Meta-ecosystem Frameworks Can Enhance Control of the Biotic Transport of Microplastics.

The lack of systematic approaches and analyses to identify, quantify, and manage the biotic transport of microplastics (MPs) along cross-ecosystem landscapes prevents the current goals of sustainable environmental development from being met. This Perspective proposes a meta-ecosystem framework, which considers organismal and resource flows among ecosystems to shed light on the research and management challenges related to both abiotic and biotic MP transport at landscape levels. We discuss MP transport pathways through species movements and trophic transfers among ecosystems and sub-ecosystems, and highlight these pathways in the mitigation of MP pollution. The integration of biotic pathways across landscapes prioritizes management actions for MP transport using diverse approaches such as wastewater treatment and plastic removal policies to mitigate contamination. In addition, our framework emphasizes the potential sink enhancement of MPs through habitat conservation and enhancement of riparian vegetation. By considering the mechanisms of meta-ecosystem dynamics through the processes of biotic dispersal, accumulation, and the ultimate fate of MPs, advances in the environmental impact assessment and management of MP production can proceed more effectively.

Existing levels of biodiversity and river location may determine changes from small hydropower developments.

Global ecosystems are facing anthropogenic threats that affect their ecological functions and biodiversity. However, we still lack an understanding of how biodiversity can mediate the responses of ecosystems or communities to human disturbance across spatial gradients. Here, we examined how existing, spatial patterns of biodiversity influence the ecological effects of small hydropower plants (SHPs) on macroinvertebrates in river ecosystems. This study found that levels of biodiversity (e.g., number of species) can influence the degrees of its alterations by SHPs occurring along elevational gradients. The results of the study reveal that the construction of SHPs has various effects on biodiversity. For example, low-altitude areas with low biodiversity (species richness less than 12) showed a small increase in biodiversity compared to high-altitude areas (species richness more than 12) under SHP disturbances. The increases in the effective habitat area of the river segment could be a driver of the enhanced biodiversity in response to SHP effects. Changes in the numerically dominant species contributed to the overall level of community variation from disturbances. Location-specific strategies may mitigate the effects of SHPs and perhaps other disturbances.

Positive rates of interferon-γ release assay and tuberculin skin test in detection of latent tuberculosis infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 200,000 head-to-head comparative tests.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the positive rates of IGRA and TST in detection of LTBI. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library on March 12, 2022. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled results. RESULTS: We included 458 head-to-head studies. Compared with immunocompetent controls, TST positive rate in immunosuppressed population decreased more than IGRA positive rate (OR 0.36 [95% CI: 0.31 to 0.41] versus 0.53 [0.46 to 0.61]). In immunocompetent BCG-vaccinated individuals, IGRA positive rate in low-TB burden areas was significantly lower than TST positive rate, but the difference was decreased in high-TB burden areas (OR 0.75 [0.60 to 0.94]). Additionally, IGRA positive rate was equal to that of TST in the elderly (OR 0.98 [0.66 to 1.46]). CONCLUSION: TST is more susceptible to immunosuppression than IGRA. The effect of BCG on TST might be weakened in high-TB burden areas, and TST response waned in the elderly. REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020180163.

Incidence of chromosomal anomalies in fetuses with isolated right aortic arch: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Right aortic arch (RAA) can be associated with chromosomal anomalies. However, the incidence of chromosomal anomalies when RAA is isolated (iRAA), ie, not associated with intracardiac anomalies, varies between different studies (0%-28.5%). We have performed a meta-analysis to allow a more accurate prenatal counselling. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for articles related to chromosomal anomalies among iRAA fetuses until April 2019. A total of 22 relevant studies, including 670 fetuses, were selected in the final meta-analysis. RESULTS: The results revealed that the overall rates of chromosomal anomalies and 22q11.2 deletion in iRAA fetuses were 7.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.7%-10.8%) and 4.3% (95% CI, 2.6%-6.4%), respectively, while the rates were lower in iRAA without extracardiac anomalies, 4.7% (95% CI, 1.1%-10.8%) and 2.4% (95% CI, 0.5%-5.7%). The rate of chromosomal or copy number variants including 22q11.2 deletion identified by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in iRAA fetuses was 8.2% (95% CI, 5.0%-12.1%) and 3.7% (95% CI, 1.7%-6.6%), respectively, compared with 5.1% (95% CI, 2.5%-8.4%) and 2.4% (95% CI, 0.7%-5.1%) identified by traditional karyotyping. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable proportion of iRAA cases have associated chromosomal anomalies and prevalence of associated 22q11.2 deletion, and CMA is recommended if invasive prenatal testing is performed.

