Open Field Research Articles

A small autonomous field robot for strawberry harvesting

This paper presents the subsystem descriptions and testing of a small robotic platform intended to harvest strawberries that are grown on elevated beds in open field conditions. Agricultural robots can assist in the optimization of farm resources and help solve issues related to increasing farm costs and labor shortages. Monolithic, large size harvesters are already in development; however, they are susceptible to single-point-of-failure and lack the flexibility to adapt to varying field conditions and farm sizes. The proposed robotic harvester covers one row at a time and features a Delta arm configuration manipulator with a five-finger structure as the end-effector to individually pick strawberries. A deep neural network-based vision subsystem using a YOLOv4 model was adopted, which was configured to detect small objects and to locate and classify strawberries into five stages of maturity. During experiments on a commercial farm, the proposed platform, including vision, manipulation, and overbed navigation and control subsystems, achieved an overall success rate of 71.7% for five environment scenarios, with a minimum of 37.5% (the most complicated scenario) and a maximum of 94.0% (the easiest scenario). The average harvesting speed of the system was 7.5 s per strawberry.

A Novel Interaction of Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) as a Biological Control Agent of Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) in Potato.

Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a generalist predator commonly used to control the whitefly Bemisia tabaci in Europe. This mirid has been found and established in South Texas, where it was initially observed feeding on nymphs of the psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) in open tomato fields. B. cockerelli is the vector of the fastidious bacterium "Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum" that causes diseases in several solanaceous crops, including zebra chip (ZC) disease in potatoes. There is a need to better understand how this predator impacts the control of important crop pests, such as potato psyllids. We assessed the interactions between N. tenuis and B. cockerelli in three different environmental settings. First, we estimated the numeric response of N. tenuis preying on B. cockerelli under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Second, we evaluated the predator-prey interaction under controlled field cage conditions. Then, we exposed N. tenuis under controlled field release conditions to the natural occurrence of B. cockerelli. Finally, we assessed the compatibility between the use of N. tenuis as a biological control agent in a field study and its impact on ZC disease incidence, severity in potato tubers, and potato yield. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments resulted in diverse types of functional model responses, including exponential and linear mathematical models. Our findings revealed a significant predation effect exerted by N. tenuis, resulting in a reduction of more than fourfold in the number of B. cockerelli nymphs per cage. Specifically, the nymphal population decreased from 21 ± 3.2 in the absence of N. tenuis to 5 ± 1.6 when N. tenuis was present. Furthermore, the combination of N. tenuis with a reduced insecticide program increased potato yields, but only reduced ZC tuber incidence in one of two potato cultivars evaluated, and in one season. Findings from these studies indicate that N. tenuis could be effective as a biological control agent for B. cockerelli in potato production in South Texas. This is the first report of N. tenuis preying on immature stages of any psyllid species.

Familiar versus unfamiliar: Revealing the complexity of sociability in pigs

Social behaviours are fundamental to gregarious animals and a dynamic force driving social structures, conflicts and cooperation. As a personality trait, sociability is defined as the individual reaction to the presence or absence of conspecifics and the motivation to associate with them. Research on sociability has been scarce compared to other personality traits, thus limiting our understanding of individual social behaviours which could potentially reflect it. To tackle this issue, we used a comprehensive approach, combining individual testing and Social Network Analysis. We designed a Novel Peer Test (NPT) to investigate sociability towards an unfamiliar conspecific. We conducted the NPT on 80 male domestic pigs at 6 weeks of age divided into 5 replicated groups over time. Each pig was confronted with an unfamiliar conspecific, separated by a fence in a familiar environment. To complement the NPT, we performed established personality tests, including an Open Field Test, Novel Object Test, Human Approach Test. All tests were repeated after two weeks. Pigs’ social interactions in the home pen were recorded and used for Social Network Analysis, and the associated weighted degree and betweenness centrality were calculated. Through Principal Component Analysis, we found that the NPT highlighted pigs’ motivation to interact with an unfamiliar conspecific, hence an aspect of sociability, and independently from novelty seeking. Additionally, the NPT may be a suitable personality test given that the behavioural profiles of the pigs were consistent over time. Pigs’ network positions in the home pen for non-agonistic interactions did not predict behaviours in the NPT. Specifically, there were no links between nosing and play during the NPT and nosing and play in the home pen. This may be due to the different contexts, as the social interactions occurred dyadically with an unfamiliar conspecific during the NPT while the social networks are based on unrestrained social interactions with a group of familiar pen-mates. In contrast, walking close to the fence separating the focal and novel pig during the NPT was predicted by agonistic interactions in the home pen. This behaviour is ambiguous to interpret since it additionally loaded on the extracted sociability trait, thus, it could be driven by sociability and/or aggression. Understanding pigs’ sociability will have implications for their welfare, highlighting the need for an adequate social environment to properly express different levels of sociability.

