Novel indices reveal that pollinator exposure to pesticides varies across biological compartments and crop surroundings.

Declines in insect pollinators have been linked to a range of causative factors such as disease, loss of habitats, the quality and availability of food, and exposure to pesticides. Here, we analysed an extensive dataset generated from pesticide screening of foraging insects, pollen-nectar stores/beebread, pollen and ingested nectar across three species of bees collected at 128 European sites set in two types of crop. In this paper, we aimed to (i) derive a new index to summarise key aspects of complex pesticide exposure data and (ii) understand the links between pesticide exposures depicted by the different matrices, bee species and apple orchards versus oilseed rape crops. We found that summary indices were highly correlated with the number of pesticides detected in the related matrix but not with which pesticides were present. Matrices collected from apple orchards generally contained a higher number of pesticides (7.6 pesticides per site) than matrices from sites collected from oilseed rape crops (3.5 pesticides), with fungicides being highly represented in apple crops. A greater number of pesticides were found in pollen-nectar stores/beebread and pollen matrices compared with nectar and bee body matrices. Our results show that for a complete assessment of pollinator pesticide exposure, it is necessary to consider several different exposure routes and multiple species of bees across different agricultural systems.

A blood test to monitor bee health across a European network of agricultural sites of different land-use by MALDI BeeTyping mass spectrometry.

There are substantial concerns about impaired honey bee health and colony losses due to several poorly understood factors. We used MALDI profiling (MALDI BeeTyping®) analysis to investigate how some environmental and management factors were related to the haemolymph peptidome (all peptides in the circulatory fluid), which reflects the immune status of Apis mellifera, under field conditions across Europe. Honey bees were exposed to varying environmental stressors across eight European countries totalling 128 agricultural sites, reflecting two different crop systems [oilseed rape (OSR) and apple (APP)]. Molecular signatures of haemolymph and the presence/absence of molecular-related ions of three immunity markers, namely the antimicrobial peptides (AMP) Apidaecin, Abaecin and Defensin-1, allowed discrimination of bee responses by country, crop type and site. However, many sites showed no significant signature related to the presence of AMP markers. Conversely, in Sweden (SWE), molecular ion intensities were very high, including those of the AMP markers. Even the lowest values were always higher than in other countries. Furthermore, all experimental sites in SWE expressed AMPs. A machine learning model was developed to discriminate the haemolymphs of bees from APP and OSR sites. The model was 90.6 % accurate in identifying the crop type from the samples used to build the model. Overall, MALDI BeeTyping® on individual bee haemolymph represents an attractive and promising "blood test" for monitoring the impact of stressors on bee health at the landscape scale, thus providing policymakers with new monitoring and regulatory tools.

City-scale monitoring of antibiotic resistance genes by digital PCR and metagenomics.

BACKGROUND: Anthropogenic activities significantly contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), posing a substantial threat to humankind. The development of methods that allow robust ARG surveillance is a long-standing challenge. Here, we use city-scale monitoring of ARGs by using two of the most promising cutting-edge technologies, digital PCR (dPCR) and metagenomics. METHODS: ARG hot-spots were sampled from the urban water and wastewater distribution systems. Metagenomics was used to provide a broad view of ARG relative abundance and richness in the prokaryotic and viral fractions. From the city-core ARGs in all samples, the worldwide dispersed sul2 and tetW conferring resistance to sulfonamide and tetracycline, respectively, were monitored by dPCR and metagenomics. RESULTS: The largest relative overall ARG abundance and richness were detected in the hospital wastewater and the WWTP inlet (up to ≈6,000 ARGs/Gb metagenome) with a large fraction of unclassified resistant bacteria. The abundance of ARGs in DNA and RNA contigs classified as viruses was notably lower, demonstrating a reduction of up to three orders of magnitude compared to contigs associated to prokaryotes. By metagenomics and dPCR, a similar abundance tendency of sul2 and tetW was obtained, with higher abundances in hospital wastewater and WWTP input (≈125-225 ARGs/Gb metagenome). dPCR absolute abundances were between 6,000 and 18,600 copies per ng of sewage DNA (≈105-7 copies/mL) and 6.8 copies/mL in seawater near the WWTP discharging point. CONCLUSIONS: dPCR was more sensitive and accurate, while metagenomics provided broader coverage of ARG detection. While desirable, a reliable correlation of dPCR absolute abundance units into metagenomic relative abundance units was not obtained here (r2 < 0.4) suggesting methodological factors that introduce variability. Evolutionary pressure does not significantly select the targeted ARGs in natural aquatic environments.

Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma and Microbiota: Etiopathogenesis and Potential New Therapeutic Targets.

Objective: To review the scientific literature related to human microbiota and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Methodology. An exploratory and systematic review of the articles retrieved from the bibliographic databases MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Scopus, published in the last 10 years with the following descriptors: "lymphoma, T-cell, cutaneous," "microbiota," "Mycosis Fungoides," "Sézary Syndrome," "lymphoma, primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell," "Lymphomatoid Papulosis" and "Microbiota," "microbiota," "Microbial Community," and "Microbial Communities." Results: Of the 87 references retrieved, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 articles were selected. Most studies linking cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and the microbiota focus on the cutaneous microbiome, with Staphylococcus aureus being the main related agent. Skin colonization by this bacterium could be involved in the hyperactivation of the STAT3 inflammatory pathway and in the overproduction of IL-17, both of which are widely related to the development of more aggressive and advanced forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. We also found evidence of a possible relationship between intestinal dysbiosis and the development of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, observing a decrease in taxonomic variability and an increase in certain genera such as Prevotella in the intestinal microbiome of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The possible etiopathogenic mechanism underlying this relationship could be explained by an increase in systemic cytokine release, promoting the hyperactivation of STAT3 at the skin level. Conclusion: There appears to be a relationship between cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and the cutaneous and intestinal microbiome, as well as a possible pathophysiological pathway involved. The possible modulation of the cutaneous and intestinal microbiome or the action on the signaling inflammatory pathway, using pharmacological tools such as JAK inhibitors or IL-17 inhibitors in the latter case, could open the possibility for future therapeutic studies for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Examining the interaction between prenatal stress and polygenic risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on brain growth in childhood: Findings from the DREAM BIG consortium.

This study explored the interactions among prenatal stress, child sex, and polygenic risk scores (PGS) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on structural developmental changes of brain regions implicated in ADHD. We used data from two population-based birth cohorts: Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) from Singapore (n = 113) and Generation R from Rotterdam, the Netherlands (n = 433). Prenatal stress was assessed using questionnaires. We obtained latent constructs of prenatal adversity and prenatal mood problems using confirmatory factor analyses. The participants were genotyped using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism arrays, and ADHD PGSs were computed. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired at 4.5 and 6 years (GUSTO), and at 10 and 14 years (Generation R). We estimated the age-related rate of change for brain outcomes related to ADHD and performed (1) prenatal stress by sex interaction models, (2) prenatal stress by ADHD PGS interaction models, and (3) 3-way interaction models, including prenatal stress, sex, and ADHD PGS. We observed an interaction between prenatal stress and ADHD PGS on mean cortical thickness annual rate of change in Generation R (i.e., in individuals with higher ADHD PGS, higher prenatal stress was associated with a lower rate of cortical thinning, whereas in individuals with lower ADHD PGS, higher prenatal stress was associated with a higher rate of cortical thinning). None of the other tested interactions were statistically significant. Higher prenatal stress may promote a slower brain developmental rate during adolescence in individuals with higher ADHD genetic vulnerability, whereas it may promote a faster brain developmental rate in individuals with lower ADHD genetic vulnerability.

Association of exposure to mixture of chemicals during pregnancy with cognitive abilities and fine motor function of children.

