Decoding molecular features of bovine oocyte fate during antral follicle growth via single-cell multi-omics analysis.

Antral follicle size is a useful predictive marker of the competency of enclosed oocytes for yielding an embryo following in vitro maturation and fertilization. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning oocyte developmental potential during bovine antral follicle growth are still unclear. Here, we used a modified single-cell multi-omics approach to analyze the transcriptome, DNA methylome and chromatin accessibility in parallel for oocytes and cumulus cells collected from bovine antral follicles of different sizes. Transcriptome profiling identified three types of oocytes (Small, Medium and Large) that underwent different developmental trajectories, with Large oocytes exhibiting the largest average follicle size and characteristics resembling metaphase-II oocytes. Differential expression analysis and real-time PCR assay showed that most replication-dependent histone genes were highly expressed in Large oocytes. The joint analysis of multi-omics data revealed that the transcription of 20 differentially expressed genes in Large oocytes was associated with both DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility. In addition, oocyte-cumulus interaction analysis showed that inflammation, DNA damage, and p53 signaling pathways were active in Small oocytes, which had the smallest average follicle sizes. We further confirmed that p53 pathway inhibition in in vitro maturation experiments using oocytes obtained from small antral follicles could improve the quality of oocytes and increased the blastocyte rate after in vitro fertilization and culture. Our work provides new insights into the intricate orchestration of bovine oocyte fate determination during antral folliculogenesis, which is instrumental for optimizing in vitro maturation techniques to optimize oocyte quality.

Effects of Leonurine on oocyte maturation and parthenogenetic embryo development in sheep.

Leonurine (LEO), an alkaloid isolated from Leonurus spp., has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects and can prevent damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). These properties suggest that it can improve the maturation rate of oocytes and developmental ability of embryos, which are key parameters in animal breeding. In this study, the effects of LEO on in vitro maturation and early embryonic development in sheep oocytes were evaluated. Among various doses examined (0, 10, 20 and 40 µM), a dose of 20 µM was optimal with respect to the oocyte maturation rate. Compared with estimates in the control group, GSH levels and mitochondrial membrane potential of sheep oocytes treated with 20 µM LEO were significantly higher, and 40 µM LEO would affect oocyte maturation. Additionally, ROS levels were significantly lower, expression levels of the antioxidant genes CAT and SOD1 were significantly higher, and there was no significant difference in GPX3 expression. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and Caspase-3 expression were significantly reduced in the 20 µM LEO group. During early embryonic development in vitro, the cleavage rate and blastocyst rate were significantly higher in the 20 µM LEO treatment group compared to other groups. GSH levels and mitochondrial membrane potential were significantly higher, while ROS levels were significantly lower, and expression levels of the antioxidant genes CAT, GPX3 and SOD1 were significantly higher in eight-cell embryos treated with 20 µM LEO than in the control group. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and Caspase-3 levels were significantly decreased. In summary, LEO can reduce the effect of oxidative stress, improve the oocyte maturation rate and enhance embryonic development.

PPARγ regulates lipid metabolism and viability of sheep trophoblast cells.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is highly expressed in trophoblast tissues in pregnancy during which the protein participates in diverse events, including embryo implantation and placental formation. However, little is known about the role of PPARγ in embryonic development. This study investigated the function of PPARγ in sheep trophoblast cells. The coding sequence of sheep PPARγ encoded 475 amino acids and included one synonymou mutation compared with the sheep reference sequence for PPARγ. The PPARγ protein was localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of sheep trophoblasts. The relative expression of PPARγ was elevated in cells treated with rosiglitazone and reduced following administration of GW9662. Activation of PPARγ promoted cell proliferation and mobility, but inhibited apoptosis. In addition, stimulation of PPARγ promoted the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes FABP4 and PLIN2. The expression of prostaglandin metabolism-related genes PLA2G4A, PTGS2 and PTGES also was upregulated significantly in trophoblast cells when PPARγ was activated. In contrast, activation of PPARγ did not impact expression of the prostaglandin-related genes PGFS and SLCO2A1. At the same time, activation of PPARγ activity increased the ratio of PGE2 to PGF2α. Furthermore, fluorescence labelling showed that the numbers of cell lipid droplets increased after stimulation of PPARγ activity, but decreased when PPARγ was inhibited. In conclusion, PPARγ is critical for the regulation of lipid metabolism and prostaglandin synthesis and secretion in sheep trophoblast cells and also has a potent effect on cell proliferation and viability.

