100 years of anthropogenic impact causes changes in freshwater functional biodiversity.

Despite efforts from scientists and regulators, biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate. Unless we find transformative solutions to preserve biodiversity, future generations may not be able to enjoy nature's services. We have developed a conceptual framework that establishes the links between biodiversity dynamics and abiotic change through time and space using artificial intelligence. Here, we apply this framework to a freshwater ecosystem with a known history of human impact and study 100 years of community-level biodiversity, climate change and chemical pollution trends. We apply explainable network models with multimodal learning to community-level functional biodiversity measured with multilocus metabarcoding, to establish correlations with biocides and climate change records. We observed that the freshwater community assemblage and functionality changed over time without returning to its original state, even if the lake partially recovered in recent times. Insecticides and fungicides, combined with extreme temperature events and precipitation, explained up to 90% of the functional biodiversity changes. The community-level biodiversity approach used here reliably explained freshwater ecosystem shifts. These shifts were not observed when using traditional quality indices (e.g. Trophic Diatom Index). Our study advocates the use of high-throughput systemic approaches on long-term trends over species-focused ecological surveys to identify the environmental factors that cause loss of biodiversity and disrupt ecosystem functions.

Over long periods of time, environmental changes ­ such as chemical pollution and climate change ­ affect the diversity of organisms that live in an ecosystem, known as 'biodiversity'. Understanding the impact of these changes is challenging because they can happen slowly, their effect is only measurable after years, and historical records are limited. This can make it difficult to determine when specific changes happened, what might have driven them and what impact they might be having. One way to measure changes in biodiversity over time is by analysing traces of DNA shed by organisms. Plants, animals, and bacteria living in lakes leave behind genetic material that gets trapped and buried in the sediment at the bottom of lakes. Similarly, biocides ­ substances used to kill or control populations of living organisms ­ that run-off into lakes leach into the sediment and can be measured years later. Therefore, this sediment holds a record of life and environmental impacts in the lake over past centuries. Eastwood, Zhou et al. wanted to understand the relationship between environmental changes (such as the use of biocides and climate change) and shifts in lake biodiversity. To do so, the researchers studied a lake community that had experienced major environmental impacts over the last century (including nutrient pollution, chemical pollution and climate change), but which appeared to improve over the last few years of the 20^th century. Using machine learning to find connections over time between biodiversity and non-living environmental changes, Eastwood, Zhou et al. showed that, despite apparent recovery in water quality, the biodiversity of the lake was not restored to its original state. A combination of climate factors (such as rainfall levels and extreme temperatures) and biocide application (particularly insecticides and fungicides) explained up to 90% of the biodiversity changes that occurred in the lake. These changes had not been identified before using traditional techniques. The functional roles microorganisms played in the ecosystem (such as degradation and nitrogen metabolism) were also altered, suggesting that loss of biodiversity may lead to loss of ecosystem functions. The findings described by Eastwood, Zhou et al. can be used by environmental regulators to identify species or ecosystems at risk from environmental change and prioritise them for intervention. The approach can also be used to identify which chemicals pose the greatest threat to biodiversity. Additionally, the use of environmental DNA from sediment can provide rich historical biodiversity data, which can be used to train artificial intelligence-based models to improve predictions of how ecosystems will respond to complex environmental changes.

Very-Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency: Family Impact and Perspectives.

Very-Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (VLCADD) is a fatty acid oxidation disorder characterized by the decreased ability of the enzyme very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase to break down fatty acids with 14 to 20-long carbon chains. The resulting clinical manifestations are variable in severity and include hypoketotic hypoglycemia, rhabdomyolysis, and cardiomyopathy. Treatment can consist of limiting the dietary intake of long-chain fatty acids, the prevention of fasting, and the supplementation of medium-chain fats. This study, conducted in the context of a 5-year long-term follow-up on VLCADD, evaluates how the diagnosis of this fatty acid disorder impacts the family, specifically as it relates to the medical diet and barriers to care. Caregivers (n = 10) of individuals with VLCADD responded to a survey about how VLCADD potentially impacts their family. The review included the clinical outcomes of the patients (n = 11), covering instances of rhabdomyolysis, cardiomyopathy, and hospitalizations related to VLCADD. Families affected by VLCADD experience barriers to care, including difficulties with finances, ability to work, and access to nutrition.

