Ying Liu

The fish industry faces significant post-harvest losses due to rapid microbial spoilage and lipid oxidation, posing challenges to food security and sustainability.

Life-history theory posits that organisms allocate limited resources among competing demands. For fish with indeterminate growth, the trade-off between reproduction and growth is particularly important, as reproductive investment may directly constrain future somatic growth. However, little is known about how individuals with different boldness traits are associated with life-history traits. This study combined morphological and molecular physiological measures to explore the link between boldness and reproductive investment and somatic growth in female zebrafish (Danio rerio). Female boldness had a significant inverted U-shaped relationship with body length, was unrelated to relative body mass, and was positively correlated with relative abdominal area. After controlling for similar body mass differences, bold individuals exhibited significantly greater body depth, a higher body depth-to-body length ratio, increased abdominal area, and a higher gonadosomatic index (GSI) compared with their shy counterparts, along with elevated expression of mstnb (myostatin b) in muscle. Conversely, shy individuals showed higher expression levels of genes related to fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial biogenesis, and lipid storage, specifically pparα, cpt1b, pgc1α, and pparγ. These findings highlight a systematic phenotypic differentiation between boldness types in the allocation of resources to reproduction and growth traits. Bold individuals tend to favor current reproductive investment, while shy individuals exhibit enhanced somatic growth and muscle metabolic features. This pattern aligns with predictions from life-history trade-off theory and may be connected to broader ecological functions in fish. Future studies should consider integrating interdisciplinary approaches to further investigate the mechanistic connections between fish personality and life history.

Pomacea canaliculata is an invasive species distributed globally, yet the mechanisms behind its rapid ecosystem dominance and lethal effects on native species remain unclear. This study analyzed the dissemination pattern of pathogens from the gut of P. canaliculata to the aquatic environment. Combined with field surveys and mesocosm experiments, the impact of pathogens released by P. canaliculata on the native snail Cipangopaludina chinensis was evaluated. The direct lethal effects of the core bacterium on native snails were further demonstrated through in vivo and in vitro infection. Results show that 168 species of zoonotic pathogens existed in the gut of P. canaliculata, carrying 82 virulence factors and half of the high-risk antibiotic-resistant genes known to cause diseases. These pathogens released by P. canaliculata in the aquatic environment ultimately caused gut microbiota dysbiosis, mortality, and population decline in native snails, while it can be alleviated in the pathogen-limited P. canaliculata model. Aeromonas strains, the primary pathogen isolated from P. canaliculata, induced intestinal necrosis and death in native snails. Therefore, the release of pathogens is considered a previously overlooked invasion strategy of P. canaliculata, which poses a substantial public health threat within the One Health framework.

Smart windows can dynamically adjust their transmittance in response to environmental conditions. Thus, they provide optimal indoor temperatures, reduce reliance on air conditioning and other equipment, thereby minimizing energy consumption. However, traditional smart window materials encounter difficulties in simultaneously achieving energy-saving and privacy functions, as the precise control of phase transition temperature remains challenging. This limitation prevents smart windows from being tailored to meet the specific requirements of various application scenarios. In this study, we developed a bidirectional optically responsive double-layer hydrogel (DHG) for smart windows by integrating two independent functional layers: a molecularly functionalized cellulose-based hydrogel acting as the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) layer and an acrylamide (AM)/acrylic acid (AA) copolymer hydrogel serving as the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) layer. The LCST (23.1-34.2 °C) and UCST (1.0-16.2 °C) were independently and precisely tuned by modifying the molar substitution degree of 2-hydroxy-3-butoxypropyl hydroxyethyl cellulose and adjusting the AM/AA molar ratio, respectively. This structural and functional independence significantly enhances the processing and customization of the smart windows. DHG smart window exhibits excellent visible light transmission (T_lum = 82.14%) and remarkable solar modulation (ΔT_sol, LCST = 76.60%; ΔT_sol, UCST = 75.28%). During daylight hours, it permits transmission of both ultraviolet and visible light when temperatures are within the comfort range, satisfying indoor illumination requirements. When temperatures exceed this range, the window blocks incident solar radiation, significantly enhancing thermal insulation. Under low nighttime temperatures, light transmission is blocked, providing nighttime privacy protection. Compared to traditional windows, DHG smart windows provide superior thermal insulation. Moreover, their precisely controllable phase transition temperature makes them ideal for intelligent temperature monitoring applications.

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) offer significant advantages in aquaculture by markedly decreasing water usage and increasing culture density. A vital component within a RAS is the filler material, which serves as a surface for microbial colonization. Effective microbial treatment is crucial for the efficient operation of a RAS as it assists in purifying the wastewater generated within the system. Nevertheless, traditional fillers often show low efficiency in biofilm formation. The commercial silicon carbide used in this study is a foam ceramic filter with a density of about 0.4–0.55 g/cm³, a number of holes of about 10, and a through porosity of 80.9%, with a diameter of about 5 cm. This research investigates the utilization of a titanium dioxide–silicon carbide (TiO₂-SiC) composite filler to improve the purification efficiency of ammonia nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in aquaculture wastewater. The study involved the application of titanium dioxide films onto the surface of silicon carbide to produce the composite filler. This method takes advantage of the dipole interaction between titanium dioxide and microorganisms, which enhances biofilm culturing efficiency on the silicon carbide surface. The performance of three different fillers was assessed for their ability to purify aquaculture wastewater. Results showed that the TiO₂-SiC composite filler was 1.67 times more effective in removing COD and 1.07 times more effective in removing ammonia nitrogen compared to using silicon carbide alone. These results demonstrate that the incorporation of a titanium dioxide coating substantially boosts the microbial colonization efficiency of silicon carbide, thereby enhancing the overall wastewater purification efficiency in RAS.

