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The behavior of resistant starch (RS) in meat matrix depends largely on its type. Hence, the comparative impacts of high amylose corn starch (RS2), retrograded starch (RS3), acetylated starch (RS4) and high amylose-lauric acid complex (RS5) on water-fat binding capacities, texture, color and microstructure of low-fat meat emulsions were investigated. Four types of RS improved water retention, emulsion stability, textural properties and brightness of low-fat meat emulsions, displaying even better potential than inulin (positive control). Compared with inulin, RS2 ∼ RS5 induced the transition from free water to immobilized water, increased storage modulus G' (by 21.90 %, 38.13 %, 55.73 % and 45.92 %, respectively), hydrophobic interactions (by 36.03 %, 60.84 %, 44.40 % and 48.04 %, respectively), disulfide bonds and β-sheet, which promoted the formation of tight protein gel networks. Notably, physical or chemical modified RS (RS3, RS4, RS5) displayed preferable and more similar water-fat binding properties, making them more promising for personalized application in low-fat functional meat products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Transgenerational experience can affect a range of natural enemies' life-history traits and can be involved in the control of developmental plasticity. As a major egg parasitoid of the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), the wasp Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is effective at suppressing its host populations. The reproductive and developmental traits of A. orientalis is known to depend on photoperiod conditions, but transgenerational photoperiodic effects have yet to be evaluated. To evaluate the transgenerational photoperiodic effects on A. orientalis , we assessed wasp adult longevity, female fecundity, sex ratio, and diapause rate over three consecutive generations under different experimental photoperiods (L16:D8, L12:D12, and L8:D16), using Antheraea pernyi (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) eggs as hosts. The results suggest that transgenerational experience significantly impacts several biological parameters of progeny. All parasitoids entered a diapause under the long photoperiod condition (i.e., L16:D8), after which the number of female parasitoids and fecundity of the 2nd and 3rd generations increased significantly as compared to the 1st generation. With the long photoperiod conditions, the female ratio rose from 68.1% (1st generation) to 86.0% (3rd generation) and the progeny per females increased from 35.8 to 75.7. However, adult longevity of females and males were shortened significantly. With the intermediate photoperiod (L12:D12) conditions, fecundity and sex ratio of the 2nd and 3rd generations increased significantly as compared to the 1st generation. With the short photoperiod (L8:D16) conditions, there were no significant differences in fecundity among three generations, but sex ratio of the 2nd and 3rd generations increased significantly as compared to the 1st generation. These results on transgenerational photoperiodic effects can be applied to improve laboratory rearing efficiency of parasitoids and to better understand population dynamics in the field across a latitudinal gradient., 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 © 2023 Bao, Wang, Cao, Xin, Broadley and Gould.)

Alcohol intoxication is known to affect pitch variability in non-tonal languages. In this study, intoxication's effects on pitch were examined in tonal and non-tonal language speakers, in both their native language (L1; German, Korean, Mandarin) and nonnative language (L2; English). Intoxication significantly increased pitch variability in the German group (in L1 and L2), but not in the Korean or Mandarin groups (in L1 or L2), although there were individual differences. These results support the view that pitch control is related to the functional load of pitch and is an aspect of speech production that can be advantageously transferred across languages, overriding the expected effects of alcohol.

To explore the differences between growth and population dynamics of natural Lycorma delicatula in the plantations and semi-natural forests, the susceptible stages and major suppression factors were determined to provide basis for the prediction and controlling the pest. The development duration and life table of L. delicatula in different habitats were established by using tracking method. The index of exclusion effect for lethal factors and the K -value in each development stage were calculated. The population trends were analyzed through the survival curve and key drivers of population change. The results showed that the development duration of L. delicatula in the plantation habitat and semi-natural habitat was significantly different, with thelatter being 25.7 d longer than the former. There were significant differences in the development duration of 1st-3rd-instars nymphs and pre-oviposition period of adults between these two habitats, but no significant difference in the 4th-instar nymphs. The total mortality rate in the plantation habitat and semi-natural habitat was 83.6% and 98.6%, respectively. The index of population trend in the plantation habitat was significantly higher than that in the semi-natural habitat. The population of L. delicatula increased sharply in the plantation habitat, but showed a decline trend in the semi-natural habitat. All of the survival curves of L. delicatula were Deevey-Ⅲ type, and the EIPCs of the "parasitic natural enemies" in egg stage were the highest in both habitats as 1.3 and 1.6, and the total K values were 0.2 and 0.3, respectively. The regression slopes of K -value of natural enemies were the highest (both 0.6). These findings revealed that the semi-natural habitat played an important role in the natural regulation of L. delicatula .