Hair Dye Ingredients and Potential Health Risks from Exposure to Hair Dyeing.

Given the worldwide popularity of hair dyeing, there is an urgent need to understand the toxicities and risks associated with exposure to chemicals found in hair dye formulations. Hair dyes are categorized as oxidative and nonoxidative in terms of their chemical composition and ingredients. For several decades, the expert panel's Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) has assessed the safety of many of the chemicals used in hair dyes; however, a comprehensive review of hair dye ingredients and the risk of exposure to hair dyeing has not been documented. Herein, we review the safety of the various chemicals in oxidative and nonoxidative hair dyes, toxicities associated with hair dyeing, and the carcinogenic risks related to hair dyeing. While many compounds are considered safe for users at the concentrations in hair dyes, there are conflicting data about a large number of hair dye formulations. The CIR expert panel has ratified a number of coloring ingredients for hair dyes and banned a series of chemicals as carcinogenic to animals and unsafe for this application. The use of these chemicals as raw materials for producing hair dyes may result in the synthesis of other contaminants with potential toxicities and increased risk of carcinogenesis. It is an open question whether personal or occupational hair dyeing increases the risk of cancer; however, in specific subpopulations, a positive association between hair dye use and cancer occurrence has been reported. To address this question, a better understanding of the chemical and mechanistic basis of the reported toxicities of hair dye mixtures and individual hair dye ingredients is needed. It is anticipated that in-depth chemical and systems toxicology studies harnessing modern and emerging techniques can shed light on this public health concern in the future.

Persistence of the Probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Strain GG (LGG) in an In Vitro Model of the Gut Microbiome.

The consumption of probiotics is widely encouraged due to reports of their positive effects on human health. In particular, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain GG (LGG) is an approved probiotic that has been reported to improve health outcomes, especially for gastrointestinal disorders. However, how LGG cooperates with the gut microbiome has not been fully explored. To understand the interaction between LGG and its ability to survive and grow within the gut microbiome, this study introduced LGG into established microbial communities using an in vitro model of the colon. LGG was inoculated into the simulated ascending colon and its persistence in, and transit through the subsequent transverse and descending colon regions was monitored over two weeks. The impact of LGG on the existing bacterial communities was investigated using 16S rRNA sequencing and short-chain fatty acid analysis. LGG was able to engraft and proliferate in the ascending region for at least 10 days but was diminished in the transverse and descending colon regions with little effect on short-chain fatty acid abundance. These data suggest that the health benefits of the probiotic LGG rely on its ability to transiently engraft and modulate the host microbial community.

A case of congenital rhabdomyosarcoma.

A 6-month-old girl presented with a congenital orbital tumor diagnosed as congenital embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Given the location, complete surgical resection was impossible. Management with chemotherapy and proton therapy resulted in complete clearance. This case highlights the clinical and histologic features of cutaneous congenital embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

Occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in mariculture farms, estuaries and the coast of the Beibu Gulf, China: Bioconcentration and diet safety of seafood.

