Safety evaluation and effects of dietary phlorotannins on the growth, health, and intestinal microbiota of Litopenaeus vannamei.

Phlorotannins are phenolic compounds with diverse biological activities, yet their efficacy in aquatic animals currently remains unclear. This investigation scrutinized the influence of phlorotannins on the growth, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota in Litopenaeus vannamei, concurrently evaluating the potential adverse effects of phlorotannins on L. vannamei. A base diet without phlorotannins supplementation was used as a control, and 4 groups of diets with different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g kg-1) of phlorotannins were formulated and fed to juvenile shrimp (0.25 ± 0.01 g) for 60 days followed by a 24-h challenge with Vibrio parahaemolyticus with triplicate in each group. Compared with the control, dietary 2.0 g kg-1 phlorotannins significantly improved the growth of the shrimp. The activities of enzymes related to cellular immunity, humoral immunity, and antioxidants, along with a notable upregulation in the expression of related genes, significantly increased. After V. parahaemolyticus challenge, the cumulative survival rates of the shrimp demonstrated a positive correlation with elevated concentrations of phlorotannins. In addition, the abundance of Bacteroidetes and functional genes associated with metabolism increased in phlorotannins supplementation groups. Phlorotannins did not elicit any detrimental effects on the biological macromolecules or histological integrity of the hepatopancreas or intestines. Simultaneously, it led to a significant reduction in malondialdehyde content. All results indicated that phlorotannins at concentrations of 2.0 g kg-1 can be used as safe feed additives to promote the growth, stimulate the immune response, improve the antioxidant capacity and intestinal health of L. vannamei, and an protect shrimp from damage caused by oxidative stress.

Predicted lean body mass, fat mass, and heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: High body mass index (BMI) is associated with a higher risk of heart failure (HF) in patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, limited studies have investigated the independent association between fat mass or lean body mass and HF risk among T2DM patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or high CVD risk. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2) or lean BMI (LBMI, kg/m2) and HF risk. METHODS: This was a post hoc analysis of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study. Cox proportional-hazards models were applied to evaluate the association of FMI, LBMI, and BMI with HF risk. Discordant analysis was performed to compare the magnitude of this associations. RESULTS: HF occurred in 356 participants (3.7%). After adjusting for confounding factors, higher FMI values were independently associated with HF risk (HR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.15-2.57, each 1 SD increase in FMI); LBMI was a protective risk factor for HF (HR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.38-0.87,). After further adjusting for FMI, the association between BMI and HF risk (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.67-1.42) disappeared. Compared with concordant values below the medians, discordant FMI above the median with BMI below yielded an HR of 1.78 (95% CI: 1.14-2.78) for HF. In contrast, BMI above the median with FMI below was not associated with HF risk (HR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.57-2.09). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of HF conferred by higher BMI was primarily driven by the association between FMI and HF. After adjusting for BMI, LBMI played a protective role.

CircRNA_45478 promotes ischemic AKI by targeting the miR-190a-5p/PHLPP1 axis.

A few studies suggested that circular RNAs were involved in the development of ischemic acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the function and regulation mechanism of circRNA_45478 in ischemic AKI remains unknown. In the present study, ischemic injury induced the expressions of circRNA_45478 in mouse proximal tubule-derived cell lines (BUMPT cells) and kidneys of C57BL/6 mice. Functionally, circRNA_45478 mediated I/R-induced apoptosis in BUMPT cells. Mechanistically, circRNA_45478 upregulated the expression of Pleckstrin homology (PH) domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1) via sponging of microRNA (miR)-190a-5p. Finally, inhibition of circRNA_45478 significantly alleviated the progression of ischemic AKI through regulation of the miR-190a-5p/PHLPP1 pathway. Taken together, our data showed that circRNA_45478/miR-190a-5p/PHLPP1 axis mediated the progression of ischemic AKI.

Comparison and improvement of RNA extraction methods in Sargassum (Phaeophyta).