Effect of Windbreaks (Casuarina equisetifolia L.) on Productivity of Paddy in South Gujarat

The intentional integration of trees into an agroecosystem results in agroforestry practices such as windbreak, which simultaneously help the economy, the environment, and society. It is a crucial tool for safeguarding agricultural land and boosting crop productivity. An investigation was therefore conducted to determine the impact of windbreaks (Casuarina equisetifolia L.) on paddy productivity in South Gujarat. In the current study, we found that environmental competition caused paddy growth and production to decrease close to the Casuarina windbreak. The impact of the windbreaks on paddy growth and yield became positive, and the continuously increased distance from the windbreaks reached its maximum at 17 m (Plant height 97.34 cm, number of tillers per plant 11.17, total fresh weight plant 17,799 kg ha-1, dry straw weight 6,577 kg ha-1 and grain yield 4,103 kg ha-1) and then gradually decreased (plant height 83 cm, tillers per plant 8.17, total fresh weight plant 12,315 kg ha-1, dry straw weight 4,855 kg ha-1 and grain yield 3,101 kg ha-1). The wind velocity maximum (4.57 km hr-1) close to windbreaks exhibits an opposite tendency, decreasing continually to a minimum (3.32 km hr-1) at a distance of 17 meters from the windbreaks before increasing once again. In addition, this system's net returns (Rs. 40,619) and benefit-cost ratio (0.61) were noticeably higher than those of open fields (Rs. 34,749 and benefit cost ration 0.52). In contrast to the control, the pH of the soil beneath the windbreak was reported to be considerably closer to neutral (7.46), while electrical conductivity (0.19 dS/m) was reduced. The impact of windbreaks was found to considerably increase soil organic carbon (0.68%), accessible nitrogen (234.46 kg/ha), phosphorus (75.75 kg/ha), and potassium (398.07 kg/ha) as compared to control. According to the study's overall findings, windbreak-protected paddy fields perform noticeably better than open ones.

Influence of Different Growing Conditions on Growth Parameters of Banana Varieties

Banana is one of the most widely consumed and economically important fruit crop in the world. It is the second most important fruit crop in India after the mango with respect to area. The present experiment investigates the growth and physiological parameters like pseudostem height, pseudostem girth, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, number of functional leaves, total number of leaves per plant, days taken for phyllochron, chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance in different banana varieties under different growing conditions over a two year research period (2021 – 2022 and 2022 – 2023) at MHREC, UHS, Bagalkot, India. The experiment consisted of six treatments (T1- G1V1 – Ney Poovan under net house condition, T2 – G1V2 – Grand Naine under net house condition, T3 – G1V3 – Rajapuri under net house condition, T4 – G2V1 – Ney Poovan under open field condition, T5 – G2V2 – Grand Naine under open field condition, T6 – G2V3 – Rajapuri under open field condition) laid out in FRCBD with 4 replications. Results revealed that growth parameters such as the highest pseudostem girth, leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf area, number of functional leaves, total number of leaves per plant and chlorophyll content was found to be highest in banana variety Grand Naine grown under net house condition. Whereas, the days taken for phyllochron and stomatal conductance was recorded minimum in Grand Naine under net house conditions.