Spatial asymmetry of temporal ecological processes can shift in riverine macroinvertebrates responding to fluctuating climate conditions.

Exploring the temporal dynamics of biological communities can offer valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms driving changes in biodiversity in the context of short and long-term effects of climate fluctuations. However, an understanding of how temporal shifts in climatic fluctuations influence the spatial patterns of the temporary ecological processes remains unexplored. This study examined the relative importance of temporary deterministic and stochastic processes (i.e., the influence of environmental filtering compared to stochastic variation within the same community) on community dynamics across watersheds in 15 rivers of the European Iberian Peninsula using 21 years of data. This study was divided into two time periods (i.e., 1997-2006 and 2007-2017). The climatic differences between the periods included decreasing levels and heightened variability of precipitation. Additionally, there were declining minimum temperatures and rising maximum temperatures, accompanied by reduced fluctuations in both minimum and maximum temperatures. Water quality and its variations also occur along an elevation pattern and changed over the time period studied. Spatial patterns of the relative importance of the ecological processes shifted between the two decades. The significance of stochastic processes increased with elevation in the earlier period, although no clear elevation pattern emerged in the later period. At the same time, the importance of deterministic processes decreased with elevation in the earlier period, and there was no clear pattern of elevation in the later period. An understanding of the patterns in community dynamics existing at various elevations over time can lay the groundwork for predicting and mitigating the impacts of short-term climate changes on biodiversity and guide appropriate conservation actions.

New insight into Clostridium butyricum-ferroferric oxide hybrid system in exogenous carbon dioxide-assisted anaerobic fermentation for acetate and butyrate production.

Mixotrophic cultivation, utilizing both gas and organic substances, is commonly employed to minimize the carbon loss during anaerobic fermentation of bulk chemicals. Herein, a novel Clostridium butyricum-ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) hybrid system, enhanced by exogenous carbon dioxide (CO2), was proposed to improve carbon recovery and optimize metabolite production. The results demonstrated that exogenous CO2 improved metabolite selectivity towards acetate/butyrate, while also accelerating CO2 fixation. Compared to pure Clostridium butyricum, the hybrid system significantly increased carbon conversion to primary metabolites, boosting butyrate and acetate production by 18.7 % and 18.4 %, respectively. Enzyme activity assays revealed that Fe3O4 and exogenous CO2 acted synergistically, enhancing the activities of key enzymes involved in CO2 assimilation. Additionally, Fe3O4 facilitated intra- and extracellular electron transfer, further improving the fermentation process. This study offers new insights into the combined effects of exogenous CO2 and Fe3O4 on anaerobic fermentation, providing an efficient strategy for carbon recovery and selective acetate/butyrate production.

Metformin improves cognitive dysfunction through SIRT1/NLRP3 pathway-mediated neuroinflammation in db/db mice.

Diabetes mellitus (DM), an important public health problem, aggravates the global economic burden. Diabetic encephalopathy (DE) is a serious complication of DM in the central nervous system. Metformin has been proven to improve DE. However, the mechanism is still unclear. In this study, the db/db mice, a common model used for DE, were employed to explore and study the neuroprotective effect of metformin and related mechanisms. Behavioral tests indicated that metformin (100 or 200 mg/kg/day) could significantly improve the learning and memory abilities of db/db mice. The outcomes from the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) demonstrate that metformin effectively modulates glucose and insulin signaling pathways in db/db mice. The results of body weight and blood lipid panel (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) show that metformin promotes the level of lipid metabolism in db/db mice. Furthermore, data from oxidative stress assays, which measured levels of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, suggest that metformin suppresses oxidative stress-induced brain damage in db/db mice. In addition, western blot, Nissl staining, and immunofluorescence results showed that metformin increased the expressions of nerve growth factor and postsynaptic density 95 and repaired neuronal structural damage. For the mechanism study, metformin activated SIRT1 and inhibited the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1ß, and IL-18) and inflammatory cytokines (TNFα and IL-6). In conclusion, metformin could ameliorate cognitive dysfunction through the SIRT1/NLRP3 pathway, which might be a promising mechanism for DE treatment.