The occurrence, distribution, bioconcentration and diet safety via seafood consumption of 19 antibiotics were investigated in eight closed mariculture ponds, four estuaries, two nearshore areas and one offshore area from the Beibu Gulf. Seventeen, 16, 15 and 7 antibiotics were detected at total concentrations of 43.2 - 885 ng L-1, 22.4 - 118 ng L-1, 22.7 - 24.5 ng L-1, and 1.81-3.23 ng L-1 in the water of the above different areas, respectively. This indicates that the mariculture ponds are important sources of antibiotic pollution on the coast of the Beibu Gulf. Ten antibiotics were detected in feed samples with concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 95.4 ng g-1, demonstrating the presence of antibiotics in the feed and/or residual antibiotics in the raw material of the feed. The field bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of the antibiotics calculated in different culture organisms ranged from 0.55 to 10,774 L kg-1. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of sulphonamides, fluoroquinolones, macrolides and chloramphenicols via aquatic products were 19.8-105, 33.7-178, 34.9-186 and 6.9-37.1 ng d-1, respectively. According to the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) and maximum residue limits (MRLs) proposed by different organisations, these aquatic products (shrimp, crab and oyster) reached the standard of safe consumption and could not pose a health risk to humans. However, a potential elevated risk to humans may remain because of the occurrence of multiple antibiotics in the cultured organisms, particularly for sensitive populations, such as pregnant women, the elderly and children.

MRI signal intensity differentiation of brainstem encephalitis induced by Enterovirus 71: a classification approach for acute and convalescence stages.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to assess standardized histograms of signal intensities of T1 signal and T2 signal on sagittal view without enhancement during (1) acute stage, and (2) convalescence stage of pediatric patients with Enterovirus 71 related brainstem encephalitis (BE), and with respect to (3) healthy normal. METHODS: Our subjects were hospitalized between March 2010 and October 2012, and underwent pre- and post-contrast MRI studies. The research question to be answered is whether the comparison of the MRI image intensity histograms and relevant statistical quantification can add new knowledge to the diagnosis of BE patients. So, both 25 cases in acute stage with prolonged T1 and T2 signal, without enhancement, and 13 cases in convalescence stage were introduced. In additional, a healthy group with 25 cases was recruited for comparison. RESULTS: MRI signal intensity histogram changes of the lesions were compared at the acute and convalescence stages of the disease. Our preliminary results suggest that standardized histograms of signal intensities and their statistical properties are able to provide diagnostic information for the clinical assessment of the disease. Different stages pertaining to the histogram plots comparison showed that overall T1 signal intensity values increase as we traverse from the acute stage to the convalescence stage. And then for the healthy subjects, the T2 signal intensity values changed their magnitudes in a reverse direction. However, exceptions of this can happen in four cases where the primary lesions occurred in the brainstem that developed encephalomalacia resulting in a lower signal in T1WI and higher signal in T2WI. Statistical analysis revealed there was significant difference of T1 signal intensity among the three groups; and also, the T2 signal intensity was lower than other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Standardized histogram of T1 and T2 intensity provide valuable and useful information for disease diagnosis and evaluation, which can potentially help medical doctors to save the lives of children.

Effects of administration of estradiol and progesterone on ovarian stimulation response, and in vitro developmental competence of oocytes in CIDR-treated calves.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of administering estradiol (estradiol-17ß, 2.5 mg) plus progesterone (P4, 50 mg) as a part of a controlled internal drug release (CIDR)-based superovulation protocol on ovarian follicles development, and oocyte recovery as well as on in vitro development in prepubertal calves after follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulation. Calves in the treatment group exhibited significantly decreased (P < 0.05) numbers of both small and large antral follicles compared to the control group A and B (<3 mm in diameter [small], 3.4 versus 12.8, 11.6; > 7 mm in diameter [large], 0 versus 7.6, 7.2). The treated animals also exhibited an increased (P < 0.05) proportion of usable oocytes from the total oocytes recovered compared with those of the control group A and B (77% versus 50.2%, 47.8%). Moreover, the rate of cleavage and the percentage of blastocysts displayed an increased trend in the treatment group compared to controls A and B (59.2% versus 50.5%, 50.8%; 15% versus 12.4%, 11.6%, respectively). In conclusion, the application of estradiol-17ß plus P4 at CIDR insertion prior to FSH stimulation affected ovarian follicles development and exerted a beneficial effect on the in vitro development of calf oocytes.

