Acanthopanax senticosus cultures fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus enhanced immune response through improvement of antioxidant activity and inflammation in crucian carp (Carassius auratus).

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been recognized as safe microorganism that improve micro-flora disturbances and enhance immune response. A well-know traditional herbal medicine, Acanthopanax senticosus (As) was extensively utilized in aquaculture to improve growth performance and disease resistance. Particularly, the septicemia, skin wound and gastroenteritis caused by Aeromonas hydrophila threaten the health of aquatic animals and human. However, the effects of probiotic fermented with A. senticosus product on the immune regulation and pathogen prevention in fish remain unclear. Here, the aim of the present study was to elucidate whether the A. senticosus fermentation by Lactobacillus rhamnosus improve immune barrier function. The crucian carp were fed with basal diet supplemented with L. rhamnosus fermented A. senticosus cultures at 2 %, 4 %, 6 % and 8 % bacterial inoculum for 8 weeks. After trials, the weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly increased, especially in LGG-6 group. The results confirmed that the level of the CAT, GSH-PX, SOD, lysozyme, and MDA was enhanced in fish received with probiotic fermented product. Moreover, the L. rhamnosus fermented A. senticosus cultures could trigger innate and adaptive immunity, including the up-regulation of the C3, C4, and IgM concentration. The results of qRT-PCR revealed that stronger mRNA transcription of IL-1ß, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and MyD88 genes in the liver, spleen, kidney, intestine and gills tissues of fish treated with probiotic fermented with A. senticosus product. After infected with A. hydrophila, the survival rate of the LGG-2 (40 %), LGG-4 (50 %), LGG-6 (60 %), LGG-8 (50 %) groups was higher than the control group. Meanwhile, the pathological damage of the liver, spleen, head-kidney, and intestine tissues of probiotic fermentation-fed fish could be alleviated after pathogen infection. Therefore, the present work indicated that L. rhamnosus fermented A. senticosus could be regard as a potential intestine-target therapy strategy to protecting fish from pathogenic bacteria infection.

Association of sleep traits with myopia in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization study.

PURPOSE: The association between sleep and myopia in children and adolescents has been reported, yet it remains controversial and inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different sleep traits on the risk of myopia using meta-analytical and Mendelian randomization (MR) techniques. METHODS: The literature search was performed in August 31, 2023 based on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane library. The meta-analysis of observational studies reporting the relationship between sleep and myopia was conducted. MR analyses were carried out to assess the causal impact of genetic pre-disposition for sleep traits on myopia. RESULTS: The results of the meta-analysis indicated a significant association between the risk of myopia and both short sleep duration [odds ratio (OR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08-1.42, P = 0.003] and long sleep duration (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.66-0.86, P < 0.001). MR analyses revealed no significant causal associations of genetically determined sleep traits with myopia, including chronotype, sleep duration, short sleep duration and long sleep duration (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No evidence was found to support a causal relationship between sleep traits and myopia. While sleep may not independently predict the risk of myopia, the potential impact of sleep on the occurrence and development of myopia cannot be disregarded.

Arsenic-Hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata Effectively Uses Sparingly-Soluble Phosphate Rock: Rhizosphere Solubilization, Nutrient Improvement, and Arsenic Accumulation.

