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Nitrogen pollution emissions from human production and living activities in coastal regions are important topics in the management of environmental pollution in coastal waters. However, to date, there has been relatively little research systematically assessing the environmental loss of nitrogen (NEL) from human activities that negatively affect marine ecosystems. This study categorised emission sources into five subsystems, namely livestock, farming, aquatic, industrial, and residential. Through flow analysis, the anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen in the gas, liquid, and solid phases from 11 coastal provinces in China in 2011, 2015, and 2020 were determined. A nitrogen cost index was constructed by combining the social indicators of each province. The effectiveness of nitrogen emission control since the land-sea coordination and the future challenges for the coastal region were discussed from various perspectives. The results of the study showed that the total NEL that poses a potential threat to marine ecosystems in coastal areas of China has decreased from 18.93 TgN to 14.66 TgN since the proposal of land-sea coordination, with livestock systems and aquatic systems emitting the most. The Bohai and Yellow Seas area were most threatened by nitrogen pollution. Among the three oceanic pathways, liquid-phase nitrogen discharge from each subsystem was effectively controlled, and the control of gas-phase nitrogen emissions is still the most numerous NEL state, although it has had a significant effect. The results of the correlation analysis suggest that NEL flow can characterize the regional management of nutrient-based organic pollutants. Past management tools and environmental investments in China have been more effective in controlling emissions from point and line sources involving artificial facilities, but less direct effect on mariculture. How to control surface source pollution from livestock and aquaculture will be an important challenge to reduce reactive nitrogen emissions in the future. [Display omitted] • Nitrogen emissions reduced from 18.93 TgN to 14.66 TgN. • How to control surface source pollution from livestock and aquaculture will be the key challenge. • The NEL flow can characterize the management of regional nutrient-based organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amygdala circuitry and P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) have both been shown to play important roles in the modulation of neuropathic pain (NP). However, little is known about the functional role of P2X7R in the amygdala for the regulation of NP. This study aims to evaluate the alleviative effect of intra-amygdala microinfusion of a pharmacological antagonist of P2X7R (A-438079) on NP and explore its possible mechanism of action. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to construct the animal model of NP through spared nerve injury (SNI). The SNI rats randomly received chronic bilateral microinjection of A-438079 (100 pmol/side) or saline into the amygdalae via cannulas. Mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal duration (TWD) were measured by von Frey monofilaments. Besides, tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST), open field test (OFT) and sucrose preference test (SPT) were performed to assess depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Immunofluorescence assay was employed to determine the levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA-1) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in the spinal cord. In addition, the change of growth associated protein 43 (GAP43) level in the spinal cord was assessed by Western blot. Our data showed that chronic treatment with A-438079 increased MWT and decreased TWD on days 11–21 post-SNI while decreased depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors. A-438079 administration significantly attenuated the elevated immunoreactivities of IBA-1 and GFAP in microglia and astrocytes after SNI. Furthermore, the decreased expression of GAP-43 in the spinal cord due to SNI was significantly attenuated by A-438079. However, when A-438079 and a pharmacological agonist (BzATP) of P2X7R were given simultaneously, all the effects caused by A-438079 alone were reversed. In brief, our study revealed the protective role of inhibiting P2X7R in the amygdala against symptoms associated with NP, possibly attributing to its inhibitory effects on spinal microglia and astrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of IoT devices are connected via the Internet. However, most of these IoT devices are generally not perfect-by-design even have security weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Thus, it is essential to update these IoT devices securely, patching their vulnerabilities and protecting the safety of the involved users. Existing studies deliver secure and reliable updates based on blockchain network which serves as the transmission network. However, these approaches could compromise users privacy when updating the IoT devices. In this paper, we propose a new blockchain based privacy-preserving software update protocol, which delivers secure and reliable updates with an incentive mechanism while protects the privacy of involved users. A vendor delivers the updates and makes a commitment by using smart contract to provide financial incentive to the transmission nodes who deliver the updates to its IoT devices. A transmission node can get financial