DHA, nutrient intake, and maternal characteristics as predictors of pregnancy outcomes in a randomised clinical trial of DHA supplementation.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationships among docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake, nutrient intake, and maternal characteristics on pregnancy outcomes in a phase III randomised clinical trial designed to determine the effect of a DHA dose of 1000 mg/day compared to 200 mg/day on early preterm birth (<34 weeks gestation). METHODS: A secondary aim of the phase III randomised trial was to explore the relationships among pregnancy outcomes (maternal red blood cell phospholipid (RBC-PL) DHA at delivery, preterm birth, gestational age at delivery, labor type, birth anthropometric measures, low birth weight, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and admission to a neonatal intensive care unit) in participants (n = 1100). We used Bayesian multiple imputation and linear and logistic regression models to conduct an analysis of five general classes of predictor variables collected during the trial: a) DHA intake, b) nutrient intake from food and supplements, c) environmental exposure to tobacco and alcohol, d) maternal demographics, and e) maternal medical history. RESULTS: DHA supplementation lowered the risk of preterm birth and NICU admission, and increased gestation and birth weight as observed in the primary analysis. Higher maternal RBC-PL-DHA at delivery was associated with DHA supplementation and formal education of a bachelor's degree or higher. DHA supplementation and maternal age were associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes. Total vitamin A intake was associated with longer gestation, while fructose and intake of the long chain omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid, were associated with shorter gestation. Risk of preterm birth was associated with a history of low birth weight, preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, and NICU admission. CONCLUSION: Bayesian models provide a comprehensive approach to relationships among DHA intake, nutrient intake, maternal characteristics, and pregnancy outcomes. We observed previously unreported relationships between gestation duration and fructose, vitamin A, and arachidonic acid that could be the basis for future research. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER AND DATE: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02626299); December 10, 2015.

Micronutrient Gaps and Supplement Use in a Diverse Cohort of Pregnant Women.

BACKGROUND: Micronutrition in pregnancy is critical to impact not only fetal growth and development but also long-term physical and psychiatric health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Estimate micronutrient intake from food and dietary supplements in a diverse cohort of pregnant women and compare intake to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of women enrolled in a multi-site clinical trial of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation who provided their dietary intake using the diet history questionnaire-II (n = 843) or multiple 24 h recalls (n = 178) at baseline and their intake of nutritional supplements at baseline through 30 days postpartum. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: 1021 participants from the parent trial who had reliable data for dietary intake, supplement intake, or both. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Micronutrient intake from dietary and supplement sources and percentage of intakes meeting the DRIs for pregnancy. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Percent of participants whose intake was below the estimated average requirement (EAR) or adequate intake (AI) and above the tolerable upper limit (UL). RESULTS: Dietary intakes of choline, folate, iron, vitamin D, zinc, vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium, were below the AI or EAR for 30-91% of the participants; thiamin and vitamin B6 were also below the AI or EAR for non-Hispanic/Latina women. Supplement intake improved the intake for most; however, 80% of the group remained below the AI for choline and 52.5% for potassium while 30% remained below the EAR for magnesium. Folate and iron intakes were above the UL for 80% and 19%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary supplements, despite their variability, allowed the majority of this cohort of pregnant women to achieve adequate intakes for most micronutrients. Choline, magnesium, and potassium were exceptions. Of interest, folate intake was above the tolerable UL for the majority and iron for 16.8% of the participants. Clinicians have the opportunity to address the most common nutrient deficits and limits with advice on food sources that provide choline, magnesium, and potassium and to ensure folate is not overabundant. More research is needed to determine if these findings are similar in a cross-sectional population.