Sparingly-soluble phosphate rock (PR), a raw material for P-fertilizer production, can be effectively utilized by the As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata but not most plants. In this study, we investigated the associated mechanisms by measuring dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and acid phosphatase in the rhizosphere, and nutrient uptake and gene expression related to the As metabolism in P. vittata. The plants were grown in a soil containing 200 mg kg-1 As and/or 1.5% PR for 30 days. Compared to the As treatment, the P. vittata biomass was increased by 33% to 4.6 g plant-1 in the As+PR treatment, corresponding to 27% decrease in its frond oxidative stress as measured by malondialdehyde. Due to PR-enhanced DOC production in the rhizosphere, the Ca, P, and As contents in P. vittata fronds were increased by 17% to 9.7 g kg-1, 29% to 5.0 g kg-1, and 57% to 1045 mg kg-1 in the As+PR treatment, thereby supporting its better growth. Besides, PR-induced rhizosphere pH increase from 5.0 to 6.9 promoted greater P uptake by P. vittata probably via upregulating low-affinity P transporters PvPTB1;1/1;2 by 3.7-4.1 folds. Consequently, 29% lower available-P induced the 3.3-fold upregulation of high-affinity P transporter PvPht1;3 in the As+PR treatment, which was probably responsible for the 58% decrease in available-As content in the rhizosphere. Consistent with the enhanced As translocation and sequestration, arsenite antiporters PvACR3/3;3 were upregulated by 1.8-4.4 folds in the As+PR than As treatment. In short, sparingly-soluble PR enhanced the Ca, P, and As availability in P. vittata rhizosphere and improved their uptake via upregulating genes related to As metabolism, suggesting its potential application for improving phytoremediation in As-contaminated soils.

Total contents, fractionation and bioaccessibility of nine heavy metals in household dust from 14 cities in China.

The potential health risk caused by long-term exposure to heavy metals in household dust is not only depended on their total content, but also bioaccessibility. In this study, twenty-one dust samples were collected from residential buildings, schools, and laboratories in 14 provincial-capital/industrial cities of China, aiming to evaluate the total contents, fractionation, bioaccessibility and health risks of nine heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Mn, Zn, Fe, and Cu). Results showed that the highest levels of Cd, Cr, Ni and Zn were found in laboratory dust, As, Pb and Mn in school dust, and Fe and Cu in residential dust, indicating different source profiles of the heavy metals. The mean bioaccessibility of the heavy metals across all samples as evaluated using SBRC (Solubility Bioavailability Research Consortium), IVG (In Vitro Gastrointestinal), and PBET (Physiologically Based Extraction Test) assays was 58.4%, 32.4% and 17.2% in gastric phase (GP), and 24.9%, 21.9% and 9.39% in intestinal phase (IP), respectively. Cadmium had the highest content in the fractions of E1+C2 (43.7%), as determined by sequential extraction, and Pb, Mn, and Zn had a higher content in E1+C2+F3 (64.2%, 67.2%, 78.8%), resulting in a higher bioaccessibility of these heavy metals than others. Moreover, the bioaccessibility of most heavy metals was inversely related to dust pH (R = -0.18 in GP; -0.18 in IP; P < 0.01) and particle size, while a positive correlation was observed with total organic carbon (R = 0.40 in GP; 0.38 in IP; P < 0.01). The exposure risk calculated by the highest bioaccessibility was generally lower than that calculated by the total content. However, Pb in one school dust sample had an unacceptable carcinogenic risk (adult risk = 1.19 × 10-4; child risk = 1.08 × 10-4). This study suggests that bioaccessibility of heavy metals in household dust is likely related to geochemical fractions and physical/chemical properties. Further research is needed to explore the sources of bioaccessible heavy metals in household dust.

Multimorbidity patterns and health-related quality of life among community-dwelling older adults: evidence from a rural town in Suzhou, China.

PURPOSE: The high prevalence of multimorbidity in aging societies has posed tremendous challenges to the healthcare system. The aim of our study was to comprehensively assess the association of multimorbidity patterns and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among rural Chinese older adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Data from 4,579 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above was collected by the clinical examination and questionnaire survey. Information on 10 chronic conditions was collected and the 3-Level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L) was adopted to measure the HRQOL of older adults. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine multimorbidity patterns. Regression models were fitted to explore the associations of multimorbidity patterns with specific health dimensions and overall HRQOL. RESULTS: A total of 2,503 (54.7%) participants suffered from multimorbidity, and they reported lower HRQOL compared to those without multimorbidity. Three kinds of multimorbidity patterns were identified including cardiovascular-metabolic diseases, psycho-cognitive diseases and organic diseases. The associations between psycho-cognitive diseases/organic diseases and overall HRQOL assessed by EQ-5D-3L index score were found to be significant (ß = - 0.097, 95% CI - 0.110, - 0.084; ß = - 0.030, 95% CI - 0.038, - 0.021, respectively), and psycho-cognitive diseases affected more health dimensions. The impact of cardiovascular-metabolic diseases on HRQOL was largely non-significant. CONCLUSION: Multimorbidity was negatively associated with HRQOL among older adults from rural China. The presence of the psycho-cognitive diseases pattern or the organic diseases pattern contributed to worse HRQOL. The remarkable negative impact of psycho-cognitive diseases on HRQOL necessiates more attention and relevant medical assistance to older rural adults.

Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics interventions prompt crop improvement against metal(loid) toxicity.

The escalating challenges posed by metal(loid) toxicity in agricultural ecosystems, exacerbated by rapid climate change and anthropogenic pressures, demand urgent attention. Soil contamination is a critical issue because it significantly impacts crop productivity. The widespread threat of metal(loid) toxicity can jeopardize global food security due to contaminated food supplies and pose environmental risks, contributing to soil and water pollution and thus impacting the whole ecosystem. In this context, plants have evolved complex mechanisms to combat metal(loid) stress. Amid the array of innovative approaches, omics, notably transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have emerged as transformative tools, shedding light on the genes, proteins, and key metabolites involved in metal(loid) stress responses and tolerance mechanisms. These identified candidates hold promise for developing high-yielding crops with desirable agronomic traits. Computational biology tools like bioinformatics, biological databases, and analytical pipelines support these omics approaches by harnessing diverse information and facilitating the mapping of genotype-to-phenotype relationships under stress conditions. This review explores: (1) the multifaceted strategies that plants use to adapt to metal(loid) toxicity in their environment; (2) the latest findings in metal(loid)-mediated transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studies across various plant species; (3) the integration of omics data with artificial intelligence and high-throughput phenotyping; (4) the latest bioinformatics databases, tools and pipelines for single and/or multi-omics data integration; (5) the latest insights into stress adaptations and tolerance mechanisms for future outlooks; and (6) the capacity of omics advances for creating sustainable and resilient crop plants that can thrive in metal(loid)-contaminated environments.

Multi-imaging platform for rhizosphere studies: Phosphorus and oxygen fluxes.

Rhizosphere is a soil volume of high spatio-temporal heterogeneity and intensive plant-soil-microbial interactions, for which visualization and process quantification is of highest scientific and applied relevance, but still very challenging. A novel methodology for quick assessment of two-dimensional distribution of available phosphorus (P) in rhizosphere was suggested, tested, and development up to the application platform. Available P was firstly trapped by an in-situ diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) sampler with precipitated zirconia as the binding gel, and subsequently, the loaded gel was analyzed with an optimized colorimetric imaging densitometry (CID). The imaging platform was established linking: i) DGT, ii) planar optode, and iii) soil zymography techniques to simultaneously determine available P, oxygen, and acid phosphatase in rhizosphere at sub-millimeter spatial scales. The DGT identified available P level in rice rhizosphere were spatially overlapping to the localized redox hotspots and phosphatase activity. The spatial relationship between available P and acid phosphatase activity was dependent on root development. The root radial oxygen loss (ROL) remained active during the experimental observations (2-3 days), while a flux of available P of 10 pg cm-2 s-1 was visualized within 2-3 mm of roots, confirming the correlative response of rice roots to oxygen secretion and P uptake. Summarizing, the established imaging platform is suitable to capture spatial heterogeneity and temporal dynamics of root activities, nutrient bioavailability, ROL and enzyme activities in rhizosphere.

Virulence and community dynamics of fungal species with vertical and horizontal transmission on a plant with multiple infections.