Neuroprotective effect of human cord blood-derived extracellular vesicles by improved neuromuscular function and reduced gliosis in a rat model of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary condition characterized by the gradual deterioration of nerve cells in the striatum. Recent scientific investigations have revealed the promising potential of Extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a therapy to mitigate inflammation and enhance motor function. This study aimed to examine the impact of administering EVs derived from human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) on the motor abilities and inflammation levels in a rat model of HD. After ultracentrifugation to prepare EVs from HUCB to determine the nature of the obtained contents, the expression of CD markers 81 and 9, the average size and also the morphology of its particles were investigated by DLS and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Then, in order to induce the HD model, 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) neurotoxin was injected intraperitoneal into the rats, after treatment by HUCB-EVs, rotarod, electromyogram (EMG) and the open field tests were performed on the rats. Finally, after rat sacrifice and the striatum was removed, Hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E), stereology, immunohistochemistry, antioxidant tests, and western blot were performed. Our results showed that the contents of the HUCB-EVs express the CD9 and CD81 markers and have spherical shapes. In addition, the injection of HUCB-EVs improved motor and neuromuscular function, reduced gliosis, increased antioxidant activity and inflammatory factor, and partially prevented the decrease of neurons. The findings generally show that HUCB-EVs have neuroprotective effects and reduce neuroinflammation from the toxic effects of 3-NP, which can be beneficial for the recovery of HD.

Maternal immune activation induces sex-dependent behavioral differences in a rat model of schizophrenia.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a mature means to construct a schizophrenia model. However, some preclinical studies have reported that a MIA-induced schizophrenia model seemed to have gender heterogeneity in behavioral phenotype. On the other hand, the MIA's paradigms were diverse in different studies, and many details could affect the effect of MIA. To some extent, it is not credible and scientific to directly compare the gender differences of different MIA programs. Therefore, it is necessary to study whether the sex of the exposed offspring leads to behavioral differences on the premise of maintaining a consistent MIA mode. An animal model of schizophrenia was established by the administration of 10 mg/kg Poly (I: C) when dams were on day 9 of gestation. Then, a number of female and male offspring completed a series of behavioral tests during postnatal days 61-75. Compared with the female control group (n = 14), female MIA offspring (n = 12) showed a longer movement distance (d = 1.07, p < 0.05) and higher average speed (d = 1.08, p < 0.05) in the open field test (OFT). In the Y maze test, the percentage of entering the novel arm of female MIA offspring was lower (d = 0.92, p < 0.05). Compared with the male control group (n = 14), male MIA offspring (n = 13) displayed less movement distance (d = 0.93, p < 0.05) and a lower average speed (d = 0.94, p < 0.05) in the OFT. In the Y maze test, the proportion of exploration time in the novel arm of male MIA offspring was lower (d = 0.96, p < 0.05). In the EPM, male MIA offspring showed less time (d = 0.85, p < 0.05) and a lower percentage of time spent in the open arms (d = 0.85, p < 0.05). Male MIA offspring also had a lower PPI index (76 dB + 120 dB, d = 0.81, p < 0.05; 80 dB + 120 dB, d = 1.45, p < 0.01). Our results showed that the behavioral phenotypes induced by prenatal immune activation were highly dependent on the sex of the offspring.

Impact of Pre-Plant Fertilizer Rates in Combination with Polysulphate® on Soil Nitrogen Distribution and Yield of Short-Day Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Camarosa)