Chemical exposures often occur in mixtures and exposures during pregnancy may lead to adverse effects on the fetal brain, potentially reducing lower cognitive abilities and fine motor function of the child. We investigated the association of mothers exposure to a mixture of chemicals during pregnancy (i.e., organochlorine compounds, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, phenols, phthalates, organophosphate pesticides) with cognitive abilties and fine motor function in their children. We studied 1097 mother-child pairs from five European cohorts participating in the Human Early Life Exposome study (HELIX). Measurement of 26 biomarkers of exposure to chemicals was performed on urine or blood samples of pregnant women (mean age 31 years). Cognitive abilities and fine motor function were assessed in their children (mean age 8 years) with a battery of computerized tests administered in person (Ravens Coloured Progressive Matrices, Attention Network Test, N-back Test, Trail Making Test, Finger Tapping Test). We estimated the joint effect of prenatal exposure to chemicals on cognitive abilities and fine motor function using the quantile-based g-computation method, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. A quartile increase in all the chemicals in the overall mixture was associated with worse fine motor function, specifically lower scores in the Finger Tapping Test [-8.5 points, 95 % confidence interval (CI) -13.6 to -3.4; -14.5 points, 95 % CI -22.4 to -6.6, and -18.0 points, 95 % CI -28.6 to -7.4) for the second, third and fourth quartile of the overal mixture, respectively, when compared to the first quartile]. Organochlorine compounds, phthalates, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contributed most to this association. We did not find a relationship with cognitive abilities. We conclude that exposure to chemical mixtures during pregnancy may influence neurodevelopment, impacting fine motor function of the offspring.

Distribution of infectious and parasitic agents among three sentinel bee species across European agricultural landscapes.

Infectious and parasitic agents (IPAs) and their associated diseases are major environmental stressors that jeopardize bee health, both alone and in interaction with other stressors. Their impact on pollinator communities can be assessed by studying multiple sentinel bee species. Here, we analysed the field exposure of three sentinel managed bee species (Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris and Osmia bicornis) to 11 IPAs (six RNA viruses, two bacteria, three microsporidia). The sentinel bees were deployed at 128 sites in eight European countries adjacent to either oilseed rape fields or apple orchards during crop bloom. Adult bees of each species were sampled before their placement and after crop bloom. The IPAs were detected and quantified using a harmonised, high-throughput and semi-automatized qPCR workflow. We describe differences among bee species in IPA profiles (richness, diversity, detection frequencies, loads and their change upon field exposure, and exposure risk), with no clear patterns related to the country or focal crop. Our results suggest that the most frequent IPAs in adult bees are more appropriate for assessing the bees' IPA exposure risk. We also report positive correlations of IPA loads supporting the potential IPA transmission among sentinels, suggesting careful consideration should be taken when introducing managed pollinators in ecologically sensitive environments.

Association between residential exposure to road traffic noise and cognitive and motor function outcomes in children and preadolescents.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to environmental noise is increasing in recent years but most of the previous literature in children has evaluated the effect of aircraft noise exposure at schools on cognition. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether residential exposure to road traffic noise during pregnancy and childhood is associated with cognitive and motor function in children and preadolescents. METHODS: The study involved 619 participants from the Spanish INMA-Sabadell cohort and 7,115 from the Dutch Generation R Study. We used noise maps to estimate the average day-evening-night road traffic noise levels at each participant's residential address during pregnancy and childhood periods. Validated tests were administered throughout childhood in both cohorts to assess non-verbal and verbal intelligence, memory, processing speed, attentional function, working memory, cognitive flexibility, risky decision-making, and fine and gross motor function. Linear models, linear mixed models, and negative binomial models were run depending on the outcome in cohort-specific analysis and combined with a random-effects meta-analysis. All models were adjusted for several socioeconomic and lifestyle variables and results corrected for multiple testing. RESULTS: Average road traffic noise exposure levels during pregnancy and childhood were 61.3 (SD 6.0) and 61.5 (SD 5.4) dB for the INMA-Sabadell cohort and 54.6 (SD 7.9) and 53.5 (SD 6.5) dB for the Generation R Study, respectively. Road traffic noise exposure during pregnancy and childhood was not related to any of the cognitive and motor function outcomes examined in this study (e.g. -0.92 (95 % CI -2.08; 0.24) and 0.20 (95 % CI -0.96; 1.35) in overall estimates of memory and fine motor function, respectively, when road traffic noise increases by 10 dB during childhood). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that child's cognitive or motor functions are not affected by residential exposure to road traffic noise. However, more studies evaluating this association at school and home settings as well as noise events are needed.