The virulence evolution of multiple infections of parasites from the same species has been modeled widely in evolution theory. However, experimental studies on this topic remain scarce, particularly regarding multiple infections by different parasite species. Here, we characterized the virulence and community dynamics of fungal pathogens on the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora to verify the predictions made by the model. We observed that A. adenophora was highly susceptible to diverse foliar pathogens with mixed vertical and horizontal transmission within leaf spots. The transmission mode mainly determined the pathogen community structure at the leaf spot level. Over time, the pathogen community within a leaf spot showed decreased Shannon diversity; moreover, the vertically transmitted pathogens exhibited decreased virulence to the host A. adenophora, but the horizontally transmitted pathogens exhibited increased virulence to the host. Our results demonstrate that the predictions of classical models for the virulence evolution of multiple infections are still valid in a complex realistic environment and highlight the impact of transmission mode on disease epidemics of foliar fungal pathogens. We also propose that seedborne fungi play an important role in structuring the foliar pathogen community from multiple infections within a leaf spot.

Significant neutralizing escapes of Omicron and its sublineages in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals vaccinated with inactivated vaccines.

In China, most SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals had been vaccinated with inactivated vaccines. However, little is known about their immune resistances to the previous variants of concerns (VOCs) and the current Omicron sublineages. Here, we collected convalescent serum samples from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals during the ancestral, Delta, and Omicron BA.1 waves, and evaluated their cross-neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against the previous VOCs and the current Omicron sublineages using VSV-based pseudoviruses. In the convalescents who had been unvaccinated and vaccinated with two doses of inactivated vaccines, we found infections from either the ancestral or the Delta strain elicited moderate cross-nAbs to previous VOCs, but very few cross-nAbs to the Omicron sublineages, including BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, and BA.4/5. The individuals who had been vaccinated with two doses of inactivated vaccines before Omicron BA.1 infection had moderate nAbs to Omicron BA.1, but weak cross-nAbs to the other Omicron sublineages. While three doses of inactivated vaccines followed Omicron BA.1 infection induced elevated and still weak cross-nAbs to other Omicron sublineages. Our results indicate that the Omicron sublineages show significant immune escape in the previously SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and thus highlights the importance of vaccine boosters in this population.

Isolation and pathogenicity evaluation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from common carp, Cyprinus carpio.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the primary serotype of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), which can cause diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. It is considered as a major health concern due to it being a zoonotic disease that is transmitted through food. In this study, a pathogenic bacterium was isolated from infected carp, which identified as E. coli O157:H7 named X21 through genetic sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, physiological and biochemical tests. In the experiment, crucian carp was used as a model to study the pathogenicity of the isolate, the pathological histological observations and cytokines expression of fish tissues were determined after bacterial challenge. The results showed that severe pathological damage observed in the liver, spleen, headkidney of fish infected with isolate X21. Besides, we found that accumulation of IgT+ B cells in the lamina propria of intestine, and up-regulation of SUCH-r, IL-1ß, IL-10, IL-11, MyD88, and TNF-α gene in various tissues. After challenged, the survivability of crucian carp infected with isolate X21 stands at a mere 14.27%. To our knowledge, this is the first report that E. coli O157:H7 infected the freshwater fish C. carpio, which indicates that this bacterium is a potential threat to public health and freshwater fish aquaculture.

Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Direct Enantioselective C-H Functionalization of Indoles.

A highly regiospecific vinylogous carbene insertion protocol for direct asymmetric C-H functionalization of indoles with arylvinyldiazoacetates has been developed. Under the catalysis of simple Rh(I)/chiral diene complexes, the reaction occurs solely at the vinylogous position of the vinylcarbenoid with exceptional E selectivity and enantiocontrol. It provides an efficient way to obtain an interesting class of chiral indole scaffolds bearing an α,ß-unsaturated ester unit and a gem-diaryl carbon stereocenter in good yields (≤99%) with excellent enantioselectivities (≤96%) at room temperature.

Immunization effect of recombinant Lactobacillus casei displaying Aeromonas veronii Aha1 with an LTB adjuvant in carp.