EfectroH2O: Development and evaluation of a novel treatment technology for high-brine industrial wastewater.

Textile production is one of the main sources of freshwater consumption by industries worldwide. In addition, according to the world bank, 20 % of the wastewater generated globally is caused by textile wet-processing. Textile wet-processing includes the processes in textile production where garments are dyed or given the final functions like water-repellency. Several thousand chemicals were used in this process, some of which are highly toxic. Discharging untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater in water bodies results in high pollution levels, severely impacting the environment and human health. Especially in textile-producing countries like India, environmental pollution and water consumption from textile wet-processing have severe impacts. Next to the high volume of chemicals used in textile production, the high salt concentration in textile wastewater also poses a challenge and is critical for freshwater systems. Moreover, textile wastewater is one of the most difficult to treat wastewater. Currently, used treatment technologies do not meet the requirements to treat textile wastewater. Therefore, the further development of efficient treatment technologies for textile wastewater is critically important. Hence, in the interdisciplinary project, effect-based monitoring demonstrates the efficiency of electrically-driven water treatment processes to remove salts and micropollutants from process water (EfectroH2O), a low-energy Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) textile wastewater treatment technology is being developed consisting of a combination of capacitive deionization (CDI) and advanced oxidation processes (AOP). In addition to treatment technology development, methods for evaluating the efficiency of treatment technologies also need to be improved. Currently, mainly physicochemical parameters such as pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) are tested worldwide to check water quality. However, these methods are insufficient to make a statement about the toxic potential of such complex mixtures as textile wastewater. Therefore, also next to chemical analyses, effect-based methods (EBM) are used to verify the treated wastewater.

A systematic review of mood and depression measures in people with severe cognitive and communication impairments following acquired brain injury.

AIM: A systematic review to identify which mood and depression measures are valid for use with people with severe cognitive and communication impairments following severe acquired brain injury. METHOD: A systematic search of Cochrane, Web of Science, Ovid, and EBSCOhost was performed in March 2020, July 2021, and September 2022. The search focused on self-report and observer-rated assessment tools used to assess mood, depression, and/or distress in those described as having a severe acquired brain injury. Psychometric properties were extracted using the Consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments (COSMIN) risk of bias checklist. Qualitative synthesis was performed on extracted patient data. RESULTS: Nineteen papers detailing the psychometric properties of 25 measures were included, involving 2,914 participants. Nine papers provided details confirming the severity of participants' cognitive and communication impairments. The remaining papers described including severely injured participants but provided limited details so that precise level of severity could not be confirmed. Only one paper showed evidence of adequate psychometric properties and included those with severe cognitive impairments in a study of two observer-rated measures, the Stroke Aphasia Depression Questionnaire (10 items) and the Aphasia Depression Rating Scale. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the exclusion of individuals with severe cognitive and communication consequences following brain injury, no studies using self-report measures showed adequate validity evidence to recommend their use in this population. A small study using two observer-rated scales included those with severe cognitive impairments and showed satisfactory evidence that these measures can be validly used with this population.

The Time Machine framework: monitoring and prediction of biodiversity loss.

Transdisciplinary solutions are needed to achieve the sustainability of ecosystem services for future generations. We propose a framework to identify the causes of ecosystem function loss and to forecast the future of ecosystem services under different climate and pollution scenarios. The framework (i) applies an artificial intelligence (AI) time-series analysis to identify relationships among environmental change, biodiversity dynamics and ecosystem functions; (ii) validates relationships between loss of biodiversity and environmental change in fabricated ecosystems; and (iii) forecasts the likely future of ecosystem services and their socioeconomic impact under different pollution and climate scenarios. We illustrate the framework by applying it to watersheds, and provide system-level approaches that enable natural capital restoration by associating multidecadal biodiversity changes to chemical pollution.

Remobilization of pollutants during extreme flood events poses severe risks to human and environmental health.