incentive by providing a proof-of-delivery. In order to obtain the proof-of-delivery, the transmission node uses double authentication preventing signature (DAPS) to carry out fair exchange. Specifically, the transmission node uses the DAPS to exchange an attribute-based signature (ABS) of one IoT device. Then, it uses the ABS as proof-of-delivery to receive financial incentives. Generally, to generate an ABS, the IoT device has to execute complex computations which is intolerable for resource limited devices. We propose a concrete outsourced attribute-based signature (OABS) scheme to overcome the weakness. Then, we prove the security of the proposed OABS and the protocol. Finally, we implement smart contract in Solidity to demonstrate the validity of the proposed protocol. • Propose a blockchain based privacy-preserving software updates protocol. • Preserve users' privacy when updating the IoT devices. • Prove the security of the proposed protocol. • Implement smart contract to show the validity of the protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effects of ε-Polylysine and ice storage on microbiota composition and quality attributes of Pacific white shrimp stored at 0 °C. The sensorial shelf-life of control, 0.1% ε-Polylysine treated group, and ice stored group were 5, 8, and 7 days, respectively. Microbiota composition was explored by the Illumina-MiSeq high throughput sequencing targeting of 16S rRNA genes. At the time of sensory rejection, Pseudoalteromonas , followed by Candidatus Bacilloplama and Psychromonas , were the dominant microbiota in spoiled control samples on day 5. However, 0.1% ε-Polylysine inhibited the growth of Pseudoalteromonas and Psychromonas. Consequently, Candidatus Bacilloplama followed by Aliivibrio became the dominant microbiota in the ε-Polylysine treated group on day 8. Meanwhile, Aliivibrio , followed by Moritella and Pseudoalteromonas were the dominant microbiota in ice stored samples on day 7. Furthermore, due to the modulating effect of ε-Polylysine and ice storage on microbiota, chemical changes of the treated groups were slower, which was reflected as lower concentrations of total volatile basic nitrogen, putrescine, cadaverine, and hypoxanthine, and higher contents of inosine 5′-monophosphate and hypoxanthine riboside at the end of storage. In conclusion, ε-Polylysine and ice storage altered the microbiota composition and delayed quality deterioration of Pacific white shrimp. • ε-Polylysine and ice storage prolonged the shelf-life of shrimp stored at 0 °C. • ε-Polylysine and ice storage altered the composition of microbiota of shrimp. • ε-Polylysine inhibited the growth of Pseudoalteromonas and Psychromonas. • 0.1% (w/v) ε-Polylysine was recommended to use in Pacific white shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological behaviors of residual hepatoma cells after transarterial embolization therapy, which exist in a hypoxic or even anaerobic tumor microenvironment, differ from the tumor cells under normoxic conditions. This study aimed to use a phage display peptide library for in vivo and in vitro screening to obtain a peptide which could specifically bind to hypoxic hepatoma cells, allowing further targeted diagnosis and treatment for liver cancer. In this study, hypoxic hepatoma cells HepG2 (targeted cells), and normal liver cells HL-7702 (control cells), were utilized to perform three rounds of in vitro screening using a phage-displayed 7-mer peptide library. In addition, hypoxic HepG2 were subcutaneously injected into nude mice to establish a hepatocarcinoma model, followed by performing three rounds of in vivo screening on the phages identified from the in vitro screening. The products from the screening were further identified using ELISA and immunofluorescence staining on cells and tissues. The results indicated that the P11 positive clone had the highest binding effect with hypoxic hepatoma cells. The sequence of the exogenous insert fragment of P11 positive clone was obtained by sequencing: GSTSFSK. The binding assay indicated that GSTSFSK could specifically bind to hypoxic hepatoma cells and hepatocarcinoma tissues. This 7-mer peptide has the potential to be developed as an useful molecular to the targeting diagnosis and treatment of residual hepatoma cells after transarterial chemoembolization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) is caused by pulmonary inflammation and pulmonary vascular permeability. Activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase causes inflammation, and proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress induce autophagy, a catabolic mechanism responsible for protein degradation and recycling of damaged proteins and cytoplasmic organelles. If not controlled, excessive autophagy responses can result in cell death. Materials and methods In this study, we pretreated rats with saturated hydrogen saline, and examined the molecular mechanism by which saturated hydrogen saline attenuates LPS-induced acute lung dysfunction. Sixty-four male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups—a control group, an LPS group, or an LPS plus saturated hydrogen saline (LPS + H 2 ) group. Results Treatment with saturated hydrogen saline prolonged the median survival time of rats and reduced lung dysfunction induced by LPS. Moreover, saturated hydrogen saline significantly attenuated LPS-mediated induction of serum tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6, myeloperoxidase, and malondialdehyde ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Autophagosomes