Aeromonas veronii is an important aquatic zoonotic, which elicits a range of diseases, such as haemorrhagic septicemia. To develop an effective oral vaccine against Aeromonas veronii infection in carp, the Aeromonas veronii adhesion (Aha1) gene was used as a target molecule to attach to intestinal epithelial cells. Two anchored recombinant. Lactic acid bacteria strains (LC-pPG-Aha1 1038 bp and LC-pPG-Aha1-LTB 1383 bp) were constructed by fusing them with the E. coli intolerant enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) gene and using Lactobacillus casei as antigen delivery vector to evaluate immune effects of these in carp. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to confirm that protein expression was successful. Additionally, levels of specific IgM in serum and the activities of ACP, AKP, SOD, LYS, C3, C4, and lectin enzymes-were assessed. Cytokines IL-10, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IgZ1, and IgZ2 were measured in the liver, spleen, kidney, intestines, and gills tissue by qRT-PCR, which showed an increasing trend compared with the control group (P < 0.05). A colonization assay showed that the two L. casei recombinants colonized the middle and hind intestines of immunized fish. When immunized carp were experimentally challenged with Aeromonas veronii the relative percentage protection of LC-pPG-Aha1 was 53.57%, and LC-pPG-Aha1-LTB was 60.71%. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that Aha1 is a promising candidate antigen when it is displayed on lactic acid bacteria (Lc-pPG-Aha1 and Lc-pPG-Aha1-LTB) seems promising for a mucosal therapeutic approach. We plan to investigate the molecular mechanism of the L. casei recombinant in regulating the intestinal tissue of carp in future studies.

Targeted NO Oxidation and Synchronous NO2 Inhibition via Oriented 1O2 Formation Based on Lewis Acid Site Adjustment.

An appealing strategy for ensuring environmental benefits of the photocatalytic NO oxidation reaction is to convert NO into NO3- instead of NO2, yet the selectivity of products remains challenging. Here, such a scenario could be realized by tailoring the exposure of Lewis acid sites on the surface of ZrO2, aiming to precisely regulate the ROS evolution process for the selective oxidation of NO into NO3-. As evidenced by highly combined experimental characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) simulations, Lewis acid sites serving as electron acceptors could induce itinerant electron redistribution, charge-carrier transfer, and further oxidation of •O2-, which promotes the oriented formation of 1O2. As a result, monoclinic ZrO2 with more Lewis acid sites exhibited an outstanding NO conversion efficiency (56.33%) and extremely low NO2 selectivity (5.04%). The ROS-based reaction process and promotion mechanism of photocatalytic performance have been revealed on the basis of ESR analysis, ROS-quenching experiments, and in situ ROS-quenching DRIFTS. This work could provide a critical view toward oriented ROS formation and advance a unique mechanism of selective NO oxidation into NO3-.

Mechanistic Insights into the Biodegradation of Carbon Dots by Fungal Laccase.

While carbon dots (CDs) have the potential to support the agricultural revolution, it remains obscure about their environmental fate and bioavailability by plants. Fungal laccase-mediated biotransformation of carbon nanomaterials has received little attention despite its known capacity to eliminate recalcitrant contaminants. Herein, we presented the initial investigation into the transformation of CDs by fungal laccase. The degradation rates of CDs were determined to be first-order in both substrate and enzyme. Computational docking studies showed that CDs preferentially bonded to the pocket of laccase on the basal plane rather than the edge through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR MS) and other characterizations revealed that the phenolic/amino lignins and tannins portions in CDs are susceptible to laccase transformation, resulting in graphitic structure damage and smaller-sized fragments. By using the 13C stable isotope labeling technique, we quantified the uptake and translocation of 13C-CDs by mung bean plants. 13C-CDs (10 mg L-1) accumulated in the root, stem, and leaf were estimated to be 291, 239, and 152 µg g-1 at day 5. We also evidenced that laccase treatment alters the particle size and surface chemistry of CDs, which could facilitate the uptake of CDs by plants and reduce their nanotoxicity to plants.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of phenylurea indole derivatives as ABCG2 inhibitors.

