Search Results (33)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a vital component in addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. In the context of the construction industry, due to the widespread presence of irresponsible practices, CSR implementation studies have gained significant attention, particularly in developing countries. This study consists of a systematic literature review of 58 articles published between 2018 and 2024, seeking to explore the internal and external factors affecting CSR implementation in emerging construction nations. The analysis employs the PESTEL framework, which refers to external impact factors, including political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal aspects. Additionally, the SWOT framework is utilized to identify the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is then applied to prioritize the identified factors. The results demonstrate that institutional pressures and economic progress are the most influential external opportunities. Internal weaknesses, including subcontracting and quality challenges and financial constraints of SMEs, are significant barriers. This study contributes to the CSR literature by integrating external macro-environmental factors and internal organizational dynamics, offering a strategic and actionable framework for the advancement of CSR implementation in the construction industries of developing countries. Full article

Appropriate growth curves can reflect more sophisticated growth patterns of animals than body weight, and thus, the identification of genes and variants related to the growth curve parameter traits contributes to revealing the fine growth and development characteristics of livestock. However, the ability of single genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) and transcriptome analyses to identify valuable genes and variants is limited. In this study, based on genome and transcriptome data, the growth curve parameter traits of hybrid pigs were analyzed, and a set of genes and variants were identified. The Gompertz–Laird growth curve model was optimized to reveal the growth pattern of F₂ individuals of Duroc × Erhualian pigs over four time points. Five growth parameters were estimated, including initial body weight ${(W}_0)$, instantaneous growth rate per day (L), coefficient of relative growth or maturing index (k), body weight at inflection point ${(W}_i)$, and average growth rate (GR). These five parameters were subjected to a genome-wide association study, differential gene expression analysis, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). In the study, 336 pigs were genotyped, and 39,494 SNP markers were used for each pig in the analysis. Thirty of these pigs were also included in the transcriptomics analysis. Based on genome and transcriptome data, the integrated analyses identified five putative SNPs (including INRA0056566 on chromosome X, DRGA0004151 on chromosome 3, INRA0056460 on chromosome X, H3GA0049324 on chromosome 17, and H3GA0037747 on chromosome 13) and 15 candidate genes (PDGFA, VEGFD, CSPP1, EFHC1, PIK3C3, ZZZ3, GCC2, MAPK14, ZPR1, ISG15, ANG, CEBPD, ZHX3, CTBP2, and MYNN). The functional analysis indicated that these candidate genes played important roles in cell division and differentiation, development and aging, and skeletal muscle and fat formation. Our results provide insight into the genetic mechanisms underlying the growth and development of hybrid pigs and offer a theoretical basis for genomic breeding. Full article

Recently, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have attracted increasing attentions in the design of full-duplex (FD) systems due to their novel capability of propagation environment reconfiguration. However, in conventional RIS-assisted FD systems, the beamforming for self-interference cancellation (SIC) and sum rate maximization (SRM) are highly coupled during RIS optimization, which significantly degrades the system performance. To tackle this issue, we exploit a novel bilayer intelligent omni-surface (BIOS) structure in FD systems. Compared with the conventional RIS designs, the BIOS provides independent beams on both sides, thus enabling more flexible achievement of SRM and SIC. For the BIOS-assisted FD system, we first formulate an optimization problem to achieve SRM and efficient SIC simultaneously. Then, we exploit the relationship between the SRM and mean square error (MSE), and propose a weighted MSE minimization with SIC algorithm to solve the problem. Specifically, we jointly design the beamforming at the base station and the BIOS with manifold optimization while guaranteeing an SIC constraint. Furthermore, we theoretically derive a lower band for the BIOS size required for efficient SIC in FD systems. Simulation results indicate that the BIOS outperforms the conventional RIS designs in FD systems, and verify the accuracy of the derived lower bound for the BIOS size. Full article

