The effects of taurine supplementation on obesity and browning of white adipose tissue in high-fat diet-fed mice.

Background: In recent years, a new type of adipose tissue (beige adipose tissue) has been mentioned, unlike white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). Beige cells are capable of thermogenesis like BAT. In response to various agents, beige cells can develop within WAT through a process called "browning." Therefore, the prevention of obesity and related diseases by providing WAT browning with new potential agents has been extensively studied in recent years. Taurine has many physiological functions in the body and has beneficial effects on obesity and related metabolic disorders. For this reason, we aimed to investigate whether taurine supplementation has effects on browning of WAT and attenuating obesity. Methods: Thirty-two male C57BL/6 mice were used for the study. Mice were divided into 4 groups as control, control + taurine, high fat diet (HFD) and HFD + taurine, and fed for 20 weeks. Taurine was given in drinking water (5%). Epididymal WAT samples were obtained from mice and RNA was extracted from these tissues. Expression levels of FLCN, mTOR, TFE3, PGC-1α, PGC1-1ß, AMPK, S6K and UCP1 genes were measured by real-time PCR. Results: Taurine supplementation reduced HFD-induced obesity. No UCP1 expression was detected in any of the groups studied. Any of the gene expressions were not significantly different between HFD and HFD + taurine groups. Reduced PGC-1α and PGC-1ß expressions were observed in both HFD and HFD + taurine groups. Conclusions: Taurine reduced the obesity in HFD fed mice, but had no effect on browning of epididymal WAT in this study.

Novel Hybrid Adsorption-Electrodialysis (AdED) System for Removal of Boron from Geothermal Brine.

A novel hybrid adsorption-electrodialysis (AdED) system to remove environmentally harmful boron from geothermal brine was designed and effective operating parameters such as pH, voltage, and flow rate were studied. A cellulose-based adsorbent was synthesized from glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) grafted cellulose and modified with a boron selective n-methyl-d-glucamine (NMDG) group and characterized with SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and TGA analyses. Batch adsorption studies revealed that cellulose-based adsorbent showed a remarkable boron removal capacity (19.29 mg/g), a wide stable operating pH range (2-10), and an adsorption process that followed the Freundlich isotherm (R 2 = 0.95) and pseudo-second-order kinetics (R 2 = 0.99). In the hybrid AdED system, the optimum operating parameters for boron removal were found to be a pH of 10, a voltage of 10 V, a flow rate of 100 mL/min, and an adsorbent dosage of 4 g/L. The presence of the adsorbent in the hybrid system increased boron removal from real geothermal brine (containing 199 ppm boron) from 7.2% to 73.3%. The results indicate that the designed AdED system performs better than bare electrodialysis for boron removal from ion-rich real geothermal brine while utilizing environmentally friendly cellulose-based adsorbent.

Electrochemical Degradation of Methylene Blue by a Flexible Graphite Electrode: Techno-Economic Evaluation.

In this study, electrochemical removal of methylene blue (MB) from water using commercially available and low-cost flexible graphite was investigated. The operating conditions such as initial dye concentration, initial solution pH, electrolyte dose, electrical potential, and operating time were investigated. The Box-Behnken experimental design (BBD) was used to optimize the system's performance with the minimum number of tests possible, as well as to examine the independent variables' impact on the removal efficiency, energy consumption, operating cost, and effluent MB concentration. The electrical potential and electrolyte dosage both improved the MB removal efficiency, since increased electrical potential facilitated production of oxidizing agents and increase in electrolyte dosage translated into an increase in electrical current transfer. As expected, MB removal efficiency increased with longer operational periods. The combined effects of operating time-electrical potential and electrical potential-electrolyte concentration improved the MB removal efficiency. The maximum removal efficiency (99.9%) and lowest operating cost (0.012 $/m3) were obtained for initial pH 4, initial MB concentration 26.5 mg/L, electrolyte concentration 0.6 g/L, electrical potential 3 V, and operating time 30 min. The reaction kinetics was maximum for pH 5, and as the pH increased the reaction rates decreased. Consequent techno-economic assessment showed that electrochemical removal of MB using low-cost and versatile flexible graphite had a competitive advantage.

Desalination and Detoxification of Textile Wastewater by Novel Photocatalytic Electrolysis Membrane Reactor for Ecosafe Hydroponic Farming.