Coking exhaust contributes to airborne particulate matter in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Coking was regarded as a predominant source of air pollution. Despite the adoption of more environmentally friendly equipment, whether the coking enterprises in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region are still causing regional air pollution is worthy of study, which is essential for the control of coking enterprises in this area. To improve the prediction accuracy of large-scale air pollutant distribution, the air particle distribution in the BTH region was simulated via land use regression (LUR) combined with Bayesian maximum entropy (BME); then, the distribution was correlated with the exhaust gas emitted from coking enterprises. Results indicated that the R2 of the "LUR + BME" method reached 0.95, higher than 0.82 using LUR alone. The air quality distribution presented a pattern of "low in the northern mountains and high in the southern plains", similar to the distribution of coking enterprises in BTH region. A significant correlation was found between exhaust emissions from coking enterprises and air quality in the BTH region, confirming the contribution of coking emissions to air pollution in this region, and the necessity to continue the strict control on coking enterprises in BTH area.

Intercropping of Pteris vittata and maize on multimetal contaminated soil can achieve remediation and safe agricultural production.

Soil contamination by multimetals is widespread. Hyperaccumulator-crop intercropping has been confirmed to be an effective method for arsenic (As)- or cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil that can achieve soil cleanup and agricultural production. However, the influencing factors and response of hyperaccumulator-crop intercropping to multimetal-contaminated soil are still unclear. In this study, intercropping of the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata and maize was conducted on two typical types of multimetal-contaminated soil, namely, Soil A contaminated by As, Cd, and lead (Pb) and Soil B contaminated by As, Cd, and chromium (Cr). Intercropping reduced As, Cd, and Pb in the maize grains by 60 %, 66.7 %, and 20.4 %, respectively. The concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, and Cr in P. vittata increased by 314 %, 300 %, 447.3 %, and 232.6 %, respectively, relative to their concentrations in the monoculture plants. Two soils with different levels of contamination showed that higher heavy metal content might diminish the ability of intercropping to reduce soil heavy metal risk. No notable difference in soil microbial diversity was found between the intercropped and monocultured plants. The composition of microbial communities of intercropping groups were more similar to those of monoculture P. vittata on two different soils (Soils A and B). An imbalance between the amount of As taken up by the plants and the reduction in As in the soil was observed, and this imbalance may be related to watering, As leaching, and heterogeneity of soil As distribution. Reducing the risk resulting from As leaching and enhancing the efficiency of phytoextraction should be emphasized in remediation practices.

Potential in treating arsenic-contaminated water of the biochars produced from hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata and its environmental safety.

In this study, biochar derived from pyrolyzed aboveground parts of Pteris vittata (P. vittata) was modified with iron(Fe) and applied to aqueous solutions containing arsenite (As[III]) or arsenate (As[V]) for remediation purposes. The adsorption efficiency, biochar characteristics pre- and post-adsorption, microscopic As distribution, and As morphology were analyzed. Additionally, the potential and leaching safety of P. vittata biochar for As-contaminated water remediation were evaluated. Results indicated that P. vittata biochar contained oxygen-containing functional groups and aromatic structures. Modification with Fe increased specific surface area and total pore volume. Unmodified P. vittata biochar displayed low adsorption of As(III) and As(V), while Fe modification significantly enhanced As adsorption capacity and reduced As leaching by 69%-89%. Maximum adsorption capacities of Fe-modified P. vittata biochar for As(III) and As(V) were 7.64 and 10.2 mg/g, respectively, as determined by Langmuir fitting. The superior adsorption efficiency of As(V) over As(III) by Fe-modified biochar was attributed to better electrostatic interaction with the adsorbent. Analysis revealed similar As species in P. vittata biochar before and after adsorption, with a significant presence of As(III). Remarkably, As in P. vittata remained highly stable during pyrolysis and adsorption, possibly due to strong Fe-As binding. Fe-modified P. vittata biochar shows promise for application, but further pretreatment may be necessary to achieve optimal results.