Starch is a common source of carbohydrates in aqua feed. High-starch diet can cause hepatic injury and lipid accumulation in fish. Mangiferin (MGF) can regulate lipid metabolism and protect the liver, but there is limited research on its effects in fish. In the present study, we investigated whether MGF could ameliorate high-starch-induced hepatic damage and lipid accumulation in channel catfish. The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were fed one of four experimental diets for eight weeks: a control diet (NCD), a high-starch diet (HCD), an HCD supplemented with 100 mg/kg MGF (100 MGF), and an HCD supplemented with 500 mg/kg MGF (500 MGF). The results demonstrated that the weight gain rate (WGR) (p = 0.031), specific growth rate (SGR) (p = 0.039), and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) (p = 0.040) of the 500 MGF group were significantly higher than those of the NCD group. MGF supplementation alleviated liver damage and improved antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) compared to those of the HCD group (p = 0.000). In addition, dietary MGF significantly reduced plasma glucose (GLU) (p = 0.000), triglyceride (TG) (p= 0.001), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (p = 0.000) levels. It is noteworthy that MGF significantly reduced the plasma total cholesterol (TC) levels (p = 0.000) and liver TC levels (p = 0.005) of channel catfish. Dietary MGF improves cholesterol homeostasis by decreasing the expression of genes that are involved in cholesterol synthesis and transport (hmgcr, sqle, srebf2, sp1, and ldlr) and increasing the expression of genes that are involved in cholesterol catabolism (cyp7a1). Among them, the largest fold decrease in squalene epoxidase (sqle) expression levels was observed in the 100 MGF or 500 MGF groups compared with the HCD group, with a significant decrease of 3.64-fold or 2.20-fold (p = 0.008). And the 100 MGF or 500 MGF group had significantly decreased (by 1.67-fold or 1.94-fold) Sqle protein levels compared to those of the HCD group (p = 0.000). In primary channel catfish hepatocytes, MGF significantly down-regulated the expression of sqle (p = 0.030) and reduced cholesterol levels (p = 0.000). In NCTC 1469 cells, MGF significantly down-regulated the expression of sqle (p = 0.000) and reduced cholesterol levels (p = 0.024). In conclusion, MGF effectively inhibits sqle expression and reduces cholesterol accumulation. The current study shows how MGF supplementation regulates the metabolism and accumulation of cholesterol in channel catfish, providing a theoretical basis for the use of MGF as a dietary supplement in aquaculture. Full article

An 88-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary inosine 5′-monophosphate (5′-IMP) on the growth performance and salinity and oxidative stress resistance in the juvenile gibel carp CAS III (Carassius auratus gibelio; initial body weight: 7.48 g). Four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets containing exogenous 5′-IMP were formulated. P1, P2, P3 and P4 were diets containing 5′-IMP at four concentrations (0, 1, 2 and 4 g kg⁻¹). The four diets were randomly allotted to triplicate tanks in a recirculating system. After the feeding trial, six fish per tank were netted randomly and placed into 12‰ saline water to test their response to salinity stress. The results indicated that the feed conversion rate was enhanced by dietary supplementation with 5′-IMP. The appetite, plasma neuropeptide Y level and feeding rate of the P3 group were lower than those in the control treatment group. Dietary supplementation with 5′-IMP improved the osmoregulatory adaptation of gibel carp under acute salinity stress. Six hours after the salinity stress treatment, in the dietary 5′-IMP treatment group, the plasma cortisol and K⁺ concentrations were lower and the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity was greater than that in the control group. Dietary supplementation with 5′-IMP promoted the expression of the glucocorticoid receptors NKA-α1b and NKCC and retarded the expression of Hsp70 in P4-treated gill filaments and kidneys. Dietary supplementation with 5′-IMP resulted in a stable oxidative-stress-resistant phenotype characterized by increased levels of cellular antioxidants, including SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and MPO. The above results of the current study demonstrate that supplementation of 5′-IMP can promote feed utilization and have positive influences on the salinity and oxidative stress resistance of gibel carp. Full article

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) is widely distributed in the desert areas of the world. The fruit bodies of C. colocynthis are recognized for their wide range of nutraceutical potential, as well as medicinal and pharmaceutical uses. The plant has been reported for various uses, such as asthma, bronchitis, cancer, colic, common cold, cough, diabetes, dysentery, and jaundice. The fruit has been extensively studied for its biological activities, which include insecticide, antitumor, and antidiabetic effects. Numerous bioactive compounds have been reported in its fruit bodies, such as essential oils, fatty acids, glycosides, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Of these, flavonoids or caffeic acid derivatives are the constituents associated with the inhibition of fungal or bacterial growth, whereas eudesmane sesquiterpenes or sesquiterpene lactones are most active against insects, mites, and nematodes. In this review, the scientific evidence for the biological activity of C. colocynthis against insecticide, cytotoxic, and antidiabetic effects is summarized. Full article