were found in the cytoplasm of type II alveolar epithelial cells of LPS-treated rats, and light chain 3 protein (LC3)I/II was increased by LPS treatment. In contrast, saturated hydrogen saline decreased the number of autophagosomes and LC3I/II expression. Saturated hydrogen saline also attenuated the LPS-mediated increase in apoptosis and p38 expression. Taken together, saturated hydrogen saline may attenuate LPS-induced acute lung dysfunction in rats by reducing inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis involving the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates the crowding-out effect of formal insurance on informal risk-sharing arrangements via theory and laboratory experiment. Our model and simulation predict that the crowding out of private transfers is often more than one-for-one and will reduce the total risk coverage. Furthermore, the existence of a moderate degree of altruism exaggerates the crowding-out effect, especially when there is an ex-ante income inequality. These predictions are mostly supported by the laboratory experiment, except that the crowding-out effect is not more than one-for-one, and hence the total risk coverage is not significantly reduced by formal insurance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A tunable Q-factor wavelet transform based sparse representation method is proposed, which integrates the property of tunable Q wavelet transform, non-convex penalty and noise optimization into sparse decomposition. • Normalized multi-stage enveloping spectrogram is presented to reveal the fault characteristic frequencies of planetary gears and bearings even though they are weak. • The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by the analysis of a simulated faulty signal and an on-site case from one 850 kW wind turbine gearbox. Planetary subassemblies in wind turbine gearbox are subject to compound faults due to harsh environment and complex structure. Disturbed by the meshing vibration from higher-speed transmission stage and intensive noise, fault diagnosis of planetary subassemblies with low rotational speed is challenging. In this paper, a tunable Q-factor wavelet transform based sparse representation method is proposed, which integrates the property of tunable Q wavelet transform, non-convex penalty and noise optimization into sparse decomposition. This method makes it possible to accurately decompose vibration signal from faulty planetary subassemblies into two resonance components and noise, relying less on the setting of regularization parameters due to the noise restriction. It is easier to detect potential fault information in decomposed low or high resonance component than in the original signal. Further, normalized multi-stage enveloping spectrogram is presented to reveal the fault characteristic frequencies of planetary gears and bearings even though they are weak. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by the analysis of a simulated faulty signal and an on-site case from one 850 kW wind turbine gearbox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old industrial areas have low quality and spatial differentiation of urban green space (UGS), which makes it difficult to meet the public's physical activity needs and leads to increased health risks. The purpose of this study is to explore the equity of UGS patterns in old industrial areas and its internal relationship with residents' health status. This study selecteds relevant indicators to evaluate the equity of UGS patterns in the Harbin area and used linear regression analysis to explore the correlation between attributes of old industrial areas and UGS patterns. Additionally, this study explored the spatial correlation of UGSs using Moran's index and hotspot analysis. Finally, a report on residents' health was generated through a questionnaire survey, using linear regression analysis to explore the factors affecting residents' self-rated health and the significance of their correlation. The results showed that there is an excess supply around the core industrial zone in the west, while the rural areas in the south face a serious shortage of supply. The significance between the factors representing age and income in industrial attributes and UGS pattern was less than 0.05. We observed that residents' self-rated health was positively affected by the intensity of physical activity (low intensity B = 2.073, medium intensity B = 2.359, high intensity B = 2.512) and the frequency of physical activity (B = 1.174). Ages (B = −0.597) and three generations living together (B = −3.191), which represent the industrial attributes, had a negative impact on residents' self-rated health. To a certain extent, industrial attributes aggravate the mismatch of UGS patterns, leading to abnormal areas in spatial clustering. The quality of UGS in the old industrial zone is low and the movement is not strong; thus, the population characteristics and income have become the important factors affecting the health of residents. • According to the industrial attributes of the study area, the selected green space objects are all UGSs with physical activity conditions. • A new UGS supply and demand pattern index system is constructed to evaluate the fairness of UGS patterns in terms of physical activity. • There is a serious imbalance between supply and demand of UGS in old industrial areas. The stronger the industrial property, the more unbalanced the supply pattern of UGS. • Industrial attributes have profoundly affected the