Sargassum (Sargassaceae) is widely distributed globally and plays an important role in regulating climate change, but the landscape of genomes and transcripts is less known. High-quality nucleic acids are the basis for molecular biology experiments such as high-throughput sequencing. Although extensive studies have documented methods of RNA extraction, these methods are not very applicable to Sargassum, which contains high levels of polysaccharides and polyphenols. To find a suitable method to improve the quality of RNA extracted, we compared and modified several popular RNA extraction methods and screened one practical method with three specific Sargassum spp. The results showed that three CTAB methods (denoted as Methods 1, 2, and 3) and the RNAprep Pure Plant Kit (denoted as Method 4) could, with slight modifications, effectively isolate RNA from Sargassum species, except for Method 4 used with S. fusiforme. By performing further screening, we determined Method 4 was the best choice for S. hemiphyllum and S. henslowianum, as revealed by RNA yields, RNA Integrity Number (RIN), extraction time, and unigene mapped ratio. For S. fusiforme, Methods 1, 2, and 3 showed no obvious differences among the yields, quality, or time to perform. In addition, one other method was tested, but we found the quality of the RNA extracted by TRIzol reagent methods (denoted as Method 5) performed the worst when compared with the above four methods. Therefore, our study provides four suitable methods for RNA extraction in Sargassum and is essential for future genetic exploration of Sargassum.

Selection of surgical modality for massive splenomegaly in children.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS), a treatment for both benign and malignant splenic diseases, can prove technically challenging in patients with massive splenomegaly. In particular, the optimal surgical modality for treating massive splenomegaly in children remains controversial. METHODS: The clinicopathologic data of 289 pediatric patients undergoing splenectomy for massive splenomegaly were studied in a retrospective analysis. Accordingly, the patients were classified into the LS surgery group and open splenectomy (OS) surgery group. In the laparoscopy cohort, they were separated into two subgroups according to the method of surgery: the multi-incision laparoscopic splenectomy (MILS) and the single-incision laparoscopic splenectomy (SILS) surgery groups, respectively. Patient demographics, clinical data, surgery, complications, and postoperative recovery underwent analysis. Concurrently, we compared the risk of adverse laparoscopic splenectomy outcomes utilizing univariable and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: The total operation time proved remarkably shorter in the OS group in contrast to the LS group (149.87 ± 61.44 versus 188.20 ± 52.51 min, P < 0.001). Relative to the OS group, the LS group exhibited lowered postoperative pain scores, bowel recovery time, and postoperative hospitalization time (P < 0.001). No remarkable difference existed in post-operation complications or mortality (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, the operation duration was remarkably longer in the SILS surgery group than in the MILS surgery group (200 ± 46.11 versus 171.39 ± 40.30 min, P = 0.02). Meanwhile, the operative duration of MILS and SILS displayed a remarkable positive association with splenic length. Moreover, the operative duration of SILS displayed a remarkable positive association with the age, weight, and height of the sick children. Splenic length proved an independent risk factor of adverse outcomes (P < 0.001, OR 1.378). CONCLUSIONS: For pediatric patients with massive splenomegaly who can tolerate prolonged anesthesia and operative procedures, LS surgery proves the optimal treatment regimen. SILS remains a novel surgery therapy which may be deemed a substitutional surgery approach for treating massive splenomegaly.

mmu-lncRNA 121686/hsa-lncRNA 520657 induced by METTL3 drive the progression of AKI by targeting miR-328-5p/HtrA3 signaling axis.

The pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is still not fully understood, and effective interventions are lacking. Here, we explored whether methyltransferase 3 (METTL3) was involved in the progression of AKI via regulation of cell death. We reported that PT（proximal tubule）-METTL3-knockout (KO) noticeably suppressed ischemic-induced AKI via inhibition of renal cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we also found that the expression of mmu-long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) 121686 was upregulated in antimycin-treated Boston University mouse proximal tubule (BUMPT) cells and a mouse ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced AKI model. Functionally, mmu-lncRNA 121686 could promote I/R-induced mouse renal cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, mmu-lncRNA 121686 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to prevent microRNA miR-328-5p-mediated downregulation of high-temperature requirement factor A 3 (Htra3). PT-mmu-lncRNA 121686-KO mice significantly ameliorated the ischemic-induced AKI via the miR-328-5p/HtrA3 axis. In addition, hsa-lncRNA 520657, homologous with lncRNA 121686, sponged miR-328-5p and upregulated Htra3 to promote I/R-induced human renal cell apoptosis. Interestingly, we found that mmu-lncRNA 121686/hsa-lncRNA 520657 upregulation were dependent on METTL3 via N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. The mmu-lncRNA 121686/miR-328-5p or hsa-lncRNA 520657/miR-328-5p /HtrA3 axis was induced in vitro by METTL3 overexpression; in contrast, this effect was attenuated by METTL3 small interfering RNA (siRNA). Furthermore, we found that PT-METTL3-KO or METTL3 siRNA significantly suppressed ischemic, septic, and vancomycin-induced AKI via downregulation of the mmu-lncRNA 121686/miR-328-5p/HtrA3 axis. Taken together, our data indicate that the METTL3/mmu-lncRNA 121686/hsa-lncRNA 520657/miR-328-5p/HtrA3 axis potentially acts as a therapeutic target for AKI.