Strawberries are by far the most produced soft fruit (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries) worldwide, with China and the US being the two countries with the most production. In the US, strawberries reached a farm gate value of more than USD 3 billion in 2023 and are predominantly grown in the open field on an annual cycle in hilled-up soil beds using plastic mulch (plasticulture). This process relies on adequate pre-plant fertilizer application for plant establishment and fruit development. In North Carolina (US), it is current practice to apply pre-plant fertilizer containing 67 nitrogen (N) kg/ha; however, with increasing fertilizer costs and environmental concerns, questions remain as to whether or not pre-plant full-spectrum fertilizer rates can be reduced and substituted with organic low-N fertilizer sources, such as Polysulphate, without impacting yield or fruit quality. For this reason, field trials were established to evaluate the impact of pre-plant fertilizer rates on strawberry production (‘Camarosa’). Trials were conducted in the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 seasons at two locations in North Carolina. The following N-rate pre-plant fertilizer treatments were applied: 80.1, 67.3, 54.1, 41.1, 33.6, 28.0, and 0 kg/ha. NO3 and NH4 content were frequently assessed in each replicate in the raised bed profile between planting and spring fertilizer application. Marketable and total strawberry yields were assessed over 6 weeks in the spring of 2020 and 2021. Our trial results showed that, especially in sandy soil, N rapidly declined under plastic within the first 8 weeks after pre-plant fertilizer application. However, no impact between pre-plant fertilizer rates and plant yield was observed. Treatments that contained Polysulphate and lower amounts of full-spectrum fertilizer showed significantly lower N concentrations in the soil while maintaining similar yields and fruit quality compared to grower-standard pre-plant fertilizer treatments. In summary, our results show that it is possible to reduce N content in pre-plant fertilizer by up to 50% compared to current recommendations without causing yield loss in short-day strawberry cultivars.

A TNF-α inhibitor abolishes sepsis-induced cognitive impairment in mice by modulating acetylcholine and nitric oxide homeostasis, BDNF release, and neuroinflammation

Neurodegenerative disorders have a pathophysiology that heavily involves neuroinflammation. In this study, we used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to create a model of cognitive impairment by inducing systemic and neuroinflammation in experimental animals. LPS was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg during the last seven days of the study. Adalimumab (ADA), a TNF-α inhibitor, was injected at a dose of 10 mg/kg a total of 3 times throughout the study. On the last two days of the experiment, 50 mg/kg of curcumin was administered orally as a positive control group. Open field (OF) and elevated plus maze tests (EPM) were used to measure anxiety-like behaviors. The tail suspension test (TST) was used to measure depression-like behaviors, while the novel object recognition test (NOR) was used to measure learning and memory activities. Blood and hippocampal TNF α and nitric oxide (NO) levels, hippocampal BDNF, CREB, and ACh levels, and AChE activity were measured by ELISA. LPS increased anxiety and depression-like behaviors while decreasing the activity of the learning-memory system. LPS exerted this effect by causing systemic and neuroinflammation, cholinergic dysfunction, and impaired BDNF release. ADA controlled LPS-induced behavioral changes and improved biochemical markers. ADA prevented cognitive impairment induced by LPS by inhibiting inflammation and regulating the release of BDNF and the cholinergic pathway.

Function and mechanism exploring of icariin in schizophrenia through network pharmacology

This study aims to explore the therapeutic effect and possible mechanisms of icariin in schizophrenia. SD rats were divided into five groups, a control group, a MK801-induced schizophrenia model group, and three icariin treatment groups, with twelve rats in each group. Morris water maze and open field were used to observe the spatial learning and memory ability of rats. Compared with the control group, rats in the MK801-induced model group showed an increase in stereotypic behavior score, distance of spontaneous activities, escape latency, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α expression, but a decrease in platform crossing times and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (P < 0.05). Furthermore, all the above changes of the model group were reversed after icariin treatment in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Network pharmacology found that icariin can exert anti-schizophrenic effects through some signaling pathways, such as relaxin, estrogen, and TNF signaling pathways. MAPK1, MAPK3, FOS, RELA, TNF, and JUN were the key targets of icariin on schizophrenia, and their expression was detected in animal models, which was consistent with the predicted results of network pharmacology. Icariin treatment may improve the spatial learning and memory ability of schizophrenic rats through TNF signaling pathway.

Shape variation in modern human upper premolars.