Evaluation of left ventricular function in ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries: a research based on adenosine stress myocardial contrast echocardiography.

Patients with ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) have an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events in the future, which is widespread but underdiagnosed. The purpose of this study is to explore the application value of adenosine stress myocardial contrast echocardiography (ASMCE) in INOCA disease, so that clinicians can early identify and intervene patients with left ventricular function subclinical impairment in INOCA. We enrolled 118 patients with INOCA by ASMCE and invasive coronary angiography (ICA), 97 of whom had complete data. The study population was divided into two subgroups depending on coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR): impaired CFVR group (n = 34) and normal CFVR group (n = 63). Global longitudinal strain endocardial myocardial (GLSendo), mid-myocardial (GLSmid) and epicardial myocardial (GLSepi) increased after stress in both groups; transmural strain, wall motion scored index (WMSI) and myocardial perfusion scored index (MPSI) increased and FORCE decreased in impaired CFVR group after stress, but there was no difference in normal group before and after stress. There was no significant difference in left ventricular myocardial mechanical parameters, including ΔGLSendo, ΔGLSmid, ΔGLSepi, GLSendo-epi Reserve, Δpeak strain dispersion (PSD), PSD Reserve between the two groups, but ΔEF, strain reserve and left ventricular contractile reserve (LVCR) in the impaired CFVR group were lower than those in the normal CFVR group, while ΔWMSI and ΔMPSI were increased. CFVR can be a clinically valuable indicator in the ASMCE diagnosis of patients with microvascular angina pectoris in INOCA. In the evaluation of left ventricular function in INOCA patients, attention should be paid not only to myocardial deformation, but also to the dynamic changes of LVCR and myocardial perfusion during peak hyperemia.

Indeterminate results of interferon gamma release assays in the screening of latent tuberculosis infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the indeterminate rate of interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) in the detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Methods: On 15 November 2022, we searched the PubMed® (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), Embase® (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and Cochrane Library databases in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Two investigators independently extracted the study data and assessed their quality using a modified quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (i.e., QUADAS-2) tool. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled results. Results: We included 403 studies involving 486,886 individuals and found that the pooled indeterminate rate was 3.9% (95% CI 3.5%-4.2%). The pooled indeterminate rate for QuantiFERON®-TB (QFT) was similar to that for T-SPOT®.TB (T-SPOT) [odds ratio (OR) = 0.88, 95% CI 0.59-1.32]; however, the indeterminate rate for a new generation of QFT (QFT-plus) was lower than that of T-SPOT (OR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.16-0.35). The indeterminate rate in the immunocompromised population was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (OR = 3.51, 95% CI 2.11-5.82), and it increased with the reduction of CD4+ cell count in HIV-positive patients. Children's pooled indeterminate rates (OR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.79-3.57) were significantly higher than those of adults, and the rates increased as the children's age decreased. Conclusion: On average, 1 in 26 tests yields indeterminate IGRA results in LTBI screening. The use of advanced versions of the QuantiFERON-TB assay (QFT-plus), may potentially reduce the occurrence of an indeterminate result. Our study emphasizes the high risk of immunosuppression and young age in relation to indeterminate IGRA, which should receive more attention in the management of LTBI. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020211363, CRD42020211363.

Hydrological Season Can Have Unexpectedly Insignificant Influences on the Elevational Patterns of Functional Diversity of Riverine Macroinvertebrates.