The Berlin-Brandenburg Air Study-A Methodological Study Paper of a Natural Experiment Investigating Health Effects Related to Changes in Airport-Related Exposures.

Objectives: This paper presents the study design of the Berlin-Brandenburg Air study (BEAR-study). We measure air quality in Berlin and Brandenburg before and after the relocation of aircraft (AC) traffic from Tegel (TXL) airport to the new Berlin-Brandenburg airport (BER) and investigate the association of AC-related ultrafine particles (UFP) with health outcomes in schoolchildren. Methods: The BEAR-study is a natural experiment examining schoolchildren attending schools near TXL and BER airports, and in control areas (CA) away from both airports and associated air corridors. Each child undergoes repeated school-based health-examinations. Total particle number concentration (PNC) and meteorological parameters are continuously monitored. Submicrometer particle number size distribution, equivalent black carbon, and gas-phase pollutants are collected from long-term air quality monitoring stations. Daily source-specific UFP concentrations are modeled. We will analyze short-term effects of UFP on respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurocognitive outcomes, as well as medium and long-term effects on lung growth and cognitive development. Results: We examined 1,070 children (as of 30 November 2022) from 16 schools in Berlin and Brandenburg. Conclusion: The BEAR study increases the understanding of how AC-related UFP affect children's health.

Bladder Cancer and Probiotics: What Do We Know So Far?

Bladder cancer is around the 10th most diagnosed cancer, although has a considerable mortality. Recent research and new methodologies have discarded the historical dogma that the bladder (and urine) was sterile under normal conditions. Specifically, only a few studies have reported a detailed analysis of the urinary microbiota in patients with bladder cancer, thus exhibiting a remarkable variability due to the low biomass of the urinary microbiota and the influence of many factors. Nevertheless, this research shows us signals that urinary microbiota is a factor to be considered in the pathophysiology of bladder cancer. More importantly, probiotics could be useful as an adjuvant therapy to reduce the recurrence rate or increase the disease-free period after surgery. In vitro studies and animal assays have shown promising results, but the research in this context has also been scarce, and only a few studies have been conducted in humans. In summary, there is little evidence of the possible beneficial effect of probiotics in controlling the overgrowth of genera that could be involved in the carcinogenesis of bladder cancer. This narrative review aims to compile all the evidence to date on the therapeutic potential of probiotics injected directly into the bladder or orally administered.

Pesticide use negatively affects bumble bees across European landscapes.

Sustainable agriculture requires balancing crop yields with the effects of pesticides on non-target organisms, such as bees and other crop pollinators. Field studies demonstrated that agricultural use of neonicotinoid insecticides can negatively affect wild bee species1,2, leading to restrictions on these compounds3. However, besides neonicotinoids, field-based evidence of the effects of landscape pesticide exposure on wild bees is lacking. Bees encounter many pesticides in agricultural landscapes4-9 and the effects of this landscape exposure on colony growth and development of any bee species remains unknown. Here we show that the many pesticides found in bumble bee-collected pollen are associated with reduced colony performance during crop bloom, especially in simplified landscapes with intensive agricultural practices. Our results from 316 Bombus terrestris colonies at 106 agricultural sites across eight European countries confirm that the regulatory system fails to sufficiently prevent pesticide-related impacts on non-target organisms, even for a eusocial pollinator species in which colony size may buffer against such impacts10,11. These findings support the need for postapproval monitoring of both pesticide exposure and effects to confirm that the regulatory process is sufficiently protective in limiting the collateral environmental damage of agricultural pesticide use.

Emerging threats and opportunities to managed bee species in European agricultural systems: a horizon scan.