Three series of phenylurea indole derivatives were synthesized with potent inhibitory activities on ABCG2 with simple and efficient synthetic routes. Among these compounds, four phenylurea indole derivatives 3c-3f with extended π system were discovered as the most potent ABCG2 inhibitors, while these compounds showed no inhibition on ABCB1. Compounds 3c and 3f were selected for further investigation to explore the mechanisms of action on reversing ABCG2-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR). The results revealed that compounds 3c and 3f increased the accumulation of mitoxantrone (MX) in ABCG2-overexpressing cells, but they did not alter the expression level or localization of ABCG2 in cells. In addition, both 3c and 3f significantly stimulated the ATP hydrolysis of ABCG2 transporter indicating that they can be competitive substrates of ABCG2 transporter, and thereby increase the accumulation of mitoxantrone in ABCG2-overexpressing H460/MX20 cells. Both 3c and 3f was docked into the drug-binding site of the human ABCG2 transporter protein (PDB 6FFC) with high affinities. This study showed that extending the π system of phenylurea indole derivatives enhanced their inhibitory activities on ABCG2, which may provide a clue for the further research to discover more potent ABCG2 inhibitors.

Prevalent falls, fall frequencies and health-related quality of life among community-dwelling older Chinese adults.

PURPOSE: Fall is a serious health hazard to older adults. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between falls and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in mainland China. METHODS: Data from 4579 Chinese community-dwelling older adults was analyzed. Data of falls was self-reported by participants, the HRQOL of older adults was measured by the 3-Level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L, 3L). Regression models were built to explore the associations of falls (experience and frequency) with the 3L data (index score, EQ-VAS score and health problems). The potential interaction effects between falls and gender on HRQOL were assessed using a likelihood ratio test, sex-stratified analysis was also performed to separately investigate the associations in men and women. RESULTS: A total of 368 (8.0%) participants had the experience of fall during the last year. Falls (experience and frequency) were significantly related to EQ-5D-3L index and EQ-VAS scores, fall experience contributed to pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression problems, while fall frequency was associated with physical-related problems and pain/discomfort. Significant interactions between falls and sex in several EQ-5D measures were also observed, and men had lager magnitude of associations than women. CONCLUSION: Falls were negative associated with overall HRQOL as well as separate HRQOL dimensions among older adults. It also appears that the HRQOL influence on older men is more evident than older women.

Risk Factors for Primary Angle-closure Glaucoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 45 Studies.

SIGNIFICANCE: This study summarized primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG)-related factors across different dimensions. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed at systematically summarizing the associated factors of PACG in published literatures. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching the electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science from their inception to November 2021. The pooled risk estimates of continuous and categorical variables were calculated using weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]), respectively. RESULTS: We included 45 studies in this review. In the meta-analysis, intraocular pressure (WMD, 3.13; 95% CI, 2.37 to 3.89), anterior chamber depth (WMD, -0.52; 95% CI, -0.70 to -0.34), axial length (WMD, -0.77; 95% CI, -1.26 to -0.28), retinal nerve fiber layer (WMD, -21.23; 95% CI, -30.21 to -12.25), and spherical equivalent (WMD, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.66 to 1.38) were the most common ophthalmic anatomic factors, and lower body weight (WMD, -3.65; 95% CI, -6.48 to -0.82) was the most significant general morphological indicators. The presence of cataract (OR, 3.77; 95% CI, 3.46 to 4.11) and hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.20) were significantly associated with PACG. Increased level of triglyceride (WMD, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.27) was associated with PACG. In addition, an association between short-term antidepressant exposure (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.70) and acute angle-closure glaucoma was observed. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: This review identified a few consistent factors related to PACG, providing important information for primary care physicians, general ophthalmologists, and public health professionals to counsel their patients on PACG risks.

Human nails as a valuable noninvasive alternative for estimating exposure to parabens.