Multi-heterojunctions are more promising than single heterojunctions in photocatalysis due to the availability of more interfaces between each component. However, photocatalytic activity is highly dependent on the contact mode of individual components. In this work, we assembled gold nanoparticles/oxygen-deficient (anatase/B-phase) TiO₂ multi-heterojunction microspheres using spray pyrolysis and focused on their contact mode-governed photocatalytic activity. The results reveal that using oxygen-deficient (anatase/B-phase) TiO₂ microspheres as building blocks could significantly enhance the absorption of visible light and the photocatalytic activity of a gold–TiO₂ system toward the photocatalytic carbon monoxide oxidation. Furthermore, loading gold nanoparticles onto B-phase TiO₂ could facilitate a more prominent enhancement of activity than that of pure B-phase TiO₂, benefiting from the two-electron reduction of oxygen at the interface of TiO₂/Au. Meanwhile, the high crystallinity of B-phase TiO₂ microspheres allows for a gold loading amount of 1 wt% in the gold/(anatase/B-phase) TiO₂ system, which is 1.67 times more active than pure B-phase TiO₂ microspheres, in the photocatalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide to generate carbon dioxide.

China aims to achieve a 50% rate of mechanization for aquaculture by 2025. Aerators are crucial mechanical equipment in aquaculture for increasing yield, but their manufacturing has an environmental impact. Improving the yield and controlling the environmental impacts of aerators in China is an important issue have to be considered, as is comparing the environmental impact of manufacturing innovative and conventional aerators. Herein, life cycle assessment (LCA) as a quantitative analysis method was used, and six models of three widely used aerators (impeller, paddle wheel, and wave) were selected as an example to compare the environmental impacts of conventional and innovative aerators from large-scale aerator manufacturing enterprises in Taizhou, China. The results showed that the conventional paddle wheel aerator (SC-1.5) had the largest environmental impact, while the innovative paddle wheel aerator (GSC-1.5) had the lowest environmental impact, reduced by 30%. In addition, the environmental impact of the innovative impeller aerator (SYL-1.5) and wave aerator (GYL-1.5) was less than that of the conventional impeller aerator (YL-1.5) wave aerator (SW-1.5), but only by 0.21% and 0.02%, respectively. Human toxic potential (HTP) made the largest contribution, and the manufacturing of copper wire was critical; the environmental impact was from 96.50% to 98.21% for all material inputs. The contributions of iron and stainless steel were 1.05–1.28% and 0.74–1.04%, respectively. Therefore, conductive materials with excellent environmental performance, such as carbon nanomaterials and nano copper wire, should replace copper wire in aerator manufacturing. The results expand aquaculture life cycle knowledge and could reduce the environmental impacts of aerator manufacturing in China.

The brain is considered to be an extremely sensitive tissue to hypoxia, and the brain of fish plays an important role in regulating growth and adapting to environmental changes. As an important aquatic organism in northern China, the economic yield of Takifugu rubripes is deeply influenced by the oxygen content of seawater. In this regard, we performed RNA-seq analysis of T. rubripes brains under hypoxia and normoxia to reveal the expression patterns of genes involved in the hypoxic response and their enrichment of metabolic pathways. Studies have shown that carbohydrate, lipid and amino acid metabolism are significant pathways for the enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and that DEGs are significantly upregulated in those pathways. In addition, some biological processes such as the immune system and signal transduction, where enrichment is not significant but important, are also discussed. Interestingly, the DEGs associated with those pathways were significantly downregulated or inhibited. The present study reveals the mechanism of hypoxia tolerance in T. rubripes at the transcriptional level and provides a useful resource for studying the energy metabolism mechanism of hypoxia response in this species.

The mating roles of males and females, to a certain extent, are dynamic and variable. Several factors influence the mate choice process. Nonetheless, the main preference features have not yet been fully understood in Aequidens rivulatus. In this study, because of its natural pairing characteristics, A. rivulatus was selected to explore the mate choice preferences of different sexes. Specifically, male and female behavioral performances were described and quantified through a “no-choice paradigm” during mate choice. A total of 12 behavioral performances were defined in male mate choice (experiment 1), whereas 14 behavioral performances were defined in female mate choice (experiment 2). According to the obtained results, unselected females did not display any proactive behaviors in experiment 1, whereas unselected males exhibited proactive behaviors in experiment 2, including quivering, nipping, tail beating, swimming up and down, and aggression. It was also found that both male and female individuals tend to express dislike rather than like. Those behaviors with higher frequencies (e.g., quivering) often mean less energy expenditure, thus easier repeatability. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to extract and identify mate choice preference features. Preliminary results indicated that male preferences for a mate were mainly associated with body size, behavioral intention, and appearance, whereas the intensity of female preferences was in the order of body size, appearance, and behavioral intention. In addition, sex hormone levels were associated with mate choices.