Long-term high stocking density often brings negative effects such as decreased body weight, decreased immunity, and increased mortality to cultured fish, while the effects of short-term stocking are relatively less studied. In this experiment, we characterized spatial and temporal gene expression in black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) liver by establishing two stocking density groups—high (H: 26.5 kg/m³) and low (L: 2.95 kg/m³)—and conducting transcriptome sequencing before collecting liver samples at two time points: 6 h (AL and AH) and 60 d (CL and CH) into the culture trial. There were 648 and 550 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the AL-vs-AH and CL-vs-CH groups, respectively. The DEGs in the AL-vs-AH group were significantly enriched in steroid biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, the PPAR signaling pathway, proteasome, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes. The DEGs in the CL-vs-CH group were more significantly enriched in lipid metabolism-related pathways, such as the PPAR signaling pathway, fatty acid metabolism, and cholesterol metabolism. In addition, immune-related pathways such as the phagosome and complement and coagulation cascades were also enriched in the CL-vs-CH group. The expression changes concerning the DEGs in each group were further analyzed. The DEGs related to steroid synthesis, protein synthesis, and the degradation pathways were down-regulated, but immune-related genes were generally up-regulated in the AH group. The DEGs related to lipid synthesis were significantly up-regulated in the CH group, but the DEGs related to lipid consumption and utilization were down-regulated. The expression of immune-related DEGs was also negatively affected in the CH group. These results suggest that acute and chronic crowding stress affects lipid metabolism and immune regulation in the liver of black porgy. Acute stress particularly affected hepatic protein metabolism, while chronic stress showed more effects on hepatic lipid metabolism. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for understanding the effects of high stocking densities upon black porgy and may also provide a reference for crowding stress regulation studies in other fish species. Full article

This study investigated the potential role of curcumin (CUR) in preventing oxidative stress and ferroptosis induced by ammonia exposure in gibel carp. Experimental fish (initial weight: 11.22 ± 0.10 g, n = 150) were fed diets supplemented with or without 0.5% CUR for 56 days, followed by a 24 h ammonia (32.5 mg/L) exposure. Liver damages (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), adenosine deaminase (ADA), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)) and oxidative stress enzyme activities (reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA); and the content of antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)) were induced by ammonia stress. The antioxidant capacity was decreased, as indicated by inhibited gene expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (ho-1), catalase (cat), and sod. Ferroptosis was induced by ammonia stress, as suggested by upregulated mRNA levels of nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (ncoa4), transferrin receptor 1 (tfr1), and iron-responsive element-binding protein 2 (ireb2), and downregulated expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (gpx4), ferroportin (fpn), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (fth1). In addition, both mRNA and protein levels of ferroptosis markers acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) were upregulated, while cystine/glutamate antiporter (SLC7A11) was downregulated. However, liver injury and ferroptosis in fish induced by ammonia could be attenuated by CUR. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that CUR ameliorates oxidative stress and attenuates ammonia stress-induced ferroptosis. This study provides a new perspective on potential preventive strategies against ammonia stress in gibel carp by dietary CUR. Full article

Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) is a multipurpose tree providing nuts and timbers, which holds an important position in the mountainous villages in China. However, leaf scorch disease is becoming more and more serious in the chestnut orchards of Yanshan Mountain areas, but the cause of occurrence is still unclear. In this study, the nutrient elements were analyzed from the leaves, roots, and surrounding soils of roots as well as the nut qualities in the healthy and scorched trees from two adjacent chestnut orchards. The results showed that the elements of nitrogen (N), iron (Fe), boron (B), and zinc (Zn) in leaves significantly increased in the scorched trees as well as N and B in roots, and potassium (K), and available potassium (AP) in soils, but leaf magnesium (Mg), root manganese (Mn), and soil Mg, copper (Cu), Fe, and B significantly decreased. Correlation analysis demonstrated that B, Zn, Mg, and Fe had a greater influence on the status of leaf health, and soil AK, K, Fe, B, and Cu had an impact on leaf B concentration. In addition, the occurrence of leaf scorch affected the nut sizes, contents of total soluble proteins and ascorbic acid as well as the catalase activity in the nuts. These results indicated that the disruption of soil-element balance may be one of the main causes resulting in the occurrence of leaf scorch, which would provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the prevention of chestnut leaf scorch disease. Full article