Ferulic acid alleviates alveolar epithelial barrier dysfunction in sepsis-induced acute lung injury by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibiting ferroptosis.

CONTEXT: Ferulic acid (FA) has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and is a promising drug to treat sepsis. OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effect of FA in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and its underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) manoeuvre was applied to establish a murine model of sepsis-induced ALI, and female BALB/c mice (6 mice per group) were subjected to 100 mg/kg FA or 0.8 mg/kg ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1, ferroptosis inhibitor) treatment to clarify the role of FA in preserving alveolar epithelial barrier function and inhibiting ferroptosis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 500 ng/mL)-induced cell models were prepared and subjected to FA (0.1 µM), sh-Nrf2, and Fe (Fe-citrate, ferroptosis inducer; 5 M) treatment to study the in vitro effect of FA on LPS-induced alveolar epithelial cell injury and the role of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. RESULTS: We found that FA decreased the lung injury score (48% reduction), lung wet/dry weight ratio (33% reduction), and myeloperoxidase activity (58% reduction) in sepsis-induced ALI. Moreover, FA inhibited ferroptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and improved alveolar epithelial barrier dysfunction. The protective role of FA against alveolar epithelial barrier dysfunction could be reversed by the ferroptosis inducer Fe-citrate, suggesting that FA alleviates alveolar epithelial barrier dysfunction by inhibiting ferroptosis. Mechanistically, we found that FA inhibited ferroptosis of alveolar epithelial cells by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our data highlighted the alleviatory role of ferulic acid in sepsis-induced ALI by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibiting ferroptosis, offering a new basis for sepsis treatment.

Preoperative Pericardial Effusion is Associated with Low Cardiac Output Syndrome After Pericardiectomy for Constrictive Pericarditis.

BACKGROUND: Low cardiac output syndrome is the main cause of death after pericardiectomy. METHODS: Patients who underwent pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis from January 2009 to October 2020 at our hospital were included in the study. Histopathologic studies of pericardium tissue from every patient were performed. All survivors were followed up. RESULTS: Ninety-two consecutive patients underdoing pericardiectomy were included in the study. The incidence of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome was 10.7% (10/92). There were five operative deaths. Mortality and incidence of LCOS in the group with pericardial effusion were significantly higher than those in the group without pericardial effusion. Tuberculosis of the pericardium (60/92, 65.2%) was the most common histopathologic finding in this study. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that preoperative pericardial effusion is associated with increased rate of low cardiac output syndrome. Eighty-five survivors were in NYHA class I (85/87, 97.7%), and two were in class II (2/87, 2.3%) at the latest follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative pericardial effusion is associated with low cardiac output syndrome after pericardiectomy. Tuberculosis of the pericardium was the most common histopathologic finding in this study. For constrictive pericarditis caused by tuberculous bacteria, systematic antituberculosis drugs should be given. Preoperative pericardial effusion is associated with increased rate of low cardiac output syndrome. Perfect preoperative preparation is very important to reduce the incidence of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome and mortality. It is very important to use a large dose of diuretics with cardiotonic or vasopressor in a short time after the operation.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Mechanical Hemolysis after Mitral Repair in Adult.