While it is well recognized that the frequency and intensity of flood events are increasing worldwide, the environmental, economic, and societal consequences of remobilization and distribution of pollutants during flood events are not widely recognized. Loss of life, damage to infrastructure, and monetary cleanup costs associated with floods are important direct effects. However, there is a lack of attention towards the indirect effects of pollutants that are remobilized and redistributed during such catastrophic flood events, particularly considering the known toxic effects of substances present in flood-prone areas. The global examination of floods caused by a range of extreme events (e.g., heavy rainfall, tsunamis, extra- and tropical storms) and subsequent distribution of sediment-bound pollutants are needed to improve interdisciplinary investigations. Such examinations will aid in the remediation and management action plans necessary to tackle issues of environmental pollution from flooding. River basin-wide and coastal lowland action plans need to balance the opposing goals of flood retention, catchment conservation, and economical use of water.

Higher dose docosahexaenoic acid supplementation during pregnancy and early preterm birth: A randomised, double-blind, adaptive-design superiority trial.

BACKGROUND: Several meta analyses have concluded n-3 fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), reduce early preterm birth (EPB, < 34 weeks), however, the amount of DHA required is unclear. We hypothesized that 1000 mg DHA per day would be superior to 200 mg, the amount in most prenatal supplements. METHODS: This randomised, multicentre, double-blind, adaptive-design, superiority trial was conducted in three USA medical centres. Women with singleton pregnancies and 12 to 20 weeks gestation were eligible. randomization was generated in SAS® by site in blocks of 4. The planned adaptive design periodically generated allocation ratios favoring the better performing dose. Managing study personnel were blind to treatment until 30 days after the last birth. The primary outcome was EPB by dose and by enrolment DHA status (low/high). Bayesian posterior probabilities (pp) were determined for planned efficacy and safety outcomes using intention-to-treat. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02626299) and closed to enrolment. FINDINGS: Eleven hundred participants (1000 mg, n = 576; 200 mg, n = 524) were enrolled between June 8, 2016 and March 13, 2020 with the last birth September 5, 2020. 1032 (n = 540 and n = 492) were included in the primary analyses. The higher dose had a lower EPB rate [1.7% (9/540) vs 2.4% (12/492), pp=0.81] especially if participants had low DHA status at enrolment [2.0% (5/249) vs 4.1%, (9/219), pp=0.93]. Participants with high enrolment DHA status did not realize a dose effect [1000 mg: 1.4% (4/289); 200 mg: 1.1% (3/271), pp = 0.57]. The higher dose was associated with fewer serious adverse events (maternal: chorioamnionitis, premature rupture of membranes and pyelonephritis; neonatal: feeding, genitourinary and neurologic problems, all pp>0.90). INTERPRETATION: Clinicians could consider prescribing 1000 mg DHA daily during pregnancy to reduce EPB in women with low DHA status if they are able to screen for DHA. FUNDING: The National Institutes of Health Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) funded the study. Life's DHA™-S oil, DSM Nutritional Products LLC, Switzerland provided all capsules.

Bioavailability and impacts of estrogenic compounds from suspended sediment on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Numerous environmental pollutants have the potential to accumulate in sediments, and among them are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). It is well documented that water-borne exposure concentrations of some potent EDCs, more specifically estrogenic- active compounds (ECs), can impair the reproduction of fish. In contrast, little is known about the bioavailability and effects of sediment-associated ECs on fish. Particularly, when sediments are disturbed, e.g., during flood events, chemicals may be released from the sediment and become bioavailable. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate a) whether ECs from the sediment become bioavailable to fish when the sediment is suspended, and b) whether such exposure leads to endocrine responses in fish. Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed over 21 days to constantly suspended sediments in the following treatments: i) a contaminated sediment from the Luppe River, representing a "hotspot" for EC accumulation, ii) a reference sediment (exhibiting only background contamination), iii) three dilutions, 2-, 4- and 8-fold of Luppe sediment diluted with the reference sediment, and iv) a water-only control. Measured estrogenic activity using in vitro bioassays as well as target analysis of nonylphenol and estrone via LC-MS/MS in sediment, water, fish plasma, as well as bile samples, confirmed that ECs became bioavailable from the sediment during suspension. ECs were dissolved in the water phase, as indicated by passive samplers, and were readily taken up by the exposed trout. An estrogenic response of fish to Luppe sediment was indicated by increased abundance of transcripts of typical estrogen responsive genes, i.e. vitelline envelope protein α in the liver and vitellogenin induction in the skin mucus. Altered gene expression profiles of trout in response to suspended sediment from the Luppe River suggest that in addition to ECs a number of other contaminants such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals were remobilized during suspension. The results of the present study demonstrated that sediments not only function as a sink for ECs but can turn into a significant source of pollution when sediments are resuspended as during flood-events. This highlights the need for sediment quality criteria considering bioavailability sediment-bound contaminants in context of flood events.