Melatonin (MT) can improve the effect of cryopreservation on oocytes by suppressing oxidative stress and maintaining the permeability of the oolemma. In this study, MT was firstly applied to human oocytes’ cryopreservation to explore the effect of prolonged cryopreservation on developmental competence and its role. Collected in vitro-matured human oocytes were cryopreserved in MT-containing or MT-free medium for 0 and 6 months; after warming, viable oocytes were assessed for developmental viability, intracellular protein expression, mitochondrial function, and oxidation-antioxidant system. Meanwhile, fresh oocytes were set as the control. The results showed that with the extension of cryopreservation time, the developmental competence of oocytes gradually declined, accompanied by the down-regulation of most mitochondrial function-related proteins, the reduction in ATP and GSH production, the increase in ROS accumulation, and the aggravation of the imbalance of ROS/GSH in oocytes. However, the participation of MT seemed to effectively mitigate these negative effects. Therefore, we speculate that melatonin may maintain normal ATP production and ROS/GSH balance in cryopreserved oocytes by protecting mitochondrial function and inhibiting oxidative damage, thereby effectively maintaining the developmental competence of human oocytes in prolonged cryopreservation. Full article

Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharide (AMP) can enhance antioxidant defense and anti-inflammation, as the tolerance levels of AMP in aquaculture is important for additive utilization. However, the tolerance dose of AMP is unknown. We assess the tolerance levels of AMP in juvenile largemouth bass (3.38 ± 0.11 g) by feeding them a 0, 400, 4000, or 8000 mg/kg AMP supplemented diet for 10 weeks. The 400 mg/kg AMP dose increased growth performance. The Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway was activated, as indicated by Keap1 and Nrf2 protein levels in the liver. Enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx), together with increased mRNA levels of antioxidant genes (sod, gpx) and decreased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MDA, was found in the liver, implying the antioxidant effect of AMP. Nutrient absorption was enhanced by AMP, as reflected by the increased length of intestinal villi and microvilli. However, 4000 and 8000 mg/kg AMP induced oxidant stress, as indicated by increased plasma ALT and AST content and decreased mRNA levels of antioxidant genes (sod, gpx) in the liver and intestinal tissues. Inflammatory reactions were also induced by high doses of AMP, as reflected by enhanced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tnfα, nfκb) in the liver, intestinal, and kidney tissues and inhibited levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (tgfβ, iκb). Histological analysis reveals inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue damage. Thus, the safe tolerance margin of AMP supplement for largemouth bass was 400–4000 mg/kg. Full article

Our previous studies in gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) have shown that cadmium (Cd) exposure elicits deleterious effects depending on the genetic background, and thus we hypothesized that mitigation via nutritional intervention may vary between strains. Therefore, two gibel carp strains (the A and F strains) were fed diets supplemented with 0% or 1% taurine for 8 weeks prior to 96 h Cd exposure, and the responses of antioxidant pathways, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, autophagy, and apoptosis were investigated. The results showed that taurine supplementation had no effect on the growth performance of gibel carp. After Cd exposure, histological damage to mitochondria and ER, induction of oxidative stress and antioxidant responses, occurrence of ER stress, and apoptotic signals were observed in the livers. Upon the diet effects, taurine supplementation alleviated the ER-stress-induced autophagy and apoptosis after Cd exposure and stimulated antioxidant pathways. Regarding the difference between strains, taurine played a protective role in alleviating Cd toxicity through the antioxidant response, ER stress, and autophagy in the F strain, whereas such effects were achieved by the attenuation of apoptosis in the A strain. Taken together, our results demonstrate the potential use of taurine in the mitigation of heavy metal toxicity in aquatic organisms. Full article