BACKGROUND: Mitral repair has been widely used in the treatment of secondary mitral lesions in recent years. Hemolytic anemia is known to be a rare complication after mitral repair. This study aimed to investigate the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical hemolysis after mitral repair in adults. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of patients undergoing mitral repair complicated with mechanical hemolysis at our institution between August 2006 and May 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients undergoing mitral repair complicated with mechanical hemolysis were included in the study. They were divided into two groups: the reoperation group (patients who underwent reoperation; N = 18) and the conservative treatment group (patients who received symptomatic treatments, including blood transfusion, diuresis, alkalization of urine, liver protection, hemodialysis, and oral metoprolol; N = 6. All patients in the reoperation group underwent mitral valve replacement. There were six hospital deaths, all in the conservative treatment group. Seventeen of eighteen patients (94.4%) completed follow up. Fifteen of seventeen survivors (88.2%) were in NYHA class I and 11.8% (2/17) in NYHA class II at the last time follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Hemolysis is a sign of failure of mitral repair. Reoperation is the best choice once the hemolysis has been diagnosed. Reoperation should be carried out as soon as possible.

Fluid Balance of the Second Day Following Operation is Associated with Early Mortality and Multiorgan Failure After Pericardiectomy for Constrictive Pericarditis.

BACKGROUND: The operative mortality of pericardiectomy still is high. This retrospective study was conducted to determine the risk factors of early mortality and multiorgan failure. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients undergoing pericardiectomy from January 2009 to June 2020 at our hospital. Pericardiectomy was performed via sternotomy. Histopathologic studies of pericardium tissue from every patient were done. All survivors were monitored to the end date of the study. RESULTS: Ninety-two consecutive patients undergoing pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis were included in the study. Postoperatively, central venous pressure significantly decreased, and left ventricular end diastolic dimension and left ventricular ejection fractions significantly improved. The overall mortality rate was 5.4%. The common postoperative complications include acute renal injury (27.2%), and multiorgan failure (8.7%). Analyses of risk factors showed that fluid balance of the second day following operation is associated with early mortality and multiorgan failure. In this series from Guangxi, China, characteristic histopathologic features of tuberculosis (60/92, 65.2%) of pericardium were the most common histopathologic findings, and 32 patients (32/92, 34.8%) had the histopathologic findings of chronic nonspecific inflammatory changes. The functional status of the patients improved after pericardiectomy; 6 months later postoperatively 85 survivors were in class I (85/87, 97.7%) and two were in class II (2/87, 2.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculosis is the most common cause of constrictive pericarditis in Guangxi, China. Fluid balance of the second day following operation is associated with early mortality and multiorgan failure after pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis in our study.

Acute Kidney Injury: Lessons from Pericardiectomy.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney (renal) injury (AKI) is a severe and common complication that occurs in ~40% of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. AKI has been associated with increased mortality and worse prognosis. This prospective study was conducted to determine the risk factors for AKI after pericardiectomy and decrease the operative risk of mortality and morbidity. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational cohort study of patients with constrictive pericarditis undergoing pericardiectomy. All patients underwent pericardiectomy via median sternotomy. Serum creatinine was used as the diagnostic standard of AKI according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes classification. All survivors were monitored to the end date of the study. RESULTS: Consecutive patients (N = 92) undergoing pericardiectomy were divided into 2 groups: with AKI (n = 25) and without AKI (n = 67). The incidence of postoperative AKI was 27.2% (25/92). Hemodialysis was required for 10 patients (40%), and there were 5 operative deaths. Mortality, intubation time, time in intensive care unit, fresh-frozen plasma, and packed red cells of the group with AKI were significantly higher than those of the group without AKI. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that statistically significant independent predictors of AKI include intubation time, chest drainage, fresh-frozen plasma, and packed red cells. The latest follow-up data showed that 85 survivors were New York Heart Association class I (97.7%) and 2 were class II (2.3%). CONCLUSIONS: AKI after pericardiectomy is a serious complication and contributes to significantly increased morbidity and mortality. Prevention of AKI development after cardiac surgery and optimization of pre-, peri-, and postoperative factors that can reduce AKI, therefore, contribute to a better postoperative outcome and leads to lower rates of AKI, morbidity, and mortality.

[Application of rapid PCR to authenticate Ranae Oviductus].