pattern matching and spatial aggregation of UGS supply and demand in old industrial areas. • Demographic characteristics and physical activity status had a significant effect on residents' health, while UGS patterns were not significantly affected by age, income, etc., regarding self-rated health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PEC performance of NiO uniformly loaded B-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays generated via CV electrodeposition and in situ B-doping was excellent (2.14 mA/cm2). • With an IPCE of 82.5%, dual manipulation of the energy band structure by B doping and NiO substantially decreases the prohibited bandwidth of TNAs. • NiO improves charge injection efficiency, while B doping improves charge separation efficiency; the synergistic impact of the two provides a rapid and efficient PEC process. The severe photogenerated charge recombination rate, poor visible light utilization and slow oxygen precipitation kinetics are the technical bottlenecks limiting the photo-electrolysis of TiO 2 nanotube array (TNAs) photoanode for hydrogen production from water. To solve these problems, NiO nanoparticles were uniformly loaded into B-doped TNAs by the CV method. It is found that B-doping improves the energy band structure of TNAs, and doping-induced surface defects could become traps for photogenerated carriers to substantially improve the charge separation efficiency of the bulk phase. The P-N junctions formed between TiO 2 anatase and NiO nanoparticles not only promoted the OER kinetics at the interface but also greatly improved the surface carrier separation efficiency of the catalyst, as well as ensured the stability and activity of the B-doping-induced surface defects. Moreover, the carrier concentration and visible light absorption properties of TNAs were enhanced and improved. Due to the synergistic effect of B doping and NiO loading, the bulk charge separation efficiency and surface charge separation efficiency of NiO/BT (B doping and NiO loading TNAs) were as high as 88.9 and 82.4%, respectively, at 1.23 V vs. RHE, and the photocurrent density reached 2.05 mA/cm2, which was 10 times higher than that of pure TNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Electrocatalytic water splitting in an alkaline medium is recognized as the promising technology to sustainably generate clean hydrogen energy via hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), while the sluggish water dissociation and subsequent *H adsorption steps greatly retarded the reaction kinetics and efficiency of the overall hydrogen evolution process. Whilst nitrogen (N)-doped carbon-based materials are attractive candidates for promoting HER activity, the facile fabrication and gaining a deeper insight into the electrocatalytic mechanism are still challenging. Herein, inspired by the Diels-Alder reaction, we precisely tailored six-membered pyridinic N and five-membered pyrrolic N sites at the edge of the carbon substrates. Comprehensive analysis validates that the participation of pyridinic N (electron-withdrawing) and pyrrolic N (electron-releasing) will induce the charge rearrangements, and further generate local electrophilic and nucleophilic domains in adjacent carbon rings, which guarantees the occurrence of water dissociation to generate protons and the subsequent adsorption of *H intermediates through electrostatic interactions, thereby facilitating the overall reaction kinetics. To this end, the optimal NC-ZnCl 2 -25 % electrocatalysts present excellent alkaline HER activity (η 10 = 45 mV, Tafel slop of 37.7 mV dec-1) superior to commercial Pt/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of biochar materials as catalysts to activate persulfate (PS) for the degradation of antibiotics has attracted much attention. In this study, a carbonaceous material (Cu/Zn-SBC) was prepared from sewage sludge by hydrothermal modification. The efficiency of PS activation by Cu/Zn-SBC was investigated using tetracycline (TC) as the model antibiotic. In the Cu/Zn-SBC + PS system, the TC removal rate reached 90.13% at 10 min and exceeded 99% within 4 h. This not only met the requirement of removing large amounts of pollutants in a short time but also achieved the complete removal of pollutants in the subsequent time. Additionally, the Cu/Zn-SBC + PS system was found to be dominated by radical and nonradical pathways. Cu, hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of Cu/Zn-SBC promoted the production of free radicals and non-free radicals. Under several changes in reaction conditions and water environment factors, the TC removal rate remained above 85% within 10 min. Furthermore, the removal rate of TC was still 85.79% when Cu/Zn-SBC combined with PS was reused twice and 77.14% when reused four times. This study provides an ideal solution for the treatment of sewage sludge, and offers a stable and efficient material for removing antibiotics from wastewater. [Display omitted] • Cu/Zn-SBC prepared from sewage sludge is highly efficient to activate PS. • The Cu/Zn-SBC + PS system can remove antibiotics briefly and keep strong stability. • The TC removal efficiency of the Cu/Zn-SBC + PS system exceeded 99%. • The active radicals and activation mechanisms involved in reaction were proposed. • Main intermediates and three pathways of TC degradation were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emodin has been reported to fulfill an important function in suppressing the vicious outcome of liver cancer. We aimed to elucidate the partial