Exposure of human to parabens (commonly used preservatives) is inevitable due to their extensively applied in numerous consumer products. Thus, a reliable noninvasive matrix reflecting long-term exposure to parabens is essential for human biomonitoring study. Human nails are potentially a valuable alternative for measuring intergrated exposure to parabens. In this work, we collected 100 paired nail and urine samples from university students in Nanjing, China, and measured simultaneously for six parent parabens and four metabolites. Methylparaben (MeP), ethylparaben (EtP), and propylparaben (PrP) were three predominant paraben analogue in both matrices, with the median concentrations being 12.9, 0.753, and 3.42 ng/mL in urine, and 1540, 154, and 961 ng/g in nail, respectively, while 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HB) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHB) were the most abundant metabolites (median values of 143 and 35.9 ng/mL, respectively) in urine. Gender-related analysis suggested that females exposed to more higher parabens than males. Significantly positive correlations were found between levels of MeP, PrP, EtP, and OH-MeP (r = 0.54-0.62, p < 0.01) in paired urine and nail samples. Our result here suggests that human nails, as an emerging biospecimen, are a potentially valuable biological matrix to evaluate human long-term exposure to parabens.

Comparison of in vitro strategies for predicting Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites bioavailability from soils.

In vitro strategies have widely been used to assess bioaccessibility of organic pollutants in soils. However, studies for comparing in vitro models with in vivo data are still limited. In this study, Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites (called as DDTr) bioaccessibility in nine contaminated soils were measured using physiologically based extraction test (PBET), in vitro digestion model (IVD), and Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) with/without Tenax as an absorptive sink, and DDTr bioavailability was assessed using an in vivo mouse model. Whether or not Tenax was added, DDTr bioaccessibility significantly varied among three methods, suggesting that DDTr bioaccessibility depended on the in vitro method employed. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that sink, intestinal incubation time and bile content are identified to be the dominant factors in controlling DDTr bioaccessibility. Comparison of in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that DIN assay with Tenax (TI-DIN) provided the best prediction for DDTr bioavailability (r2 = 0.66, slope=0.78). After extending intestinal incubation time to 6 h or increasing bile content to 4.5 g/L (same to DIN assay) of the TI-PBET and TI-IVD assays, the in vivo-in vitro correlation will improved significantly, with r2 = 0.76 and slope= 1.4 for TI-PBET and r2 = 0.84 and slope= 1.9 for TI-IVD under 6 h intestinal incubation, and r2 = 0.59 and slope= 0.96 for TI-PBET and r2 = 0.51 and slope= 1.0 for TI-IVD under 4.5 g/L of bile content. The results suggest that it is essential to understand these key factors influencing bioaccessibility for the development of standardized in vitro methods, which helps to refine the risk assessment of human exposure to contaminants via soil ingestion.

Transcriptomic insights into the immune response of the intestine to Aeromonas veronii infection in northern snakehead (Channa argus).

Intestinal inflammation is a protective response that is implicated in bacterial enteritis triggered by gastrointestinal infection. The immune mechanisms elicited in teleost against the infection of Aeromonas veronii are largely unknown. In this study, we performed a de novo northern snakehead (Channa argus) transcriptome assembly using Illumina sequencing platform. On this basis we performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of northern snakehead intestine from A. veronii-challenge and phosphate buffer solution (PBS)-challenge fish, and 2076 genes were up-regulated and 1598 genes were down-regulated in the intestines infected with A. veronii. The Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched to 27, 21 and 20 GO terms in biological process, cellular component, and molecular function, respectively. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that 420 DEGs were involved in 194 pathways. Moreover, 33 DEGs were selected for quantitative real-time PCR analysis to validate the RNA-seq data. The results reflected the consistency of the expression levels between qRT-PCR and RNA-seq data. In addition, a time-course analysis of the mRNA expression of 33 immune-related genes further indicated that the intestinal inflammation to A. veronii infection simultaneously regulated gene expression alterations. The present study provides transcriptome data of the teleost intestine, allowing us to understand the mechanisms of intestinal inflammation triggered by bacterial pathogens. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: All data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and Supplementary files. The RNA-seq raw sequence data are available in NCBI short read archive (SRA) database under accession number PRJNA615958.