Morphological variation in modern human dentition is still an open field of study. The understanding of dental shape and metrics is relevant for the advancement of human biology and evolution and is thus of interest in the fields of dental anthropology, as well as human anatomy and medicine. Of concern is also the variation of the inner aspects of the crown which can be investigated using the tools and methods of virtual anthropology. In this study, we explored inter- and intra-population morphometric variation of modern humans' upper third and fourth premolars (P3s and P4s, respectively) considering both the inner and outer aspects of the crown, and discrete traits. We worked by means of geometric morphometrics on 3D image data from a geographically balanced sample of human populations from five continents, to analyse the shape of the dentinal crown, and the crown outline in 78 P3s and 76 P4s from 85 individuals. For the study of dental traits, we referred to the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System integrated with more recent classification systems. The 3D shape variation of upper premolar crowns varied between short and mesio-distally broad, and tall and mesio-distally narrow. The observed shape variation was independent from the geographical origin of the populations, and resulted in extensive overlap. We noted a high pairwise correlation (r1 = 0.83) between upper P3s and P4s. We did not find any significant geographic differences in the analysed non-metric traits. Our outcomes thus suggest that geographical provenance does not play a determinant role in the shaping of the dental crown, whose genesis is under strict genetic control.

Prenatal progesterone treatment modulates fetal brain transcriptome and impacts adult offspring behavior in mice

Maternal exposure to elevated levels of steroid hormones during pregnancy is associated with the development of chronic conditions in offspring that manifest in adulthood. However, the effects of progesterone (P4) administration during early pregnancy on fetal development and subsequent offspring behavior remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of P4 treatment during early pregnancy on the transcript abundance in the fetal brain and assess the behavioral consequences in the offspring during adolescence and adulthood. Using RNA-seq analysis, we examined the impact of P4 treatment on the fetal brain transcriptome in a dosage-dependent manner. Our results revealed differential regulation of genes involved in neurotransmitter transport, synaptic transmission, and transcriptional regulation. Specifically, we observed bidirectional regulation of transcription factors (TFs) by P4 at different doses, highlighting the critical role of these TFs in neurodevelopment. To assess behavioral outcomes, we conducted open field and elevated plus maze tests. Offspring treated with low-dose P4 (LP4) displayed increased exploratory behavior during both adolescence and adulthood. In contrast, the high-dose P4 (HP4) group exhibited impaired exploration and heightened anxiety-like behaviors compared to the control mice. Moreover, in a novel object recognition test, HP4-treated offspring demonstrated impaired object recognition memory during both developmental stages. Additionally, both LP4 and HP4 groups showed reduced social interaction in the three-chamber test. These results suggest that prenatal exposure to P4 exerts a notable influence on the expression of genes associated with neurodevelopment and may induce alterations in behavioral characteristics in progeny, highlighting the need to monitor progesterone levels during pregnancy for long-term impacts on fetal brain development and behavior.

Xylanase production by Penicillium sp. Pn004 and its application for grass hydrolysis: high value subproduct from non-centrifugal sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran

Worldwide more than 7 billion tons of lignocellulosic biomass will be produced by 2025. In Colombia, these residues are mainly disposed of in rivers and open fields, and only 10% is reused and recycled. Non-centrifugal sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is a residue obtained after sugarcane juice extraction during the manufacturing process of panela and is mostly used as fuel for boilers at sugar mills. Wheat bran (WB) is the main waste from wheat flour production. Nonetheless, the chemical composition of these by-products makes them suitable for use as substrates for hemicellulolytic enzyme production from fungi. Here, a whole process for production in a solid-state fermentation system, recovery, and ultrafiltration process for concentration of xylanases by Penicillium sp. Pn004 is presented. The higher productivity (26.7 ± 1.59 U gds-1 day-1) was reached on the fifth day of fermentation with an enzyme activity of 130.0 ± 7.95 U gds-1. The batch ultrafiltration process allowed increasing the xylanase activity up to 19-fold in the retentate, from 66.47 U mL-1 to 1486.83 U mL-1, without reaching a steady state flux through the membrane. Finally, the enzymatic extract achieved a 43% release of sugar from kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus), showing its potential to be used as an additive for silage or for enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic materials for sugar production.