underlying molecular mechanism of emodin in inhibiting liver cancer, and we applied miRNA-sequence analysis and corresponding molecular functional experiments to find that the inhibitory effect of emodin on liver cancer was partly mediated by cellular autophagy through the miR-371a-5p/PTEN axis. The expression level of miR-371a-5p was down-regulated after emodin treatment in liver cancer cell lines (LCCLs). Restoring the expression level of miR-371a-5p attenuated the suppression of emodin on LCCLs. Additionally, we performed the prediction in relevant online databases and found that PTEN might functioned as a downstream target of miR-371a-5p to participate in the regulation on the above process. What's more, the detection of autophagy-related protein markers showed that LC3II was elevated accompanied by the decreased P62. The above results revealed that PTEN functioned as a key target to regulate the autophagy in the process where emodin inhibited the malignant outcome of LCCLs via miR-371a-5p, which further provided a theoretical basis for the application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on clinical tumors. • We further enriched the role of emodin in suppressing liver cancer. • MiR-371a-5p was found to play an important role in the process of inhibiting liver cancer with emodin for the first time. • Emodin could modulate the miR-371a-5p/PTEN axis to suppress liver cancer via an autophagy-dependent pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical symptoms of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) may be mediated by aberrant dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC). While earlier research has found altered functional network connections in PSP patients, the majority of those studies have concentrated on static functional connectivity. Nevertheless, in this study, we sought to evaluate the modifications in dynamic characteristics and establish the correlation between these disease-related changes and clinical variables. In our study, we conducted a study on 53 PSP patients and 65 normal controls. Initially, we employed a group independent component analysis (ICA) to derive resting-state networks (RSNs), while employing a sliding window correlation approach to produce dFNC matrices. The K-means algorithm was used to cluster these matrices into distinct dynamic states, and then state analysis was subsequently employed to analyze the dFNC and temporal metrics between the two groups. Finally, we made a correlation analysis. PSP patients showed increased connectivity strength between medulla oblongata (MO) and visual network (VN) /cerebellum network (CBN) and decreased connections were found between default mode network (DMN) and VN/CBN, subcortical cortex network (SCN) and CBN. In addition, PSP patients spend less fraction time and shorter dwell time in a diffused state, especially the MO and SCN. Finally, the fraction time and mean dwell time in the distributed connectivity state (state 2) is negatively correlated with duration, bulbar and oculomotor symptoms. Our findings were that the altered connectivity was mostly concentrated in the CBN and MO. In addition, PSP patients had different temporal dynamics, which were associated with bulbar and oculomotor symptoms in PSPRS. It suggest that variations in dynamic functional network connectivity properties may represent an essential neurological mechanism in PSP. • We investigated altered dynamic functional network connectivity in progressive supranuclear palsy. • Progressive supranuclear palsy may be related with the disruption of cerebellum network. • We observed medulla oblongata exhibited paradoxically enhanced connectivity with cerebellum network and visual network. • Progressive supranuclear palsy decreases medulla oblongata and subcortical cortex network state time. • The time index of dFNC relate to bulbar and oculomotor symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock manure is known to be a significant reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), posing a major threat to human health and animal safety. ARGs are found in both intracellular and extracellular DNA fractions. However, there has been no comprehensive analysis of these fractions in commercial organic fertilizers (COFs). The present study conducted a systematic survey of the profiles of intracellular ARGs (iARGs) and extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and their contributing factor in COFs in Northern China. Results showed that the ARG diversity in COFs (i.e., 57 iARGs and 53 eARGs) was significantly lower than that in cow dung (i.e., 68 iARGs and 69 eARGs). The total abundance of iARGs and eARGs decreased by 85.7% and 75.8%, respectively, after compost processing, and there were no significant differences between iARGs and eARGs in COFs (P > 0.05). Notably, the relative abundance of Campilobacterota decreased significantly (99.1–100.0%) after composting, while that of Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes increased by 21.1% and 29.7%, respectively, becoming the dominant bacteria in COFs. Co-occurrence analysis showed that microorganisms and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were more closely related to eARGs than iARGs in COFs. And structural equation models (SEMs) further verified that microbial community was an essential factor regulating iARGs and eARGs variation in COFs, with a direct influence (λ = 0.74 and 0.62, P < 0.01), following by similar effects of MGEs (λ = 0.59 and 0.43, P < 0.05). These findings indicate