Rapid allele-specific PCR primer was designed base on Cytb 155 A/T single nucleotide polymorphism, DNA was extracted by alkaline lysis and the PCR reaction systems including denatured and annealing temperature and cycle numbers were optimized. The results were performed to authenticate Ranae Oviductus and its 4 adulterants. When 100×SYBR Green I was added in the PCR product at 90 ℃ denatured 3 s, 62 ℃ annealing 20 s and 32 cycle. Ranae Oviductus visualized strong green fluorescence under 365 nm UV lamp whereas adulterants appeared negative. The whole process can be completed in 40 minutes．The established method provides the technical support for authentication of the Ranae Oviductus.

Biosafety and biosecurity: treading China's synbio tightrope.

Our second piece dissects China's intricate balancing act in synthetic biology (synbio), analyzing its adept maneuvering between fostering innovation and imposing strict regulations. The priority is enhancing biosecurity, biosafety, and public trust, crucial for sustainable gene editing advancements and preventing potential misuse of synthetic viruses.

Intellectual property and funding: fueling Chinese synbio.

As China emerges as a synthetic biology (synbio) global leader, it faces distinct science-society challenges. Our series offers a snapshot of China's synbio state, emphasizing the intersection and its policy implications. The debut piece elucidates the intellectual property rights (IPR)-funding interplay in China's expanding synbio territory, underlining its key role in driving innovation and commercialization.

Transcriptome analysis reveals dysfunction of the endoplasmic reticulum protein processing in the sonic muscle of small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) following noise exposure.

Noise pollution is increasingly prevalent in aquatic ecosystems, causing detrimental effects on growth and behavior of marine fishes. The physiological responses of fish to underwater noise are poorly understood. In this study, we used RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to study the transcriptome of the sonic muscle in small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) after exposure to a 120 dB noise for 30 min. The behavioral experiment revealed that noise exposure resulted in accelerated tail swimming behavior at the beginning of the exposure period, followed by loss of balance at the end of experiment. Transcriptomic analysis found that most highly expressed genes in the sonic muscle, including parvalbumin, slc25a4, and troponin C were related with energy metabolism and locomotor function. Further, a total of 1261 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 284 up-regulated and 977 down-regulated genes in the noise exposure group compared with the control group. Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that the most enriched categories of DEGs included protein folding and response to unfolding protein. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis found over-represented pathways including protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, chaperones and folding catalysts, as well as arginine and proline metabolism. Specifically, many genes related to fatty acid and collagen metabolism were up-regulated in the noise exposure group. Taken together, our results indicate that exposure to noise stressors alters the swimming behavior of croaker, inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress, disrupting lipid metabolism, and causing collagen degradation in the sonic muscle of L. polyactis.

The mmu_circ_003062, hsa_circ_0075663/miR-490-3p/CACNA1H axis mediates apoptosis in renal tubular cells in association with endoplasmic reticulum stress following ischemic acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: While recent studies have suggested a potential involvement of circRNAs in acute kidney injury (AKI) after ischemia, mmu_circ_003062 role is undetermined. METHODS: The levels of mmu_circ_003062, miR-490-3p, CACNA1H, GRP78, CHOP and hsa_circ_0075663 were detected by Relative qPCR in Boston University mouse proximal tubule (BUMPT) cells, mouse kidneys, and human renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. Moreover, the levels of hsa_circ_0075663 in serum and urine of patients with AKI following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were detected by absolute quantitative PCR. Western blot was used to detect the relative expression of the protein. The function and regulatory mechanism of mmu_circ_003062 and hsa_circ_0075663 were investigated through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, including bioinformatic prediction, luciferase reporter assays, FISH, FCM, TUNEL staining, and H&E staining. RESULTS: It was found that mmu_circ_003062, hsa_circ_0075663 mediated apoptosis after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) by interaction with miR-490-3p to enhance CACNA1H expression, thereby leading to the upregulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-relevant proteins GRP78 and CHOP. Ultimately, mmu_circ_003062 downregulation significantly ameliorated ischemic AKI by modulating the miR-490-3p/CACNA1H/GRP78 and CHOP pathway. Furthermore, the plasma and urinary levels of hsa_circ_0075663 in patients with AKI following CPR were significantly higher than non-AKI patients, exhibited a strongly correlation with serum creatinine. CONCLUSION: The involvement of mmu_circ_003062, hsa_circ_0075663/miR-490-3p/CACNA1H/GRP78 and CHOP axis is significant in the development of ischemic AKI. Moreover, hsa_circ_0075663 has potential as an early diagnostic biomarker.