Electroacupuncture reduces oxidative stress response and improves secondary injury of intracerebral hemorrhage in rats by activating the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ/nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2/γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase pathway.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe stroke subtype. Secondary injury is a key factor leading to neurological deficits after ICH. Electroacupuncture (EA) can improve the neurological function after ICH, however, its internal mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate whether EA could ameliorate secondary injury after ICH through antioxidative stress and its potential regulatory mechanism. A rat model of ICH was established by injecting autologous blood into striatum. After the intervention of EA and EA combined with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) blocker, Zea-longa scores, modified neurological severity scores and open field tests were used to evaluate the neurological function of the rats. Flow cytometry detected tissue reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Tissue tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The protein expressions of PPAR γ, nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) were detected by Western blot. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the activation of microglia. The demyelination degree of axon myelin was observed by transmission electron microscope. Compared with the model group, EA intervention improved neurological function, decreased ROS and TNF-α levels, increased the protein expression of PPARγ, Nrf2 and γ-GCS, and reduced the activation of microglia, it also alleviated axonal myelin sheath damage. In addition, the neuroprotective effect of EA was partially attenuated by PPARγ blocker. EA ameliorated the neurological function of secondary injury after ICH in rats, possibly by activating the PPARγ/Nrf2/γ-GCS signaling pathway, reducing microglia activation, and inhibiting oxidative stress, thus alleviating the extent of axonal demyelination plays a role.

Impact of Micronutrients and Plant Growth Regulators on Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) Growth, Yield and Quality

The present research work conducted to find out the effect of plant growth regulators and micronutrients on growth, yield, and quality of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) under open field condition. The experiment was designed in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. The experiment was conducted on Horticulture farm at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University; Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2022 to June 2023. The experimental treatments included three levels of PGR i.e. No PGR, 200 ppm gibberellic acid (GA3) and 100 ppm Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and three levels of micronutrients i.e.no micronutrients, 200 ppm Boron and 200 ppm Zn. The treatments had a substantial effect on growth, yield, and quality of Brinjal. GA3 treated plants performed better than NAA and no PGR treated plants and Zn produced higher yields and quality than Boron and no micronutrients treated plants in most of the parameters. Considering treatment combination of PGR and micronutrients, plant height, leaf area (471.33 cm2), SPAD value (52.95), number of flowers plant-1 (65.33), number of fruits plant-1 (58.38), yield plant-1 (3312.8g), lipid (0.35%) were observed highest from the treatment combination of 200 ppm GA3 with 200 ppm Zinc whereas dry weight of whole plant (158.80 g), individual fruit weight (67.33g) and fiber (12.28%) were observed from the treatment combination of 100 ppm NAA with 200 ppm zinc but in case of number of branch (14.00) and Ash (8.44%) were observed from the treatment of 100 ppm NAA application . Maximum parameter showed lowest value under no treatment combination. This study suggests that foliar application of GA3 with micronutrients such as Zinc during flowering stage of eggplant is the most effective strategy for improving the nutritional quality of Brinjal fruits and increasing crop yields, both of which will help to reduce micronutrient malnutrition and hunger worldwide.

Phenylalanine treatment induces tomato resistance to Tuta absoluta via increased accumulation of benzenoid/phenylpropanoid volatiles serving as defense signals.

Tuta absoluta ("leafminer"), is a major pest of tomato crops worldwide. Controlling this insect is difficult due to its efficient infestation, rapid proliferation, and resilience to changing weather conditions. Furthermore, chemical pesticides have only a short-term effect due to rapid development of T. absoluta strains. Here, we show that a variety of tomato cultivars, treated with external phenylalanine solutions exhibit high resistance to T. absoluta, under both greenhouse and open field conditions, at different locations. A large-scale metabolomic study revealed that tomato leaves absorb and metabolize externally given Phe efficiently, resulting in a change in their volatile profile, and repellence of T. absoluta moths. The change in the volatile profile is due to an increase in three phenylalanine-derived benzenoid phenylpropanoid volatiles (BPVs), benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, and 2-phenylethanol. This treatment had no effect on terpenes and green leaf volatiles, known to contribute to the fight against insects. Phe-treated plants also increased the resistance of neighboring non-treated plants. RNAseq analysis of the neighboring non-treated plants revealed an exclusive upregulation of genes, with enrichment of genes related to the plant immune response system. Exposure of tomato plants to either benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, or 2-phenylethanol, resulted in induction of genes related to the plant immune system that were also induced due to neighboring Phe-treated plants. We suggest a novel role of phenylalanine-derived BPVs as mediators of plant-insect interactions, acting as inducers of the plant defense mechanisms.