In this study, a novel photoelectrocatalytic membrane (PECM) reactor was tested as an option for the desalination, disinfection, and detoxification of biologically treated textile wastewater (BTTWW), with the aim to reuse it in hydroponic farming. The anionic ion exchange (IEX) process was used before PECM treatment to remove toxic residual dyes. The toxicity evaluation for every effluent was carried out using the Vibrio fischeri, Microtox® test protocol. The disinfection effect of the PECM reactor was studied against E. coli. After PECM treatment, the 78.7% toxicity level of the BTTWW was reduced to 14.6%. However, photocatalytic desalination during treatment was found to be slow (2.5 mg L-1 min-1 at 1 V potential). The reactor demonstrated approximately 52% COD and 63% TOC removal efficiency. The effects of wastewater reuse on hydroponic production were comparatively investigated by following the growth of the lettuce plant. A detrimental effect was observed on the lettuce plant by the reuse of BTTWW, while no negative impact was reported using the PECM treated textile wastewater. In addition, all macro/micronutrient elements in the PECM treated textile wastewater were recovered by hydroponic farming, and the PECM treatment may be an eco-safe wastewater reuse method for crop irrigation.

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on ambient air quality and excess risk of particulate matter in Turkey.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has reached 4 million global cases as of March 10, 2020, has become a worldwide problem. Turkey is one of the most affected (9th in the world) country with 139 771 cases. An intermittent curfew policy that differ for three age groups, and an intercity travel ban varying within the country have been implemented. The effects of changes in social life and industrial activity in terms of environmental pollution are not yet known. The short-term effects on PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, NO, NOx, O3 and CO concentrations measured at 51 air quality measurement stations (AQMS) in 11 cities in March - April period of 2020 were statistically compared with that of the previous year. While PM2.5 (9/14 AQMS) and PM10 (29/35 AQMS) concentrations were not significantly affected, NO (12/24 AQMS), NO2 (20/29 AQMS), NOX (17/25 AQMS) concentrations were decreased, SO2 concentrations at half of the AQMSs (11/25) did not show a significant change. There were stations at which higher pollutant concentrations were measured in the study period in 2020 compared to that of 2019. Excess risks associated with PM2.5 and PM10 were estimated to be variable, albeit with a small difference. In conclusion, the heterogeneous actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mixed effects on ambient air quality.

Association of the sEH gene promoter polymorphisms and haplotypes with preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: The epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) have antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and organ protective properties and their circulation levels are related to hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and preeclampsia. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) catalyses the degradation of EETs to less biologically active dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids. Here, we sequenced the promoter region of EPHX2 to investigate the association between promoter sequence alterations that we thought to affect the expression levels of the enzyme and preeclampsia (PE). METHODS: Nucleotide sequencing of the promoter region of the EPHX2, spanning from position -671 to +30, was performed on 100 pregnant women with PE and, 20 or more weeks pregnant normotensive, healthy women (n=100). RESULTS: Pregnant women who carry rs4149235, rs4149232, rs73227309, and rs62504268 polymorphisms have 4.4, 2.4, 2.3, and 2.8 times significantly increased risk of PE, respectively. CCGG (OR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.12-8.62) and CCCA (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.36-0.55) haplotypes were associated with an increased and decreased risk of PE, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Four SNPs (rs4149232, rs4149235, rs73227309, and rs62504268) in the promoter region of the EPHX2, and CCGG and CCCA haplotypes of these 4 SNPs were significantly associated with PE. These SNPs in the promoter region may affect sEH expression and thus enzyme activity and may play a role in PE pathogenesis by causing individual differences in EET levels. However, future studies are needed to confirm our findings and examine the effect of these SNPs on the sEH expression and/or enzyme activity.

The role of two common FOXP3 gene promoter polymorphisms in preeclampsia in a Turkish population: a case-control study.

