Trace Metal Residues in Marine Mussels: A Global Survey.

Pressures from anthropogenic activities are causing degradation of estuarine and coastal ecosystems around the world. Trace metals are key pollutants that are released and can partition in a range of environmental compartments, to be ultimately accumulated in exposed biota. The level of pressure varies with locations and the range and intensity of anthropogenic activities. The present study measured residues of trace metals in Mytilus mussel species collected from a range of locations around the world in areas experiencing a gradient of anthropogenic pressures that we classified as low, moderate, or high impact. The data showed no grouping/impact level when sampling sites in all countries were incorporated in the analysis, but there was significant clustering/impact level for most countries. Overall, high-impact areas were characterized by elevated concentrations of zinc, lead, nickel, and arsenic, whereas copper and silver were detected at higher concentrations in medium-impact areas. Finally, whereas most metals were found at lower concentrations in areas classified as low impact, cadmium was typically elevated in these areas. The present study provides a unique snapshot of worldwide levels of coastal metal contamination through the use of Mytilus species, a well-established marine biomonitoring tool. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:3434-3440. © 2021 SETAC.

Primary Cutaneous Mucormycosis Caused by Rhizopus oryzae: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Mucormycosis is an invasive infection caused by opportunistic fungi. Rhizopus, Lichtheimia, Mucor and Rhizomucor are the most common isolated genera. Primary cutaneous mucormycosis is usually related to traumatic injuries, but immunocompromised cases are associated with underlying conditions such as diabetes mellitus and malignancies. The treatment of choice is surgical debridement and liposomal amphotericin B. We present a 40-year-old male with fever and a painful necrotic lesion on the middle back and history of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Rhizopus oryzae was isolated and identified using an internal transcribed spacer regions ITS1 and ITS2. An initial good response to treatment was observed; however, 7 days later a diabetic ketoacidosis due to poor adherence to treatment caused a lethal outcome.

Biochemical identification of dynein-ATPase activity in human sperm.

Dynein-ATPase is the intracellular motor for sperm motility. In the present work we assayed the dynein-ATPase activity in an axoneme-containing fraction of human sperm, free of plasma membranes, in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic donors. Axoneme-containing fractions were isolated from semen samples obtained from healthy donors with either normozoospermia or asthenozoospermia, as indicated by a sperm motility lower than 50% (WHO grade a + b). The dynein-ATPase activity was assayed and partially characterized. The dynein-ATPase activity in the axoneme-containing fractions was identified as Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity inhibited by 10 microM vanadate. This inhibition was not seen when the assay was done in the presence of 1 mM norepinephrine. The dynein-ATPase activity is Mg2+-dependent, Li+-sensitive, and insensitive to 2 mM ouabain, 1 microM oligomycin, and 1 microM thapsigargin. The dynein-ATPase activity was significantly lower (p < 0.001) for asthenozoospermic donors as compared to normozoospermic donors. This is a straightforward dynein-ATPase assay that can be used to obtain data of functional interest in clinical or experimental settings.