethylbenzylammonium chloride (TEBAC)‐based acidic deep eutectic solvents (ADESs) to synthesize 5‐HMF through the dehydration of fructose. Our approach demonstrates significant improvements in both 5‐HMF yield and process efficiency compared to conventional solvent systems. Under optimal experimental conditions (90 °C, 4.5 h), a maximum 5‐HMF yield of 97.77±3.20 % was achieved at a TEBAC:acetic acid ratio of 2 : 3 with 1 wt % fructose loading, which represents a notable advancement over other methods. Notably, our system inhibits the formation of by‐products such as levulinic acid (LA) and formic acid (FA), which are commonly detected in other dehydration processes. Additionally, higher 5‐HMF yields of 76.67±0.33 % and 73.51±1.14 % were achieved with 10 wt % and 20 wt % fructose loadings, respectively, further highlighting the scalability of the process. The acidity of ADESs was found to significantly affect the dehydration rate and yield, as demonstrated through Hammett's acidity function analysis. The key innovation of our study lies in the strategic selection of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors in the DES, enabling both high efficiency and selectivity in 5‐HMF production. These findings provide a promising pathway for large‐scale biomass conversion with reduced by‐product formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issue of traditional static evaluation models being unable to comprehensively analyze the performance of ultra-supercritical coal-fired units under varying loads, we propose a dynamic comprehensive evaluation model based on the improved Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) method and entropy weight method (EWM). The comprehensive performance evaluation index system of ultra-supercritical coal fired units is constructed by examining the boiler performance, turbine performance, plant power performance, environmental performance, and flexible performance of coal-powered units. The CRITIC and EWM methods are used to calculate the weights of the indicators, which are then combined with the static evaluation results. Using a dynamic comprehensive evaluation model, we analyze ultra-supercritical coal-fired units, taking into account time weight. This allows us to obtain the comprehensive dynamic real-time evaluation value of the units under different loads. The research indicates that the weight of the evaluation index is changed when using the dynamic comprehensive evaluation model of the improved CRITIC and EWM. The index with lower weight is increased by 6.2%, while the index with higher weight is decreased by 0.22%. This alteration in weight range can provide a more objective reflection of the relationship between evaluation indicators. This model offers significant advantages in improving evaluation accuracy, weight balance distribution, and generality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This study explored the response and molecular mechanism of nitrogen metabolism of potato varieties with different nitrogen efficiencies to low nitrogen stress to provide basis for nitrogen-efficient breeding and high-yield cultivation. [Method] The nitrogen-efficient variety of Jizhangshu 12 and the nitrogen-inefficient variety of Youjia 70 were selected for pot experiments with low N treatment (3 mmol/L) and normal N application treatment (15 mmol/L). The dry mass, nitrogen accumulation, nitrate reductase (NR) activity, nitrite reductase (NiR) activity, glutamine synthetase (GS) activity and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) activity were measured 30 days after seedlings emerging, and the transcriptome se-quencing was performed on Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. DESeq was used for differential gene analysis. The GO and KEGG Pathway databases were used to analyze the differentially expressed genes involved in nitrogen stress. [Result] The dry mass, nitrogen accumulation, NR activity, NiR activity, GS activity and GOGAT activity of Jizhangshu 12 were higher than those of Youjia 70 under two nitrogen application rates. Compared to normal nitrogen application, the dry mass, nitrogen accumulation, leaf NR activity and NiR activity were significantly reduced and root GS activity was significantly increased by low nitrogen stress. The GS activity and GOGAT activity of leaves and GOGAT activity of roots in Youjia 70 were significantly reduced. The NiR activity of roots in Jizhangshu 12 was significantly reduced. The transcriptome analysis revealed 6 173 differentially expressed genes in leaves and 249 differentially expressed genes in roots of Youjia 70. There were 3 455 and 1 990 differentially expressed genes in leaves and roots of Jizhangshu 12, respectively. The GO and KEGG analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes of Jizhangshu 