5-HT4 receptor agonists treatment reduces tau pathology and behavioral deficit in the PS19 mouse model of tauopathy.

Accumulation of tau in synapses in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been shown to cause synaptic damage, synaptic loss, and the spread of tau pathology through trans-synaptically connected neurons. Moreover, synaptic loss correlates with a decline in cognitive function, providing an opportunity to investigate therapeutic strategies to target synapses and synaptic tau to rescue or prevent cognitive decline in AD. One of the promising synaptic targets is the 5-HT4 serotonergic receptor present postsynaptically in the brain structures involved in the memory processes. 5-HT4R stimulation exerts synaptogenic and pro-cognitive effects involving synapse-to-nucleus signaling essential for synaptic plasticity. However, it is not known whether 5-HT4R activation has a therapeutic effect on tau pathology. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of chronic stimulation of 5-HT4R by two agonists, prucalopride and RS-67333, in PS19 mice, a model of tauopathy. We utilized gradient assays to isolate pre- and post-synaptic compartments, followed by biochemical analyses for tau species and ubiquitinated proteins in the synaptic compartments and total brain tissue. Next, we performed kinetic assays to test the proteasome's hydrolysis capacity in treatment conditions. Moreover, behavioral tests such as the open field and non-maternal nest-building tests were used to evaluate anxiety-like behaviors and hippocampal-related cognitive functioning in the treatment paradigm. Our results show that 5-HT4R agonism reduced tauopathy, reduced synaptic tau, increased proteasome activity, and improved cognitive functioning in PS19 mice. Our data suggest that enhanced proteasome activity by synaptic mediated signaling leads to the enhanced turnover of tau initially within synapses where the receptors are localized, and over time, the treatment attenuated the accumulation of tau aggregation and improved cognitive functioning of the PS19 mice. Therefore, stimulation of 5-HT4R offers a promising therapy to rescue synapses from the accumulation of toxic synaptic tau, evident in the early stages of AD.

Voluntary wheel exercise improves glymphatic clearance and ameliorates colitis-associated cognitive impairment in aged mice by inhibiting TRPV4-induced astrocytic calcium activity

Background and objectivesChronic colitis exacerbates neuroinflammation, contributing to cognitive impairment during aging, but the mechanism remains unclear. The polarity distribution of astrocytic aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is crucial for the glymphatic system, which is responsible for metabolite clearance in the brain. Physical exercise (PE) improves cognition in the aged. This study aims to investigate the protective mechanism of exercise in colitis-associated cognitive impairment. MethodsTo establish a chronic colitis model, 18-month-old C57BL/6 J female mice received periodic oral administration of 1% wt/vol dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in drinking water. The mice in the exercise group received four weeks of voluntary wheel exercise. High-throughput sequencing was conducted to screen for differentially expressed genes. Two-photon imaging was performed to investigate the function of the astrocytic calcium activity and in vivo intervention with TRPV4 inhibitor HC-067047. Further, GSK1016790A (GSK1), a TRPV4 agonist, was daily intraperitoneally injected during the exercise period to study the involvement of TRPV4 in PE protection. Colitis pathology was confirmed by histopathology. The novel object recognition (NOR) test, Morris water maze test (MWM), and open field test were performed to measure colitis-induced cognition and anxiety-like behavior. In vivo two-photon imaging and ex vivo imaging of fluorescent CSF tracers to evaluate the function of the glymphatic system. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the Aβ deposition, polarity distribution of astrocytic AQP4, and astrocytic phenotype. Serum and brain levels of the inflammatory cytokines were tested by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The brain TUNEL assay was used to assess DNA damage. Expression of critical molecules was detected using Western blotting. ResultsVoluntary exercise alleviates cognitive impairment and anxiety-like behavior in aged mice with chronic colitis, providing neuroprotection against neuronal damage and apoptosis. Additionally, voluntary exercise promotes the brain clearance of Aβ via increased glymphatic clearance. Mechanistically, exercise-induced beneficial effects may be attributed, in part, to the inhibition of TRPV4 expression and TRPV4-related calcium hyperactivity, subsequent promotion of AQP4 polarization, and modulation of astrocyte phenotype. ConclusionThe present study reveals a novel role of voluntary exercise in alleviating colitis-related cognitive impairment and anxiety disorder, which is mediated by the promotion of AQP4 polarization and glymphatic clearance of Aβ via inhibition of TRPV4-induced astrocytic calcium hyperactivity.