Preeclampsia (PE), which occurs in approximately 5% of pregnancies worldwide and constitutes clinically serious complications in 2-3%, is one of the leading causes of maternal and prenatal morbidity and mortality. Recent studies report that regulatory T (Treg) cells, which act as immunosuppressant, are associated with PE. It is clearly defined that FOXP3/Scurfin (Forkhead Box P3) is involved in the development and function of Tregs. However, there are different conclusions regarding the relationship between PE and FOXP3 gene polymorphisms for different populations. For this reason, in this study we investigate the association between FOXP3 gene promoter region polymorphisms and PE in a Turkish population 500 PE patients and 500 healthy pregnant women. Blood samples taken from pregnant women were studied by PCR-RFLP method. As a result, rs2232365 polymorphism was significantly associated with disease (p < .0001) while no significant association was found between rs3761548 polymorphism and the disease (p = .17). Based on these results, it is though that FOXP3 rs2232365 polymorphism may be predisposed to PE development in terms of Turkish population. However, further and functional studies are needed in terms of other polymorphisms and mutations.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? A number of recent publications suggest that Tregs may play a role in the pathogenesis of PE. It is known that a stable and high FOXP3 expression is required to maintain the suppressive T cell function of Tregs. Down regulation of FOXP3 in PE has been reported in many previous studies, but the mechanism is still uncertain.What do the results of this study add? Our study has examined two FOXP3 promoter region polymorphisms in terms of Turkish population for the first time. Rs2232365 polymorphism associated with the disease in heterozygous genotype.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? It has been shown that FOXP3 gene promoter region polymorphisms may be associated with PE for Turkish population. Our results can be a guide for more detailed statistical evaluations and functional studies.

Thermodynamically designed target-specific DNA probe as an electrochemical hybridization biosensor.

Applications of molecular techniques to elucidate identity or function using biomarkers still remain highly empirical and biosensors are no exception. In the present study, target-specific oligonucleotide probes for E. coli K12 were designed thermodynamically and applied in an electrochemical DNA biosensor setup. Biosensor was prepared by immobilization of a stem-loop structured probe, modified with a thiol functional group at its 5' end and a biotin molecule at its 3' end, on a gold electrode through self-assembly. Mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) was used to optimize the surface probe density of the electrode. Hybridization between the immobilized probe and the target DNA was detected via the electrochemical response of streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase in the presence of the substrate. The amperometric response showed a linear relationship with the target DNA concentration, ranging from 10 and 400 nM, with a correlation coefficient of 0.989. High selectivity and good repeatability of the biosensor showed that the thermodynamic approach to oligonucleotide probe design can be used in development of electrochemical DNA biosensors.

A hybrid process for 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid herbicidal treatment and its microbial identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

The feasibility of coupling photocatalysis and a biological treatment to remove a herbicide - 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) - from pure water was examined using batch experiments following three protocols: aerated (A-BR) and non-aerated biodegradation (NA-BR) alone, and intimately combined photodegradation and biodegradation (P-B). In view of a subsequent biological treatment, 15 and 180 min irradiation times were chosen in accordance with spectrophotometric and LC-MS/MS results that indicated the decrease in the COD/TOC ratio during photocatalysis. Pre-treatment led to a quick decrease in concentration of 2,4-D and COD during the biological process: a 78.79 ± 0.30% COD removal and 38.23 ± 3.12% 2,4-D elimination was measured after 5760 min in A-BR, and 80.89 ± 0.81% COD and 81.36 ± 1.37% 2,4-D removal was achieved after 2880 min in P-B. For species identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-time of flight (TOF)-TOF/MS equipment, Aeromonas eucrenophila, Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila, Ralstonia pickettii, Sphingobacterium multivorum and Acinetobacter towneri were identified with high accuracy, and they play important roles in the degradation of 2,4-D.

Chloride or sulfate? Consequences for ozonation of textile wastewater.

Ozonation of chloride-rich textile wastewater is a common pretreatment practice in order to increase biodegradability and therefore meet the discharge limits. This study is the first to investigate ozone-chloride/bromide interactions and formation of hazardous adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) in real textile wastewater. Initially effect of ozonation on chloride-rich real textile wastewater samples were investigated for adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) formation, biodegradability and toxicity. After 15 min of ozonation, maximum levels of chlorine/bromine generation (0.3 mg/l) and AOX formation (399 mg/l) were reached. OUR and SOUR levels both increased by approximately 58%. Daphnia magna toxicity peaked at 100% for 10 min ozonated sample. Considering adverse effects of ozonation on chloride-rich textile industry effluents, we proposed replacement of NaCl with Na2SO4. Comparative ozonation experiments were carried out for both chloride and sulfate containing synthetic dyeing wastewater samples. Results showed that use of sulfate in reactive dyeing increased biodegradability and decreased acute toxicity. Although sulfate is preferred over chloride for more effective dyeing performance, the switch has been hampered due to sodium sulfate's higher unit cost. However, consideration of indirect costs such as contributions to biodegradability, toxicity, water and salt recovery shall facilitate textile industry's switch from chloride to sulfate.