[Modified Mathieu urethroplasty for failed hypospadias repair].

OBJECTIVE: To review the indications, techniques and complications of reoperation for failed hypospadias repair using modified Mathieu urethroplasty. METHODS: Using modified Mathieu urethroplasty, we treated 24 hypospadias patients aged 3-12 (mean 4.5) years for whom the first (n = 20) or the second hypospadias repair (n = 4) had failed, including 13 cases of large coronary sulcus urethrocutaneous fistula, 5 cases of urethral meatus retraction and 6 cases of anterior urethra dehiscence. The modified procedure involved median longitudinal incision of the urethral posterior wall, dorsal tunica albuginea plication under the vascular and nerve bundle, and double dartos flap protection of the neourethra. RESULTS: Of the 24 patients, 19 (79.2%) were successfully treated by the first operation, which achieved desirable straightness, good cosmetic appearance and normal urethral meatus of the penis, without postoperative complications. Small urethrocutaneous fistula developed in 4 cases, of which 3 were cured by fistula repair and 1 self-healed. Urethral meatus stenosis occurred in 1 case, which was restored by meatal dilation. Urethrocele and urethrostenosis were not found in any of the cases. Two cases received urethroscopy postoperatively, which revealed no hypertrophic cicatrix at the site of median longitudinal incision in the urethral posterior wall. CONCLUSION: Modified Mathieu urethroplasty can be applied to hypospadias reoperation, particularly in such cases as large coronary sulcus urethrocutaneous fistula, urethral meatus retraction and anterior urethra dehiscence. The modified procedure includes median longitudinal incision of the urethral posterior wall, dorsal tunica albuginea plication under the vascular and nerve bundle, and double dartos flap protection of the neourethra.

Kinetics of uptake and depuration of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides in manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum).

Synthetic pyrethroid insecticides (SPIs) are frequently detected in water bodies and sediments, and they show high toxicity to aquatic organisms, but their toxicity kinetics remain unknown. In this work, the kinetics of uptake and depuration of three SPIs, fenpropathrin (FP), cypermethrin (CM) and deltamethrin (DM) were evaluated in manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) for the first time through a bioconcentration-semi-static test. Clams were exposed to three SPIs of different concentrations (2 ng/mL and 20 ng/mL) for 4 days, followed by a 10-day depuration stage. The results indicated that adult manila clams could absorb SPIs rapidly, and the bioconcentration factor (BCF) values of SPIs were different at high and low concentrations of contaminants. The depuration rate constants (k2) of SPIs in adult manila clams ranged from 0.024 h-1 to 0.037 h-1. The bioaccumulation factors ranged from 319.41 to 574.38. And the half-lives (t1/2) were in the range of 18.49 to 29.22 h. These results showed that manila clams have a high bioconcentration capacity, and SPIs have a high cumulative risk for bivalves. Moreover, after 10 days of elimination, SPIs can still be detected in manila clams at all concentrations, indicating that the complete elimination of SPIs required a longer time.

Ethics and engagement: steering China's synbio future.

In the final article of the series, we delve into the crucial role of public engagement and ethical guidelines in shaping the trajectory of synthetic biology (synbio) within China's evolving scientific landscape. We discuss the interconnectedness of enhanced public discourse, stronger ethics, and responsible, transparent advancements in the field.

Spiculisporic acids B­D, three new γ-butenolide derivatives from a sea urchin-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. HDf2.

Three new γ-butenolide derivatives 1–3, named spiculisporic acids B–D, were isolated from the culture of Aspergillus sp. HDf2, a marine-derived fungus that resides in the sea urchin, Anthocidaris crassispina. The structures of 1–3 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including MS and 2D NMR techniques. Their in vitro cytotoxic activities against two cell lines (SGC-7901, human gastric adenocarcinoma and SPC-A-1, human lung adenocarcinoma) and inhibitory activities against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 51650 were investigated.