Effects of fluorene-9-bisphenol exposure on anxiety-like and social behavior in mice and protective potential of exogenous melatonin.

Fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) is widely used in the manufacture of plastic products and potentially disrupts several physiological processes, but its biological effects on social behavior remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of BHPF exposure on anxiety-like and social behavior in female mice and the potential mechanisms, thereby proposing a potential therapy strategy. We exposed female Balb/c mice to BHPF by oral gavage at different doses (0.5, 50 mg/kg bw/2-day) for 28 days, which were found BHPF (50 mg/kg) exposure affected motor activity in the open field test (OFT) and elevated cross maze (EPM), resulting in anxiety-like behaviors, as well as abnormal social behavioral deficits in the Social Interaction Test (SIT). Analysis of histopathological staining results showed that BHPF exposure caused damage to hippocampal neurons in the CA1/CA3/DG region and decreased Nissl pyramidal neurons in the CA1/CA3 regions of the hippocampus, as well as a decrease in parvalbumin neuron expression. In addition, BHPF exposure upregulated the expression of excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) vesicle transporter genes (Vglut1, Vglut2, VGAT, GAD67, Gabra) and axon growth gene (Dcc) in the mouse hippocampus. Interestingly, behavioral disturbances and E/I balance could be alleviated by exogenous melatonin (15 mg/kg bw/2-day) therapy. Our findings suggest that exogenous melatonin may be a potential therapy with protective potential for ameliorating or preventing BHPF-induced hippocampal neuronal damage and behavioral disturbances. This study provided new insight into the neurotoxicological effects on organisms exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and aroused our vigilance in current environmental safety about chemical use.

Development of Green and Facile Sample Preparation Method for Determination of Seven Neonicotinoids in Fresh Vegetables, and Dissipation and Risk Assessment of Imidacloprid and Dinotefuran.

A facile procedure for extracting and determining seven neonicotinoids was developed. Water was the only extraction solvent without phase separation and cleanup steps. The method was validated according to European Union standards, and the values obtained were compared with the criteria. The accuracy values were between 99.8% (thiamethoxam) and 106.8% (clothianidin) at the spiking levels of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/kg in the tested matrices. The precision as pooled RSD values was ≤6.1% (intra-day) and ≤6.9% (inter-day). The limit of quantification was set and tested at 0.01 mg/kg. The matrix effect was evaluated, and all matrices had a suppressive effect. The matrix of the cucumber was the most effective, with -20.9% for dinotefuran and an average of -9.8% for all compounds, while the tomato matrix had the slightest effect. Real marketed samples were analyzed using the developed and QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) methods; the results were not significantly different. A supervised field trial was conducted in the open field to study the dissipation patterns of imidacloprid and dinotefuran in tomatoes. The dissipation of both compounds followed first-order kinetics. The half-life (T½) values were 3.4 and 2.5 days, with dissipation rates k of 0.2013 and 0.2781 days, respectively. Following the EU-MRL database, the calculated pre-harvest interval (PHI) values were 7 and 14 days for imidacloprid and dinotefuran, respectively, and 3 days for both compounds following Codex Alimentarius regulations. The risk of imidacloprid and dinotefuran residues was estimated from chronic and acute perspectives. The risk factors of dinotefuran were lower than those of imidacloprid. Nonetheless, the highest expected residues of both compounds were below the tolerance limits.