12 mainly involved in biological processes such as nitrogen metabolism and amino acid metabolism, while the differentially expressed genes of Youjia 70 mainly involved in biological processes such as photosynthesis. There was 1 differentially expressed gene in the nitrogen metabolism pathway enriched in roots of Youjia 70 and there were 8 differentially expressed genes in Jizhangshu 12. There were 11 and 8 differentially expressed genes in leaves of Youjia 70 and Jizhangshu 12, respectively. Phenylalanine metabolism involved the most in the upregulation of differentially expressed genes in leaves of Youjia 70 and Jizhangshu 12, and the expressions of encoding phenylalanine aminase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase were significantly upregulated. [Conclusion] Under low-nitrogen conditions, the nitrogen-efficient variety of Jizhangshu 12 had higher activities for nitrogen metabolism-related enzymes to mitigate the effect of low-nitrogen stress on nitrogen metabolism and ensure high nitrogen efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porphyromonas gingivalis ( P. gingivalis ) is a gram-negative bacterium and the main causative agent of periodontitis, a disease closely associated with the development of periodontal disease. The progression of periodontitis, a chronic infectious disease, is intricately linked to the inflammatory immune response. Inflammatory cytokines act on periodontal tissues via immunomodulation, resulting in the destruction of the periodontal tissue. Recent studies have established connections between periodontitis and various systemic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases are neurological disorders caused by immune system dysfunction, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. One of the main characteristics of neurodegenerative diseases is an impaired inflammatory response, which mediates neuroinflammation through microglial activation. Some studies have shown an association between periodontitis and neurodegenerative diseases, with P. gingivalis as the primary culprit. P. gingivalis can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or mediate neuroinflammation and injury through a variety of pathways, including the gut-brain axis, thereby affecting neuronal growth and survival and participating in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. However, comprehensive and systematic summaries of studies on the infectious origin of neurodegenerative diseases are lacking. This article reviews and summarizes the relationship between P. gingivalis and neurodegenerative diseases and its possible regulatory mechanisms. This review offers new perspectives into the understanding of neurodegenerative disease development and highlights innovative approaches for investigating and developing tailored medications for treating neurodegenerative conditions, particularly from the viewpoint of their association with P. gingivalis ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Huang, Hao, Shi, Wang, Yuan, Yuan and Wang.)

Intestinal microbiota community is an important factor affecting the nutritional and health status of poultry, and its balance is crucial for improving the overall health of poultry. The study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract (GUE), Lactobacillus acidophilus (Lac) and their combination (GL) on growth performance and intestinal health in broilers in an 84-day feeding experiment. Supplementary 0.1% GUE and 4.5×10 7 CFU/g Lac significantly increased average daily gain (ADG), and GL (0.1% GUE and 4.5×10 7 CFU/g Lac) increased ADG and average daily feed intake (ADFI), and decreased feed conversion rate (FCR) in broilers aged 29 to 84 d and 1 to 84 d. Dietary GUE, Lac and GL increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity and decreased Malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the jejunum mucosa of broilers, and increased secretory IgA (sIgA) content in broilers at 84 d. Moreover, GUE, Lac and GL increased cecal microbial richness and diversity, and modulated microbial community composition. Both GUE and Lac reduced the harmful bacteria Epsilonbacteraeota , Helicobacter , and H. pullorum at 28 d and Proteobacteria , Escherichia , and E. coli at 84 d, while Lac and GL increased beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus and L. gallinarum at 28 d. Compared with individual supplementation, GL markedly increased the SOD activity and the sIgA content, and reduced Helicobacter and Helicobacter pullorum . In conclusion, GUE and Lactobacillus acidophilus as feed additives benefit growth performance and intestinal health, and their combined use shows an even more positive effect in broilers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Li, Yuan, Chen, Li, Jiang, Zha Xi, Zhang and Lu.)