Is a liver comparable to a liver? A comparison of different rat-derived S9-fractions with a biotechnological animal-free alternative in the Ames fluctuation assay.

Metabolism has to be considered during the toxicological assessment of chemical and environmental samples because it is an important process in the mammalian liver. It can be assessed in vitro via liver homogenates called S9-fractions, an external metabolic activation system. However, the external metabolic activation systems can vary greatly in their composition due to biological variations among individual animals and animal strains that the S9-fraction are derived as well as the differences in the production treatment. To gain more insight into these variances, three different but commonly used rat-derived S9-fractions were compared in the present study for their variance and performance with a reference compound in the Ames fluctuation assay with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 98 and TA 100 according to ISO 11350. Severe shortcomings of conventional rat-derived S9-fractions were observed in the present study, such that S9-fractions differed significantly within the same rat strain and for different types of induction procedures in regards to the metabolic capability. An intrinsic mutagenic potential of the three rat-derived S9-fractions were identified in the Ames fluctuation assay with varying S9-fraction concentrations. To address some of the shortcomings of the animal-derived S9-fraction, the present study investigated the use and performance of a biotechnological, animal-free alternative, ewoS9R, in comparison to one of the rat-derived S9-fraction as the others showed a mutagenic potential themselves. Specifically, 12 different chemicals were used as a reference to determine if ewoS9R could serve as an adequate and more consistent replacement of traditional rat-derived metabolic activation systems: 8 pro-mutagenic compounds (i.e., require metabolic activation to show a mutagenic potential), one pro-mutagenic compound but not in the tested strains, one mutagenic compound without metabolic activation and two compounds that are equivocal in the literature. EwoS9R was evaluated as a promising approach in the Ames fluctuation assay with 5 compounds observed to have similar results with both rat-derived S9-fraction and ewoS9R (41%), for 3 compounds ewoS9R was a better metabolization system than the rat-derived S9-fraction (16%). Further research is necessary to determine the full potential of ewoS9R in comparison to rat-derived S9-fractions.

Using a high-throughput method in the micronucleus assay to compare animal-free with rat-derived S9.

This study presents a high-throughput (HTP) micronucleus assay in multi-well plates with an automated evaluation for risk assessment applications. The evaluation of genotoxicity via the micronucleus assays according to international guidelines ISO 21427-2 with Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) V79 cells was the starting point to develop our methodology. A drawback of this assay is that it is very time consuming and cost intensive. Our HTP micronucleus assay in a 48-well plate format allows for the simultaneous assessment of five different sample-concentrations with additional positive, negative and solvent controls with six technical replicates each within a quarter of the time required for the equivalent evaluation using the traditional slide method. In accordance with the 3R principle, animal compounds should be replaced with animal-free alternatives. However, traditional cell culture-based methods still require animal derived compounds like rat-liver derived S9-fraction, which is used to simulate the mammalian metabolism in in vitro assays that do show intrinsic metabolization capabilities. In the present study, a recently developed animal-free biotechnological alternative (ewoS9R) was investigated in the new high-throughput micronucleus assay. In total, 12 different mutagenic or genotoxic chemicals were investigated to assess the potential use of the animal-free metabolization system (ewoS9R) in comparison to a common rat-derived product. Out of the 12 compounds, one compound did not induce micronuclei in any treatment and 2 substances showed a genotoxic potential without the need for a metabolization system. EwoS9R demonstrated promising potential for future applications as it shows comparable results to the rat-derived S9 for 6 of the 9 pro-genotoxic substances tested. The remaining 3 substances (2-Acetamidofluorene, Benzo[a]pyrene, Cyclophosphamide) were only metabolized by rat-derived S9. A potential explanation is that ewoS9R was investigated with an approx. 10-fold lower enzyme concentration and was only optimized for CYP1A metabolization that may be improved with a modified production procedure. Future applications of ewoS9R go beyond the micronucleus assay, but further research is necessary.