Trichoderma bio-fertilizer is widely used to improve soil fertility and carbon (C) sequestration, but the mechanism for increasing C accumulation remains unclear. In this study, effects of Trichoderma bio-fertilizer on the mineralization of aggregate-associated organic C were investigated in a field experiment with five treatments (bio-fertilizer substitute 0 (CF), 10% (BF10), 20% (BF20), 30% (BF30) and 50% (BF50) chemical fertilizer nitrogen (N)). Aggregate fractions collected by the dry sieving method were used to determine mineralization dynamics of aggregate-associated organic C. The microbial community across aggregate fractions was detected by the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) method. The results indicated that Trichoderma bio-fertilizer increased organic C stock across aggregate fractions and bulk soil compared with CF. Cumulative mineralization of aggregate-associated organic C increased with the increasing bio-fertilizer application rate. However, the proportion of organic mineralized C was lower in the BF20 treatment except for <0.053 mm aggregate. Moreover, the PLFAs and fungal PLFA/bacterial PLFA first increased and then decreased with increasing bio-fertilizer application rates. Compared with CF, the increases of bacteria PLFA in >2 mm aggregate were 79.7%, 130.0%, 141.0% and 148.5% in BF10, BF20, BF30 and BF50, respectively. Similarly, the PLFAs in 0.25–2, 0.053–0.25 and <0.053 mm aggregates showed a similar trend to that in >2 mm aggregate. Bio-fertilizer increased the value of fungi PLFA/bacteria PLFA but decreased G+ PLFA/G− PLFA, and BF20 shared the greatest changes. Therefore, appropriate Trichoderma bio-fertilizer application was beneficial to improving soil micro-environment and minimizing risks of soil degradation. Full article

In aquaculture, fish are often exposed to several stress conditions, which will cause oxidative disorder and bring about health and quality problems. Arthrospira platensis contains abundant bioactive ingredients, which are beneficial for animal health. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of A. platensis on pigmentation, antioxidant capacity, and stress response after air exposure of fish. A total of 120 yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco (initial weight 70.19 ± 0.13 g) were divided into three tanks per treatment and fed diets supplemented with 0 g kg⁻¹ A. platensis (CON) and 20 g kg ⁻¹ A. platensis (AP) for 65 days. The results indicated that dietary A. platensis had no effects on the growth of yellow catfish. The AP diet significantly reduced lactic acid (LD) and cortisol levels stimulated by air exposure stress (p < 0.05). Dietary A. platensis significantly increased plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities and glutathione (GSH) contents, and the relative expression levels of sod and cat, to protect against oxidative stress caused by air exposure (p < 0.05). The AP diet significantly improved the relative expression level of nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2), while the relative expression level of keap1 (kelch-like ECH associated protein 1) was downregulated, and the protein levels of liver Nrf2 were significantly increased after air exposure stimuli (p < 0.05). Dietary A. platensis significantly increased skin lutein contents, increased skin redness, yellowness and chroma (p < 0.05), and improved body color abnormalities after oxidative stress caused by air exposure stimuli. Skin yellowness was associated with lutein contents and the expression levels of some antioxidant genes to varying degrees. Overall, dietary A. platensis could be utilized as a feed additive to activate the antioxidant response, as well as alleviate oxidative stress and pigmentation disorder induced by air exposure. Full article

There is growing concern that chemotherapy drugs can damage Leydig cells and inhibit the production of testosterone. Increasing evidence shows that melatonin benefits the reproductive process. This study mainly explores the protective effect and possible molecular mechanism of melatonin regarding cisplatin-induced oxidative stress in testicular tissue and Leydig cells. We found that there were only Leydig and Sertoli cells in the testes of gastrointestinal tumor patients with azoospermia caused by platinum chemotherapeutic drugs. Melatonin (Mel) receptor 1/melatonin receptor 2 (MT1/MT2) was mainly expressed in human and mouse Leydig cells of the testes. We also observed that the melatonin level in the peripheral blood decreased and oxidative stress occurred in mice treated with cisplatin or gastrointestinal tumor patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapeutic drugs. iTRAQ proteomics showed that SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling and MT1 proteins were downregulated in cisplatin-treated mouse testes. The STRING database predicted that MT1 might be able to regulate the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Melatonin reduced oxidative stress and upregulated SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling in cisplatin-treated mouse testes and Leydig cells. Most importantly, after inhibiting MT1/MT2, melatonin could not upregulate SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling in cisplatin-treated Leydig cells. The MT1/MT2 inhibitor aggravated the cisplatin-induced downregulation of SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling and increased the apoptosis of Leydig cells. We believe that melatonin stimulates SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling by activating MT1/MT2 to prevent the cisplatin-induced apoptosis of Leydig cells. Full article