the need to separate eARGs and iARGs when assessing the risk of dissemination and during removal management in the environment. [Display omitted] • The study explored the profiles of eARGs and iARGs in commercial organic fertilizers. • There was no significant difference between iARGs and eARGs in COFs. • MGEs played a key role in structuring ARGs in COFs under different bacterial contexts. • Microorganism, eMGEs and eARGs had stronger correlation than that of intracellular ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate effects of aqueous pomegranate peel extract (APPE) and ethanolic pomegranate peel extract (EPPE) on microbiota and changes in quality of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) fillets stored at 4 °C. The results showed that pomegranate peel extract (PPE, which includes both APPE and EPPE) retarded the deterioration of sensory quality and flesh color, inhibited the growth of spoilage bacteria, and attenuated the production of biogenic amines, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and the degradation of ATP-related compounds. Moreover, EPPE performed better in color attributes and biogenic amines, but APPE was more effective in retarding the increase of TVB-N and K-value. High-throughput sequencing results showed that microbial composition of all samples became less diverse as storage time increased. For the control group, Acinetobacter was predominant in the middle-period of storage, while Pseudomonas , Aeromonas , and Shewanella became predominant at the end of storage. Additionally, PPE decreased the relative abundance of Acinetobacter in the middle-period of storage, and thus changed the microbial composition. Based on our assessments of quality and microbial analysis, PPE prolonged the shelf-life of bighead carp fillets for about 2 days, and it has the potential to become a promising preservative in aquatic products. • APPE and EPPE retarded the deterioration of quality of bighead carp fillets. • APPE and EPPE inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas , Aeromonas , and Shewanella. • Effects of APPE and EPPE on microbiota of bighead carp fillets were demonstrated. • Effects of APPE and EPPE on quality and microbiota of fish fillets were compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To investigate the relationship between the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and autophagy in lung tissue cells in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. Materials and methods Thirty-two male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to four different treatment groups: control (C), LPS (L), rapamycin (R), and LPS + rapamycin (LR). Optical and electron microscopy were used to detect lung injury and autophagy. Tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6, and p62 in lung tissues and IgM concentrations and total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. LC3Ⅱ, LC3Ⅰ, ribosomal protein p70S6 kinase1 (p70S6K1), and phosphorylation of ribosomal protein p70S6 kinase1(P-p70S6K1) in lung tissues were measured by Western blot. Results The L group had an increased ALI index ( P < 0.05) compared with the C group, but there were no differences between the L and the LR groups or the C and R groups (all P > 0.05). According to the index of autophagy, the L, the R and C groups, the level of autophagy were in descending order ( P < 0.05), there were no differences between the L and the LR groups ( P > 0.05). The expression of P-p70S6K1 declined after rapamycin treatment, showing that the signaling pathway of mTOR is inhibited by rapamycin. Conclusions LPS could trigger the mTOR signaling pathway and autophagy of lung tissue cells in LPS-induced ALI in mice; The mTOR signaling pathway did not play a major role in lung injury and autophagy of lung tissue cells induced by LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of phytic acid and lysozyme on the microbial composition and quality of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) fillets stored at 4 °C. The control, 0.5 mg/mL lysozyme-treated fillets (T1), 0.5 mg/mL phytic acid-treated fillets (T2) and 0.25 mg/mL lysozyme + 0.25 mg/mL phytic acid-treated fillets (T3) were evaluated based on sensory assessment, biogenic amines, ATP-related compounds, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and total viable counts (TVC). Changes in microbial composition were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that phytic acid and lysozyme treatment delayed the decrease in sensory scores, reduced the rate of degradation of IMP to Hx, inhibited the growth of microorganisms, and attenuated the increase in TVB-N and putrescine. Phytic acid exhibited better preservation effects than lysozyme and their combination was more effective than using either alone. High-throughput sequencing showed that Acinetobacter and Kocuria were the predominant bacteria in fresh grass carp, but Pseudomonas rose rapidly with storage time; Pseudomonas , Shewanella , and Aeromonas constituted the main spoilage bacteria of grass carp fillets. Lysozyme treatment significantly reduced the proportion of Shewanella and Acinetobacter , and phytic acid and the combination of phytic acid and lysozyme significantly reduced the proportion of Pseudomonas in spoiled grass carp fillets. • Lysozyme and phytic acid prolonged the shelf life of grass carp fillets. • The combined treatment exhibited better effect compared with using either alone. • Pseudomonas was sensitive to phytic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]