Automated design of probes for rRNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization reveals the advantages of using dual probes for accurate identification.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a common technique for identifying cells in their natural environment and is often used to complement next-generation sequencing approaches as an integral part of the full-cycle rRNA approach. A major challenge in FISH is the design of oligonucleotide probes with high sensitivity and specificity to their target group. The rapidly expanding number of rRNA sequences has increased awareness of the number of potential nontargets for every FISH probe, making the design of new FISH probes challenging using traditional methods. In this study, we conducted a systematic analysis of published probes that revealed that many have insufficient coverage or specificity for their intended target group. Therefore, we developed an improved thermodynamic model of FISH that can be applied at any taxonomic level, used the model to systematically design probes for all recognized genera of bacteria and archaea, and identified potential cross-hybridizations for the selected probes. This analysis resulted in high-specificity probes for 35.6% of the genera when a single probe was used in the absence of competitor probes and for 60.9% when up to two competitor probes were used. Requiring the hybridization of two independent probes for positive identification further increased specificity. In this case, we could design highly specific probe sets for up to 68.5% of the genera without the use of competitor probes and 87.7% when up to two competitor probes were used. The probes designed in this study, as well as tools for designing new probes, are available online (http://DECIPHER.cee.wisc.edu).

Exploring the in situ accessibility of small subunit ribosomal RNA of members of the domains Bacteria and Eukarya to oligonucleotide probes.

The principle that the small subunit ribosomal RNA (ssu rRNA) is generally accessible to oligonucleotide probes designed to have high thermodynamic affinity was tested with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fluorescein-labeled probes, designed to have ΔG(overall)°=-14±1 and to avoid the potential of nucleobase-specific quenching, were used to target 20 randomly selected sites in each organism. A site was considered accessible if probe brightness was at least 10 times the background signal. With 30-h hybridizations, 71 out of 80 target sites passed the accessibility criterion. Three additional sites were demonstrated to be accessible with either longer hybridizations, which seemed to have a negative effect on some probes, or the addition of formamide to the hybridization buffer. The remaining 6 sites were demonstrated to be accessible by changing the fluorophore to Cy5, slightly modifying probe lengths, using dual-labeled fluorescein probes, or a combination of these approaches. Probe elongations were only needed in 4 probes, indicating a 95% success in correctly predicting ΔG(overall)°, the key parameter for the design of high affinity probes. In addition, 94% of the fluorescein labeled probes yielded bright signals, demonstrating that nucleobase-specific quenching of fluorescein is an important factor affecting probe brightness that can be predicted during probe design. Overall, the results support the principle that with a rational design of probes, it is possible to make most target sites in the ssu rRNA accessible.

Making all parts of the 16S rRNA of Escherichia coli accessible in situ to single DNA oligonucleotides.

rRNA accessibility is a major sensitivity issue limiting the design of working probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Previous studies empirically highlighted the accessibility of target sites on rRNA maps by grouping probes into six classes according to their brightness levels. In this study, a recently proposed mechanistic model of FISH, based on the thermodynamics of secondary nucleic acid interactions, was used to evaluate the accessibility of the 16S rRNA of Escherichia coli to fluorescein-labeled oligonucleotides when thermodynamic and kinetic barriers were eliminated. To cover the entire 16S rRNA, 109 probes were designed with an average thermodynamic affinity (DeltaGo (overall)) of -13.5 kcal/mol. Fluorescence intensity was measured by flow cytometry, and a brightness threshold between classes 3 and 4 was used as the requirement for proof of accessibility. While 46% of the probes were above this threshold with conventional 3-h hybridizations, extending the incubation period to 96 h dramatically increased the fraction of bright probes to 86%. Insufficient thermodynamic affinity and/or fluorophore quenching was demonstrated to cause the low fluorescence intensity of the remaining 14% of the probes. In the end, it was proven that every nucleotide in the 16S rRNA of E. coli could be targeted with a bright probe and, therefore, that there were no truly inaccessible target regions in the 16S rRNA. Based on our findings and mechanistic modeling, a rational design strategy involving DeltaGo(overall), hybridization kinetics, and fluorophore quenching is recommended for the development of bright probes.