Managed bee species provide essential pollination services that contribute to food security worldwide. However, managed bees face a diverse array of threats and anticipating these, and potential opportunities to reduce risks, is essential for the sustainable management of pollination services. We conducted a horizon scanning exercise with 20 experts from across Europe to identify emerging threats and opportunities for managed bees in European agricultural systems. An initial 63 issues were identified, and this was shortlisted to 21 issues through the horizon scanning process. These ranged from local landscape-level management to geopolitical issues on a continental and global scale across seven broad themes-Pesticides & pollutants, Technology, Management practices, Predators & parasites, Environmental stressors, Crop modification, and Political & trade influences. While we conducted this horizon scan within a European context, the opportunities and threats identified will likely be relevant to other regions. A renewed research and policy focus, especially on the highest-ranking issues, is required to maximise the value of these opportunities and mitigate threats to maintain sustainable and healthy managed bee pollinators within agricultural systems.

Interdisciplinary Spanish consensus on a watch-and-wait approach for rectal cancer.

Watch-and-wait has emerged as a new strategy for the management of rectal cancer when a complete clinical response is achieved after neoadjuvant therapy. In an attempt to standardize this new clinical approach, initiated by the Spanish Cooperative Group for the Treatment of Digestive Tumors (TTD), and with the participation of the Spanish Association of Coloproctology (AECP), the Spanish Society of Pathology (SEAP), the Spanish Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (SEED), the Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology (SEOR), and the Spanish Society of Medical Radiology (SERAM), we present herein a consensus on a watch-and-wait approach for the management of rectal cancer. We have focused on patient selection, the treatment schemes evaluated, the optimal timing for evaluating the clinical complete response, the oncologic outcomes after the implementation of this strategy, and a protocol for surveillance of these patients.

Influence and Selection of Probiotics on Depressive Disorders in Occupational Health: Scoping Review.

Depressive disorders have a major impact on occupational health and are costly to the economy and the healthcare system. Probiotics are live, non-pathogenic micro-organisms that, when ingested in adequate amounts, can colonize the intestinal tract and confer health benefits on the patient. In recent years, numerous studies have described the potential usefulness of certain probiotic strains in the treatment and prevention of depressive disorders, with differing results. In order to evaluate the possible efficacy and safety of these microorganisms in preventing or ameliorating these disorders, we systematically searched the bibliographic databases MEDLINE (via Pubmed), EMBASE, the Cochrane library, Scopus and Web of science, using the descriptors "Occupational health", "Probiotics", "Depressive Disorder" and "Depression" and filters "Humans" and "Clinical Trials". After applying our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 studies were accepted for review and critical analysis. Our analysis suggests that a combination of different probiotic strains, most of them from the genus Bifidobacterium sp. and Lactobacillus sp., could be a good mixture as an adjuvant in the treatment of depressive disorders for the working population.

Environmental exposures in early-life and general health in childhood.

BACKGROUND: Early-life environmental exposures are suspected to be involved in the development of chronic diseases later in life. Most studies conducted so far considered single or few exposures and single-health parameter. Our study aimed to identify a childhood general health score and assess its association with a wide range of pre- and post-natal environmental exposures. METHODS: The analysis is based on 870 children (6-12 years) from six European birth cohorts participating in the Human Early-Life Exposome project. A total of 53 prenatal and 105 childhood environmental factors were considered, including lifestyle, social, urban and chemical exposures. We built a general health score by averaging three sub-scores (cardiometabolic, respiratory/allergy and mental) built from 15 health parameters. By construct, a child with a low score has a low general health status. Penalized multivariable regression through Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) was fitted in order to identify exposures associated with the general health score. FINDINGS: The results of LASSO show that a lower general health score was associated with maternal passive and active smoking during pregnancy and postnatal exposure to methylparaben, copper, indoor air pollutants, high intake of caffeinated drinks and few contacts with friends and family. Higher child's general health score was associated with prenatal exposure to a bluespace near residency and postnatal exposures to pets, cobalt, high intakes of vegetables and more physical activity. Against our hypotheses, postnatal exposure to organochlorine compounds and perfluorooctanoate were associated with a higher child's general health score. CONCLUSION: By using a general health score summarizing the child cardiometabolic, respiratory/allergy and mental health, this study reinforced previously suspected environmental factors associated with various child health parameters (e.g. tobacco, air pollutants) and identified new factors (e.g. pets, bluespace) warranting further investigations.