The influence of diverse fertilizer regimes on the phytoremediation potential of Pteris vittata in an abandoned nonferrous metallic mining site.

Organic waste comprises a large amount of hydrocarbon containing organic substances, which is regarded as a potential resource rather than simply a waste. A field experiment was conducted in a poly-metallic mining area to investigate the potential of organic waste to facilitate the soil remediation process. Different organic wastes and a commonly used commercial fertilizer were added to heavy metal contaminated soil, which was under phytoremediation using the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata. The influence of diverse fertilizer regimes on the biomass of P. vittata and heavy metal removal by P. vittata, was investigated. The soil properties were analyzed after the application of phytoremediation with or without the addition of organic wastes. Results indicated that sewage sludge compost is an appropriate amendment to improve the phytoremediation efficiency. Compared to the control, the application of sewage sludge compost significantly reduced the extractability of As in soil by 26.8 %, and increased the removal of As and Pb by 26.9 % and 186.5 %, respectively. The highest removal of As and Pb reached 33 and 34 kg/ha, respectively. The sewage sludge compost-strengthened phytoremediation improved soil quality. And the diversity and richness of the bacterial community were improved, as represented by the increase in Shannon and Chao index. With improved efficiency and acceptable cost, the organic waste-strengthened phytoremediation can be used to control the risks posed by high concentrations of heavy metals in mining areas.

An interpolation method incorporating the pollution diffusion characteristics for soil heavy metals - taking a coke plant as an example.

The existing spatial interpolation methods in the prediction of soil heavy metal distribution are generally based on spatial auto correlation theory, rarely considering the pollution patterns. By contrast, in polluted sites, heavy metals have a strong heterogeneity even within a very small area, which is not exactly in line with auto correlation theory. This contradiction may lead to inaccuracy in spatial prediction. Atmospheric diffusion and deposition are one of the main sources of soil heavy metal pollution caused by coal-related production activities. To improve the prediction accuracy, the diffusion patterns of pollutants were considered in this paper by integrating Geodetector, Co-Kriging (COK), and partition interpolation. Geodetector was used to identify the main driving factors of soil pollution, based on which, the main driving factors were used as covariates introduced into the interpolation method (COK). Specifically, the amount of particulate matter deposition obtained by a pollutant diffusion model (AERMOD) was used as a covariate. For comparison, the distances to quenching, coke oven, and ammonium sulfate section were also used as covariates. Compared with the Ordinary Kriging method, the method COK-AERMOD established here decreased the root mean square error values of As (2.05 reduced to 1.89), Cd (0.18 reduced to 0.16), Cr (19.07 reduced to 12.97), Cu (6.92 reduced to 4.72), Hg (0.32 reduced to 0.28), Ni (16.92 reduced to 16.10), Pb (18.29 reduced to 16.62), and Zn (159.68 reduced to 153.66). This method in this paper is informative for the interpolation of soil elements in contaminated areas with known pollution source and diffusion patterns.

YOLO-SCL: a lightweight detection model for citrus psyllid based on spatial channel interaction.