Spatial biodiversity is a key issue in biogeography for the explorations of biological origin and diversification. However, seldom studies have addressed the temporal changes in spatial patterns of biodiversity. We explored the taxonomic and functional diversities of riverine macroinvertebrates in central China, with the elevational gradient, in different seasons in a normal climate year (i.e., no extreme anomalies in the annual precipitation or average annual temperature). The air temperature and streamflow discharge were decreased monotonically with the increase of elevation both in the dry and wet seasons. In addition, the total nitrogen had no significant change with the increase of elevational gradient in the dry season but showed a monotonically decreasing pattern in the wet season. The total phosphorus showed a monotonically decreasing pattern with the elevational gradient in the dry season but had no significant change in the wet season. The spatial pattern of taxonomic diversity of macroinvertebrates along the elevational gradient showed complex patterns, but the functional diversity had either the unimodal or monotonically decreasing pattern. In addition, the functional diversity with the elevational gradient had similar patterns between the dry and wet seasons. Further analysis of the elevational pattern in different seasons is an important basis for understanding the status quo of functional diversity and formulating countermeasures for biodiversity conservation.

11,12-Diacetyl-carnosol Protects SH-SY5Y Cells from Hydrogen Peroxide Damage through the Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway.

Background: Oxidative stress-induced neurotoxicity plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). 11,12-Diacetyl-carnosol (NO.20), an acetylated derivative of carnosol extracted from rosemary, displays a high antioxidative effect in vitro. Purpose: We investigated the neuroprotective effect of NO.20 on H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and its possible mechanism. Results: We found that NO.20 pretreatment (1 µM for 1 h) had cytoprotective effects and weakened H2O2-induced damage in SH-SY5Y cells by reducing viability loss, apoptotic rate, and reactive oxygen species production. In addition, NO.20 inhibited H2O2-induced mitochondrial dysfunctions: it alleviated mitochondrial membrane potential loss and cytochrome c release, decreased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and reduced caspase-3 expression. NO.20 also downregulated malondialdehyde and upregulated glutathione. Furthermore, NO.20 pretreatment caused the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), increasing heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in SH-SY5Y cells. Notably, we found that silencing Nrf2 using small interfering RNA (siRNA) suppressed the NO.20-induced HO-1 expression and abolished the neuroprotective effect of NO.20. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that NO.20 protects SH-SY5Y cells from H2O2-induced neurotoxicity by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Thus, the neuroprotective and antioxidative stress effects of NO.20 may make it a promising neuroprotective compound for AD treatment.

Abietane Diterpenoids with Antioxidative Damage Activity from Rosmarinus officinalis.

Nine new and nineteen known compounds were isolated and identified from Rosmarinus officinalis under the guidance of bioassay and LCMS. They all belonged to abietane diterpenoids which enriched the types of compounds in R. officinalis, especially the discovery of a series of 20-norabietane diterpenoids (4, 6-9, and 26-27). The antioxidative damage activity of the compounds was tested on H2O2 damaged SH-SY5Y cells. Compounds 5, 6, and 7 presented moderate ability for promoting the growth of damaged cells. Compounds 10, 11, 13-20, 27, and 28 displayed a high antioxidative damage effect whose cell viability rates were more than 80%. The antioxidative damage effect of 11, 16, 18, and 20 were higher than that of EGCG (positive control) in which 11, 18, and 20 were the acetylated derivatives of carnosic acid (10), 7α-methoxy-isocarnosol (16), and carnosol (19), respectively. It suggested that 10-carboxyl/formyl of abietane diterpenoids was essential for maintaining the antioxidative damage activity and the adjacent hydroxyl groups on the benzene ring was less important for holding the bioactivity. These acetylated derivatives with high bioactivity and stability could be regarded as new sources of antioxidants or antioxidative damage agents being used in the food and medical industry.