Assessing endocrine disruption in freshwater fish species from a "hotspot" for estrogenic activity in sediment.

Little is known about sediment-bound exposure of fish to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) under field conditions. This study aimed to investigate potential routes of EDC exposure to fish and whether sediment-bound contaminants contribute towards exposure in fish. Tench (Tinca tinca) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) as a benthic and pelagic living fish species, respectively, were sampled at the Luppe River, previously described as a "hotspot" for accumulation of EDC in sediment. A field reference site, the Laucha River, additionally to fish from a commercial fish farm as reference were studied. Blackworms, Lumbriculus variegatus, which are a source of prey for fish, were exposed to sediment of the Luppe River and estrogenic activity of worm tissue was investigated using in vitro bioassays. A 153-fold greater estrogenic activity was measured using in vitro bioassays in sediment of the Luppe River compared the Laucha River. Nonylphenol (NP; 22 mg/kg) was previously identified as one of the main drivers of estrogenic activity in Luppe sediment. Estrogenic activity of Luppe exposed worm tissue (14 ng 17ß-estradiol equivalents/mg) indicated that food might act as secondary source to EDCs. While there were no differences in concentrations of NP in plasma of tench from the Luppe and Laucha, vitellogenin, a biomarker for exposure to EDCs, was induced in male tench and roach from the Luppe River compared to both the Laucha and cultured fish by a factor of 264 and 90, respectively. However, no histological alterations in testis of these fish were observed. Our findings suggest that sediments substantially contribute to the overall EDC exposure of both benthic and pelagic fish but that the exposure did not impact gonad status of the fish.

Thinking about other's mistakes: contrasting patterns of performance in groups high or low in autistic or psychopathic traits.

Introduction: Counterfactual thinking refers to thoughts such as, "What if … ?" or "If only … " that hypothesise about how past events might have turned out differently. It is a functional process, allowing us to reflect upon and solve problems, and to evoke appropriate responses. It is thought to involve both cognitive and emotional processes, and is linked to the development of false belief and moral emotions. Methods: The present study compared responses to a novel task, "Counterfactual Judgments", in students who scored high or low on self-report measures of autistic or psychopathic traits, two conditions putatively associated with deficits in empathy. Results: Contrasting patterns of performance were revealed: those with high versus low autistic traits gave harsher ratings of blame for others' mistakes and showed reduced sensitivity to punitive counterfactual alternatives, whereas those with high versus low psychopathic traits gave lower ratings for moral judgments of regret and guilt. A self-report questionnaire measure of empathy also provided some evidence of reduced empathic processing in both the high trait groups. Conclusions: The findings are considered in the light of the possible contributions of cognitive versus emotional processes to counterfactual thinking. The possible implications for managing social dysfunction in clinical populations are also discussed.

Bioavailability of estrogenic compounds from sediment in the context of flood events evaluated by passive sampling.