Efficient and accurate detection and providing early warning for citrus psyllids is crucial as they are the primary vector of citrus huanglongbing. In this study, we created a dataset comprising images of citrus psyllids in natural environments and proposed a lightweight detection model based on the spatial channel interaction. First, the YOLO-SCL model was based on the YOLOv5s architecture, which uses an efficient channel attention module to perform local channel attention on the inputs in the recursive gated convolutional modules to achieve a combination of global spatial and local channel interactions, improving the model's ability to express the features of the critical regions of small targets. Second, the lightweight design of the 21st layer C3 module in the neck network of the YOLO-SCL model and the small target feature information were retained to the maximum extent by deleting the two convolutional layers, whereas the number of parameters was reduced to improve the detection accuracy of the model. Third, with the detection accuracy of the YOLO-SCL model as the objective function, the black widow optimization algorithm was used to optimize the hyperparameters of the YOLO-SCL model, and the iterative mechanism of swarm intelligence was used to further improve the model performance. The experimental results showed that the YOLO-SCL model achieved a mAP@0.5 of 97.07% for citrus psyllids, which was 1.18% higher than that achieved using conventional YOLOv5s model. Meanwhile, the number of parameters and computation amount of the YOLO-SCL model are 6.92 M and 15.5 GFlops, respectively, which are 14.25% and 2.52% lower than those of the conventional YOLOv5s model. In addition, after using the black widow optimization algorithm to optimize the hyperparameters, the mAP@0.5 of the YOLO-SCL model for citrus psyllid improved to 97.18%, making it more suitable for the natural environments in which citrus psyllids are to be detected. The experimental results showed that the YOLO-SCL model has good detection accuracy for citrus psyllids, and the model was ported to the Jetson AGX Xavier edge computing platform, with an average processing time of 38.8 ms for a single-frame image and a power consumption of 16.85 W. This study provides a new technological solution for the safety of citrus production.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Regulates Lipid Metabolism in Sheep Trophoblast Cells through mTOR Pathway-Mediated Autophagy.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a key nuclear receptor transcription factor that is highly expressed in trophoblastic cells during embryonic attachment and is accompanied by rapid cell proliferation and increased lipid accumulation. We previously showed that the autophagy pathway is activated in cells after activation of PPARγ, accompanied by increased lipid accumulation. In this study, we used PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone and inhibitor GW9662, as well as autophagy activator rapamycin and inhibitor 3-methyladenine, to unravel the probable mechanism of PPARγ engaged in lipid metabolism in sheep trophoblast cells (STCs). After 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h of drug treatment, the levels of autophagy-related proteins were detected by Western blot, the triglyceride content and MDA level of cells were detected by colorimetry, and the lipid droplets and lysosomes were localized by immunofluorescence. We found that PPARγ inhibited the activity of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in STCs for a certain period of time, promoted the increase of autophagy and lysosome formation, and enhanced the accumulation of lipid droplets and triglycerides. Compared with cells whose PPARγ function is activated, blocking autophagy before activating PPARγ will hinder lipid accumulation in STCs. Pretreatment of cells with rapamycin promoted autophagy with results similar to rosiglitazone treatment, while inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine reduced lysosome and lipid accumulation. Based on these observations, we conclude that PPARγ can induce autophagy by blocking the mTOR pathway, thereby promoting the accumulation of lipid droplets and lysosomal degradation, providing an energy basis for the rapid proliferation of trophoblast cells during embryo implantation. In brief, this study partially revealed the molecular regulatory mechanism of PPARγ, mTOR pathway, and autophagy on trophoblast cell lipid metabolism, which provides a theoretical basis for further exploring the functional regulatory network of trophoblast cells during the attachment of sheep embryos.

Expanded catalogue of metagenome-assembled genomes reveals resistome characteristics and athletic performance-associated microbes in horse.

BACKGROUND: As a domesticated species vital to humans, horses are raised worldwide as a source of mechanical energy for sports, leisure, food production, and transportation. The gut microbiota plays an important role in the health, diseases, athletic performance, and behaviour of horses. RESULTS: Here, using approximately 2.2 Tb of metagenomic sequencing data from gut samples from 242 horses, including 110 samples from the caecum and 132 samples from the rectum (faeces), we assembled 4142 microbial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAG), 4015 (96.93%) of which appear to correspond to new species. From long-read data, we successfully assembled 13 circular whole-chromosome bacterial genomes representing novel species. The MAG contained over 313,568 predicted carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy), over 59.77% of which had low similarity match in CAZy public databases. High abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) were identified in the MAG, likely showing the wide use of antibiotics in the management of horse. The abundances of at least 36 MAG (e.g. MAG belonging to Lachnospiraceae, Oscillospiraceae, and Ruminococcus) were higher in racehorses than in nonracehorses. These MAG enriched in racehorses contained every gene in a major pathway for producing acetate and butyrate by fibre fermentation, presenting potential for greater amount of short-chain fatty acids available to fuel athletic performance. CONCLUSION: Overall, we assembled 4142 MAG from short- and long-read sequence data in the horse gut. Our dataset represents an exhaustive microbial genome catalogue for the horse gut microbiome and provides a valuable resource for discovery of performance-enhancing microbes and studies of horse gut microbiome. Video Abstract.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Strain GG (LGG) Regulate Gut Microbial Metabolites, an In Vitro Study Using Three Mature Human Gut Microbial Cultures in a Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME).

