Porous Agarose Layered Magnetic Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for Virus RNA Monitoring in Wastewater.

The detection of virus RNA in wastewater has been established as a valuable method for monitoring Coronavirus disease 2019. Carbon nanomaterials hold potential application in separating virus RNA owing to their effective adsorption and extraction capabilities. However, carbon nanomaterials have limited separability under homogeneous aqueous conditions. Due to the stabilities in their nanostructure, it is a challenge to efficiently immobilize them onto magnetic beads for separation. Here, we develop a porous agarose layered magnetic graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite that is prepared by agglutinating ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) beads and GO with agarose into a cohesive whole. With an average porous size of approximately 500 nm, the porous structure enables the unhindered entry of virus RNA, facilitating its interaction with the surface of GO. Upon the application of a magnetic field, the nucleic acid can be separated from the solution within a few minutes, achieving adsorption efficiency and recovery rate exceeding 90% under optimized conditions. The adsorbed nucleic acid can then be preserved against complex sample matrix for 3 days, and quantitatively released for subsequent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) detection. The developed method was successfully utilized to analyze wastewater samples obtained from a wastewater treatment plant, detecting as few as 10 copies of RNA molecules per sample. The developed aMGO-RT-qPCR provides an efficient approach for monitoring viruses and will contribute to wastewater-based surveillance of community infections.

First Evidence of Hindered Amine Light Stabilizers As Abundant, Ubiquitous, Emerging Pollutants in Dust and Air Particles: A New Concern for Human Health.

Hindered amine light stabilizers (HALSs) represent a crucial class of polymer additives that are extensively used in plastics and other polymeric materials. However, their environmental presence and related exposure risks have until now remained unexplored. This study addressed this critical knowledge by examining dust and air particles collected in South China, utilizing a comprehensive analytical approach to identify and quantify nine monomeric HALSs. A total of seven of the nine studied HALSs were detected in the samples, with bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate (Tinuvin 770) and methyl 1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidyl sebacate (HS-508) identified as the most abundant and widespread pollutants. Median total concentrations of HALSs ranged from 417 to 8,830 ng/g in urban dust samples and from 28.6 to 70.9 pg/m3 in urban air particles. Notably, dust concentrations of HALSs significantly exceeded those of traditional well-known light stabilizers such as UV absorbers. Human exposure assessment indicated that in contrast to air inhalation dust ingestion represented a more substantial exposure pathway owing to the relatively low volatility of these newly identified chemicals. Predictive modeling suggests that many of the examined HALSs exhibited characteristics of persistence, high toxicity, or strong potential for long-range transport, underscoring their hazardous nature. This study represents the first comprehensive investigation into the prevalence of HALSs as a class of emerging pollutants widespread in the environment, necessitating heightened attention and further research in the future.

Blue light at night produces stress-evoked heightened aggression by enhancing brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the basolateral amygdala.

Light is an underappreciated mood manipulator. People are often exposed to electronic equipment, which results in nocturnal blue light exposure in modern society. Light pollution drastically shortens the night phase of the circadian rhythm. Preclinical and clinical studies have reported that nocturnal light exposure can influence mood, such as depressive-like phenotypes. However, the effects of blue light at night (BLAN) on other moods and how it alters mood remain unclear. Here, we explored the impact of BLAN on stress-provoked aggression in male Sprague‒Dawley rats, focusing on its influence on basolateral amygdala (BLA) activity. Resident-intruder tests, extracellular electrophysiological recordings, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed. The results indicated that BLAN produces stress-induced heightened aggressive and anxiety-like phenotypes. Moreover, BLAN not only potentiates long-term potentiation and long-term depression in the BLA but also results in stress-induced elevation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), mature BDNF, and phosphorylation of tyrosine receptor kinase B expression in the BLA. Intra-BLA microinfusion of BDNF RNAi, BDNF neutralizing antibody, K252a, and rapamycin blocked stress-induced heightened aggressive behavior in BLAN rats. In addition, intra-BLA application of BDNF and 7,8-DHF caused stress-induced heightened aggressive behavior in naïve rats. Collectively, these results suggest that BLAN results in stress-evoked heightened aggressive phenotypes, which may work by enhancing BLA BDNF signaling and synaptic plasticity. This study reveals that nocturnal blue light exposure may have an impact on stress-provoked aggression. Moreover, this study provides novel insights into the BLA BDNF-dependent mechanism underlying the impact of the BLAN on mood.