Fabrication of carvacrol loaded cellulose acetate phthalate/shellac composite film and its application to mackerel fillets preservation.

In this research, the carvacrol (CAR) loaded cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) /shellac (SH) films were prepared via electrostatic repulsion strategy and casting method. The CAP/SH-CAR films demonstrated excellent tensile strength, while also exhibiting good UV light barrier and thermal stability. The results showed that the addition of CAR significantly improved the barrier of the CAP film to water vapor and oxygen permeability. When the addition amount of CAR was 0.9 % (w/w) with respect to CAP content, the CAP/SH-CAR films exhibited good antibacterial activity and effectively reduced the growth of S. aureus and E. coli by approximately 47.9 % and 50.9 %, respectively. The presence of SH improved the retention rate of CAR in CAP/SH-CAR films, with the retention rate ranging from 45.2 to 56.8 %. Finally, the CAP/SH-CAR films were applied to preserve the mackerel fillets, indicating that the rate of freshness deterioration had been delayed and showing a good freshness preservation effect. Therefore, the CAP/SH-CAR films have the potential to be used as food packaging materials.

Effects of melittin on production performance, antioxidant function, immune function, heat shock protein, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota in heat-stressed quails.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of melittin on production performance, antioxidant function, immune function, heat shock protein, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota of heat-stressed quails. A total of 120 (30-day-old) male quails were randomly divided into 3 groups. Each group consisted of 4 replicates with 10 birds per replicate. The ambient temperature of the control group (group W) was 24°C ± 2°C. The heat stress group (group WH) and the heat stress + melittin group (group WHA2) were subjected to heat stress for 4 h from 12:00 to 16:00 every day, and the temperature was 36°C ± 2°C for 10 d. The results showed that compared with the group W, heat stress significantly decreased growth performance, serum and liver antioxidative function, immune function, intestinal villus height (VH) and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (VH/CD), and cecal microbiota Chao and ACE index (P < 0.05). The crypt depth (CD) in the small intestine, and HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA levels in the heart, liver, spleen, and kidney were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Dietary melittin significantly increased growth performance, serum and liver antioxidative function, immune function, intestinal VH and VH/CD, and cecal microbiota Shannon index in heat-stressed quails (P < 0.05). Melittin significantly decreased small intestinal CD, and HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA levels in the viscera (P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary melittin could have balanced the disorder of cecal microbiota caused by heat stress and increased the abundance and diversity of beneficial microbiota (e.g., Firmicutes were significantly increased). PICRUSt2 functional prediction revealed that most of the KEGG pathways with differential abundance caused by high temperature were related to metabolism, and melittin could have restored them close to normal levels. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the beneficial intestinal bacteria Anaerotruncus, Bacteroidales_S24-7_group_norank, Lachnospiraceae_unclassified, Shuttleworthia, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 increased by melittin were positively correlated with average daily feed intake, the average daily gain, serum and liver superoxide dismutase, IgG, IgA, bursa of Fabricius index, and ileum VH and VH/CD. In sum, our results demonstrate for the first time that dietary melittin could improve the adverse effects of heat stress on antioxidant function, immune function, heat shock protein, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota in quails, consequently improving their production performance under heat stress.

Risk perceptions and risk-averse attitude influenced older patients' first-diagnosis-seeking behaviour at tertiary hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aimed to investigate the associations of older patients' inappropriate healthcare-seeking behaviour at tertiary hospitals in China with their risk perceptions and attitude. METHODS: The study was based on nine focus group interviews (involving 41 older patients, with three to six per group) and involved the grounded theory method. The participants were recruited at tertiary hospitals. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that older patients' inappropriate first-diagnosis-seeking behaviour at tertiary hospitals was impacted by their risk perceptions and risk-averse attitude. Both external factors (family/friends and the Internet) and internal factors (preferences and habits) had played important roles in related processes. CONCLUSION: Thus, to guide older patients' healthcare-seeking behaviour, changing the thoughts and behaviour of the older patients themselves, their spouses, adult children, other relatives, and friends are all important. More attention should be paid on guiding appropriate risk perceptions and attitude regarding lower-level medical institutions, increasing their preferences and habit formation regarding lower-level medical institutions, enhancing older patients' social support and improving and standardising online health information. These are important for the future development of the hierarchical medical system in China.