Studies worldwide have demonstrated through in vitro bioassays and chemical analysis that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can accumulate in river sediments. However, remobilization of sediment-bound EDCs due to bioturbation or re-suspension during flood events remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioavailability of EDCs, more specifically estrogenic compounds (EC), from sediment under turbulent conditions using a passive sampling approach. Sediment was sampled along the Luppe River, Germany, previously described as a "hotspot" for ECs. The concentration of target ECs and estrogenic activity were investigated using chemical analysis (LC MS/MS) in addition to a novel screening tool (planar Yeast Estrogen Screen; p-YES) that utilizes high performance thin-layer chromatography plates in combination with an in vitro bioassay (YES). Estrone (50%, E1) and nonylphenol (35%, NP) accounted for the majority of estrogenic activity reported of up to 20 ±â€¯2.4 µg E2 equivalents per kg dry weight in the Luppe sediments. Two types of passive samplers (polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) and Chemcatcher) were used to investigate the bioavailability of ECs from suspended sediment under laboratory conditions. NP, E1, E2 and ethynylestradiol (EE2) were remobilized from Luppe sediment when subjected to turbulent conditions, such as in a flood event, and were readily bioavailable at ecotoxicologically relevant concentrations (NP 18 µg/L, E1 14 ng/L, E2 0.2 ng/L, EE2 0.5 ng/L).

Marine microplastics bound dioxin-like chemicals: Model explanation and risk assessment.

Microplastics have become one of the most pervasive emerging pollutants in the marine environment because of their wide occurrence and high sorption ability for hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs). Among the associated HOCs, dioxin-like chemicals (DLCs) can pose severe health risks; however, information on effects of microplastics bound DLCs is lacking. To fill this knowledge gap, this study integrated chemical analysis and in vitro bioassays to elucidate the potential dioxin-like effects of microplastics bound DLCs. Chemical analysis results demonstrated that styrofoams possessed significantly greater DLCs than other coastal or open ocean plastic particles. This was probably due to the presence of additives and greater sorption ability of expanded polystyrene. However, styrofoams did not show as strong dioxin-like effects as predicted by the bioanalysis equivalent model in bioassays. This could be attributed to the decreased DLC bioavailability and increased competition with the presence of styrene oligomers. Besides, bioassay results also demonstrated that aging increased the associated DLC concentrations, since extra sorption from surrounding environment occurred during prolonged retention periods. Finally, it was estimated that the leaching of DLCs could induce dioxin-like effects in marine organisms under 100% (11/11) and 18% (2/11) scenarios for aged pellets and styrofoams through aqueous or dietary exposures.

Effect-based and chemical analyses of agonistic and antagonistic endocrine disruptors in multiple matrices of eutrophic freshwaters.

In the present study, both bioanalytical and instrumental tools were employed to examine the endocrine-disruptive potentials of water samples, cyanobloom samples, and sediment samples collected from in the northern region of Taihu Lake (China) during cyanobloom season. Results from cell-based bioassays suggested the occurrence of estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, anti-androgenic, and anti-glucocorticogenic activities, while no androgenic and glucocorticogenic activities were observed in the collected samples. Using an UPLC-MS/MS system, 29 endocrine disrupting compounds including seven estrogens, seven androgens, six progestogens, and five adrenocortical hormones and four industrial pollutants were simultaneously detected. 17, 20 and 12 chemicals were detected at least in one of the water samples, cyanobloom samples and sediment samples, respectively. Since both agonistic and antagonistic endocrine-disruptive activities were detected in the present study, commonly used receptor-based in vitro bioassays resulted in net effects, suggesting that the hormone receptor agonistic potentials might be underestimated with this practice. The EDCs detected in cyanobloom samples also highlight the necessity to consider the phytoplankton matrix for understanding the mass fluxes of endocrine disruptors in eutrophic freshwaters and to consider it in monitoring strategies.

Cyanobacterial blooms act as sink and source of endocrine disruptors in the third largest freshwater lake in China.