In the present research, we investigated changes in the gut metabolome that occurred in response to the administration of the Laticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain GG (LGG). The probiotics were added to the ascending colon region of mature microbial communities established in a human intestinal microbial ecosystem simulator. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and metabolome analysis suggested that the changes in microbial community composition corresponded with changes to metabolic output, and we can infer linkages between some metabolites and microorganisms. The in vitro method permits a spatially-resolved view of metabolic transformations under human physiological conditions. By this method, we found that tryptophan and tyrosine were mainly produced in the ascending colon region, while their derivatives were detected in the transverse and descending regions, revealing sequential amino acid metabolic pathways along with the colonic tract. The addition of LGG appeared to promote the production of indole propionic acid, which is positively associated with human health. Furthermore, the microbial community responsible for the production of indole propionic acid may be broader than is currently known.

Composition of Three Common Chinese Herbal Medicines and the Influence of Preparation Types on the Bioaccessibility of Trace Elements.

The high concentration of trace elements in Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is an important research topic for quality control. This study investigated the total concentration of trace elements in three herbs used as both medicine and supplementary food, including Astragalus membranaceus, Glycyrrhiza, and Isatidis. Further, the effects of different preparation ways, such as decoct, granule, and oral liquid, on the bioaccessibility of trace elements in CHM were disclosed. Results indicated that the total concentrations of trace elements in these three herbs were lower than the medical standards, but the concentrations of As and Pb in CHMs were higher than the standards for supplementary food. Different preparations ways affect bioaccessibility. Powder and oral liquid show a high bioaccessibility possibly because of the grinding process and the repeated extraction with ethanol. Among the three different CHMs, Isatidis showed higher bioaccessibility of As, which may be related to the sulfur fumigation process of this CHM. The three investigated CHMs were found to be safe as medicine but presented risks as supplementary food. The apparent influence of preparation procedures on the bioaccessibility of trace elements indicated that it is necessary to appropriately regulate preparation processes for CHMs.

Discharge Patterns of Potentially Harmful Elements (PHEs) from Coking Plants and Its Relationship with Soil PHE Contents in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, China.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China is a rapid development area with a dense population and high-pollution, high-energy-consumption industries. Despite the general idea that the coking industry contributes greatly to the total emission of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in BTH, quantitative analysis on the PHE pollution caused by coking is rare. This study collected the pollutant discharge data of coking enterprises and assessed the risks of coking plants in BTH using the soil accumulation model and ecological risk index. The average contribution rate of coking emissions to the total emissions of PHEs in BTH was ~7.73%. Cross table analysis indicated that there was a close relationship between PHEs discharged by coking plants and PHEs in soil. The accumulation of PHEs in soil and their associated risks were calculated, indicating that nearly 70% of the coking plants posed a significant ecological risk. Mercury, arsenic, and cadmium were the main PHEs leading to ecological risks. Scenario analysis indicated that the percentage of coking plants with high ecological risk might rise from 8.50% to 20.00% as time progresses. Therefore, the control of PHEs discharged from coking plants in BTH should be strengthened. Furthermore, regionalized strategies should be applied to different areas due to the spatial heterogeneity of risk levels.