Building demolition waste management through smart BIM: A case study in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's construction industry, known for its massive building infrastructure, produces an enormous amount of waste every year, the vast majority of which is disposed for landfills. Therefore, some effective operational measures and waste management policies have been implemented. However, enormous waste remains a concern for stakeholders and exert pressure on the limited capacity of Hong Kong's landfills. Though previous research discusses Building Information Modelling (BIM) application for construction waste management enhancement, the BIM model has not been widely implemented for building demolition with waste management. Hence, as a response to the aforementioned shortcomings, this paper develops a conceptual framework that allows collecting, maintaining, and analyzing comprehensive information through Smart BIM that uses advanced technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) and capable of reacting to user activities such as waste quantitative assessment, demolition process planning, optimal disposal route selection, and waste management strategy are executed. The advantages of the proposed framework are shown in a case study benefit-cost analysis based on three planned reuse and recycling-rate scenarios that explain on- and off-site recycling methods. The results show that the proposed framework will pave the way for generating sustainable waste disposal practices by providing technical and decision-making support functionalities to engineers and planners in the construction industry.

Single-cell sequencing reveals novel mechanisms of Aflatoxin B1-induced hepatotoxicity in S phase-arrested L02 cells.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is widely distributed in nature and is confirmed to be the most toxic of all the aflatoxins, whose predominant metabolism site is the liver. As a well-studied and vital mode of epigenetic modifications, aberrant methylation of the promoters in eukaryotic cells may cause the silence of essential genes, affecting their related transcriptional pathways and ultimately leading to the development of disease and cancers. This study investigated the mechanisms of AFB1-induced hepatotoxicity in S phase-arrested L02 cells using single-cell RNA-seq and single-cell reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). AFB1 induced apoptosis and cell cycle S phase arrest, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, as well as the DNA methylation level. Hepatotoxicity mechanism patterns induced by AFB1 in S phase-arrested L02 cells were revealed by combining single-cell RNA-seq with single-cell RRBS analysis, in which DNA methylation played a role via regulating the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor pathway, the Wnt signaling pathway, and the TGF-beta signaling pathway. Moreover, a novel strategy for precision toxicology exploration was obtained, including the selection of target cells, multi-group non-directional sequencing, and pathway analysis.

An in vitro attempt at precision toxicology reveals the involvement of DNA methylation alteration in ochratoxin A-induced G0/G1 phase arrest.

Precision toxicology evaluates the toxicity of certain substances by isolating a small group of cells with a typical phenotype of interest followed by a single cell sequencing-based analysis. In this in vitro attempt, ochratoxin A (OTA), a typical mycotoxin and food contaminant, is found to induce G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest in human renal proximal tubular HKC cells at a concentration of 20 µM after a 24h-treatment. A small number of G0/G1 phase HKC cells are evaluated in both the presence and absence of OTA. These cells are sorted with a flow cytometer and subjected to mRNA and DNA methylation sequencing using Smart-Seq2 and single-cell reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing (scRRBS) technology, respectively. Integrated analysis of the transcriptome and methylome profiles reveals that OTA causes abnormal expression of the essential genes that regulate G1/S phase transition, act as signal transductors in G1 DNA damage checkpoints, and associate with the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome. The alteration of their DNA methylation status is a significant underlying epigenetic mechanism. Furthermore, Notch signaling and Ras/MAPK/CREB pathways are found to be suppressed by OTA. This attempt at precision toxicology paves the way for a deeper understanding of OTA toxicity and provides an innovative strategy to researchers in the toxicology and pharmacology field.

Aflatoxin B1-induced epigenetic alterations: An overview.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is widely distributed in nature, especially in a variety of food commodities. It is confirmed to be the most toxic of all the aflatoxins. The toxicity of AFB1 has been well investigated, and it may result in severe health problems including carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, growth retardation, and immune suppression. Epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation, histone modifications and regulation of non-coding RNA play an important role in AFB1-induced disease and carcinogenesis. To better understand the evidence for AFB1-induced epigenetic alterations and the potential mechanisms of the toxicity of AFB1, we conducted a review of published studies of AFB1-induced epigenetic alterations.

A Review: Epigenetic Mechanism in Ochratoxin A Toxicity Studies.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a natural contaminant that has displayed nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in mammals. It contaminates a great variety of foodstuffs and threatens people's lives. The molecular mechanism of OTA-induced toxicity has been studied since 1965. Moreover, epigenetic mechanisms are also studied in OTA-induced toxicity. Additionally, the mode of OTA epigenetic research has been advanced in research hotspots. However, there is still no epigenetic study of OTA-induced toxicity. In this review, we discuss the relationship between these epigenetic mechanisms and OTA-induced toxicity. We found that studies on the epigenetic mechanisms of OTA-induced toxicity all chose the whole kidney or liver as the model, which cannot reveal the real change in DNA methylation or miRNAs or histone in the target sites of OTA. Our recommendations are as follows: (1) the specific target site of OTA should be detected by advanced technologies; and (2) competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) should be explored with OTA.