Cyanobacterial blooms are of global concern due to the multiple harmful risks they pose towards aquatic ecosystem and human health. However, information on the fate of organic pollutants mediated by cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic water remains elusive. In the present study, endocrine disruptive potentials of phytoplankton samples were evaluated throughout a year-long surveillance in a large and eutrophic freshwater lake. Severe cyanobacterial blooms persisted during our sampling campaigns. Estrogenic agonistic, anti-estrogenic, anti-androgenic, and anti-glucocorticogenic effects were observed in the phytoplankton samples using in vitro reporter gene bioassays. 27 endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) of different modes of action were detected in the samples via UPLC-MS/MS system. Results from mass balance analysis indicated that the measured estrogenic activities were greater than the predicted estrogenic potencies from chemical analysis, demonstrating that chemical analysis of targeted EDCs is unable to fully explain the compounds responsible for the observed estrogenicities. Results from Spearman's correlation analysis concluded that the concentrations of ten EDCs in phytoplankton samples were negatively correlated with cyanobacterial biomass, suggesting the potential occurrence of biomass bio-dilution effects of EDCs due to the huge biomass of cyanobacteria during bloom seasons. The present study provided complementary information about the potential endocrine disruptive risks of cyanobacterial blooms, which is important for understanding and regulating EDCs in eutrophic lakes.

Face-to-face upright seated positioning for cataract surgery in patients unable to lie flat: Case series of 240 consecutive phacoemulsifications.

PURPOSE: To present a case series of patients who were unable to lie flat for cataract surgery. SETTING: University teaching hospital, district hospital, and private practice, Norwich, United Kingdom. DESIGN: Prospective case series. METHODS: All patients had phacoemulsification using face-to-face upright seated positioning. The patient sits upright or semi-recumbent, and the surgeon sits or stands, facing the patient. The microscope is rotated forward, and surgery is done via an incision in the lower half of the cornea, using topical intracameral anesthesia. All 240 face-to-face cases, performed by the same surgeon, were prospectively recorded. The database included reasons for positioning difficulty, position adopted, and per-operative complications. Data on full systemic monitoring of 34 patients and satisfaction data on 90 patients were also recorded. RESULTS: In 13 years, 240 eyes (179 patients) had face-to-face surgery. Common diagnoses were severe kyphosis, orthopnea, or both. No patient was refused face-to-face surgery since the service was started. The rate of vitreous loss was 12 (5%) of 240 cases. However, all patients (100%) received a posterior chamber intraocular lens. No patient had any systemic adverse event, and vital signs remained stable during surgery. All respondents stated that they would be happy to have face-to-face positioning again. CONCLUSIONS: Face-to-face positioning, in the hands of an experienced surgeon, was an acceptably safe approach for patients unable to lie flat for cataract surgery. It might be the only option for some patients. However, all patients should be counseled regarding the increased risk for operative complications.

Looking back - Looking forward: A novel multi-time slice weight-of-evidence approach for defining reference conditions to assess the impact of human activities on lake systems.

Lake ecosystems are sensitive recorders of environmental changes that provide continuous archives at annual to decadal resolution over thousands of years. The systematic investigation of land use changes and emission of pollutants archived in Holocene lake sediments as well as the reconstruction of contamination, background conditions, and sensitivity of lake systems offer an ideal opportunity to study environmental dynamics and consequences of anthropogenic impact that increasingly pose risks to human well-being. This paper discusses the use of sediment and other lines of evidence in providing a record of historical and current contamination in lake ecosystems. We present a novel approach to investigate impacts from human activities using chemical-analytical, bioanalytical, ecological, paleolimnological, paleoecotoxicological, archeological as well as modeling techniques. This multi-time slice weight-of-evidence (WOE) approach will generate knowledge on conditions prior to anthropogenic influence and provide knowledge to (i) create a better understanding of the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on biodiversity, (ii) assess water quality by using quantitative data on historical pollution and persistence of pollutants archived over thousands of years in sediments, and (iii) define environmental threshold values using modeling methods. This technique may be applied in order to gain insights into reference conditions of surface and ground waters in catchments with a long history of land use and human impact, which is still a major need that is currently not yet addressed within the context of the European Water Framework Directive.