Interferon-γ release assays or tuberculin skin test for detection and management of latent tuberculosis infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Use of an interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release assay or tuberculin skin test for detection and management of latent tuberculosis infection is controversial. For both types of test, we assessed their predictive value for the progression of latent infection to active tuberculosis disease, the targeting value of preventive treatment, and the necessity of dual testing. METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, with no start date or language restrictions, on Oct 18, 2019, using the keywords ("latent tuberculosis" OR "latent tuberculosis infection" OR "LTBI") AND ("interferon gamma release assays" OR "Interferon-gamma Release Test" OR "IGRA" OR "QuantiFERON®-TB in tube" OR "QFT" OR "T-SPOT.TB") AND ("tuberculin skin test" OR "tuberculin test" OR "Mantoux test" OR "TST"). We included articles that used a cohort study design; included information that individuals with latent tuberculosis infection detected by IFN-γ release assay, tuberculin skin test, or both, progressed to active tuberculosis; reported information about treatment; and were limited to high-risk populations. We excluded studies that included patients with active or suspected tuberculosis at baseline, evaluated a non-commercial IFN-γ release assay, and had follow-up of less than 1 year. We extracted study details (study design, population investigated, tests used, follow-up period) and the number of individuals observed at baseline, who progressed to active tuberculosis, and who were treated. We then calculated the pooled risk ratio (RR) for disease progression, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of IFN-γ release assay versus tuberculin skin test. FINDINGS: We identified 1823 potentially eligible studies after exclusion of duplicates, of which 256 were eligible for full-text screening. From this screening, 40 studies (50 592 individuals in 41 cohorts) were identified as eligible and included in our meta-analysis. Pooled RR for the rate of disease progression in untreated individuals who were positive by IFN-γ release assay versus those were negative was 9·35 (95% CI 6·48-13·49) compared with 4·24 (3·30-5·46) for tuberculin skin test. Pooled PPV for IFN-γ release assay was 4·5% (95% CI 3·3-5·8) compared with 2·3% (1·5-3·1) for tuberculin skin test. Pooled NPV for IFN-γ release assay was 99·7% (99·5-99·8) compared with 99·3% (99·0-99·5) for tuberculin skin test. Pooled RR for rates of disease progression in individuals positive by IFN-γ release assay who were untreated versus those who were treated was 3·09 (95% CI 2·08-4·60) compared with 1·11 (0·69-1·79) for the same populations who were positive by tuberculin skin test. Pooled proportion of disease progression for individuals who were positive by IFN-γ release assay and tuberculin skin test was 6·1 (95% CI 2·3-11·5). Pooled RR for rates of disease progression in individuals who were positive by IFN-γ release assay and tuberculin skin test who were untreated versus those who were treated was 7·84 (95% CI 4·44-13·83). INTERPRETATION: IFN-γ release assays have a better predictive ability than tuberculin skin tests. Individuals who are positive by IFN-γ release assay might benefit from preventive treatment, but those who are positive by tuberculin skin test probably will not. Dual testing might improve detection, but further confirmation is needed. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China and Natural Foundation of Yunnan Province.

Willingness and obstacles of healthcare professionals to perform bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation in China.

BACKGROUND: Bystander CPR (B-CPR) is crucial to increase survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), and this study is performed to assess the willingness and obstacles of Chinese healthcare professionals (HCPs) to perform B-CPR on strangers, as well as the factors associated with the willingness. METHODS: An internet-based questionnaire surveying demographic information, CPR training, CPR knowledge, willingness, and obstacles to perform B-CPR among 10,393 HCPs. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors associated with the willingness. RESULTS: Here, 73.9% of HCPs were willing to perform B-CPR on strangers in China. The factors associated with the willingness were as follows: female, senior, working in Third-class hospitals, working in Pre-hospital emergency and Cardiology or Cardiac surgery, receiving current training, having adequate CPR knowledge. The main obstacles were fear of infection via mouth-to-mouth ventilations (MMV), fear of being blackmailed and fear of legal liability. CONCLUSION: About three quarters of HCPs are willing to perform B-CPR. Female HCPs, those who have more CPR experience, adequate knowledge, and recent training are more likely to perform B-CPR. Reform of the legal and credit system are needed, and recommendation of hands-only CPR is a possibility to encourage HCPs to perform B-CPR on strangers.