Benzo[a]pyrene stress impacts adaptive strategies and ecological functions of earthworm intestinal viromes.

The earthworm gut virome influences the structure and function of the gut microbiome, which in turn influences worm health and ecological functions. However, despite its ecological and soil quality implications, it remains elusive how earthworm intestinal phages respond to different environmental stress, such as soil pollution. Here we used metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to investigate interactions between the worm intestinal phages and their bacteria under different benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) concentrations.

Metagenomic Sequencing Reveals that the Assembly of Functional Genes and Taxa Varied Highly and Lacked Redundancy in the Earthworm Gut Compared with Soil under Vanadium Stress.

Exploring the ecological mechanism of microbial community assembly in soil and the earthworm gut in a vanadium polluted environment could help us understand the effects of vanadium stress on microbial diversity maintenance and function, as well as the mechanism of microbial mitigation of vanadium stress. Combining metagenomic sequencing and abundance distribution models, we explored the assembly of earthworm intestinal bacteria and native soil bacteria after 21 days of earthworm exposure to a gradient level of vanadate (0 to 300 mg kg) in soil. Stochastic processes dominated the assembly of both genes and taxa in earthworm gut and soil.

Quantitative relationship between earthworms' sensitivity to organic pollutants and the contaminants' degradation in soil: A meta-analysis.

Using earthworms to remove soil organic pollutants is a common bioremediation method. However, it remains challenging to evaluate and predict their effect on removing soil organic pollutants based on earthworm toxicology and pollutant degradation rates. Peer-reviewed journal articles on ecotoxicology and bioremediation from the years 1974-2020 (cutoff date September 2020) were selected for meta-analysis to quantify the effect size of earthworms on organic pollutant degradation.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) arising in uncommon locations: clinicopathologic features and risk assessment of esophageal, colonic, and appendiceal GISTs.

Risk stratification of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is based on experience with tumors of the stomach, small bowel, and rectum, which are far more common than GISTs of other sites. In this study from 47 institutions, we analyzed GISTs of the esophagus (n = 102), colon (n = 136), and appendix (n = 27) for their size, mitotic rate, morphology, and outcome to determine which criteria predict their behavior. Esophageal GISTs were small (median: 2.

Incubation trial indicated the earthworm intestinal bacteria as promising biodigestor for mitigating tetracycline resistance risk in anthropogenic disturbed forest soil.

The continuous input of antibiotics due to frequent anthropogenic activities have increased the dissemination risk of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in forest soil. As soil engineers, it remains unclear whether earthworm intestinal microbial communities might play a role in controlling the ARG proliferation in forest soil. This study collected forest soil in the Yangtze River Delta, China, and its resident Metaphire guillelmi to investigate the interaction between tetracycline (50 μg kg) and the bacteria in worm gut and soil.

Metagenomic sequencing reveals detoxifying and tolerant functional genes in predominant bacteria assist Metaphire guillelmi adapt to soil vanadium exposure.

Due to extensive vanadium (V) mining and processing, an increasing amount of V has accumulated in soil, which poses a threat to public health. Consequently, we used earthworm (Metaphire guillelmi) incubation trials in V-contaminated soil (0-300 mg kg) to explore the response of soil indigenous bacteria and earthworm intestinal bacteria to V stress. Metagenomic analysis revealed that V exposure changed the bacterial composition in the soil and the worm gut.

Rno-miR-224-5p contributes to 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether-induced low triiodothyronine in rats by targeting deiodinases.

Hypothyroidism is commonly associated with substantial adverse impacts on human health, and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), a kind of classic thyroid hormone disruptor, was speculated to be a potential environmental factor, but its effect on thyroxine metabolism has received little attention. In the present study, we investigated the role and mechanism of rno-miR-224-5p in deiodinase-mediated thyroxine metabolism in rats treated with 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47), a predominant PBDE congener in humans. BDE47 decreased plasma triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) and increased reverse T3 (rT3) in the rats, and the expression of type 1 deiodinase (DIO1) and type 3 deiodinase (DIO3) increased in both the rats and H4-II-E cells.

Fenvalerate triggers Parkinson-like symptom during zebrafish development through initiation of autophagy and p38 MAPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Fenvalerate (FEN), one of the most used synthetic pyrethroids, has the potential to interfere with human neural function. However, far too little attention was paid to the mechanism of FEN-induced neurotoxicity. Thus we exposed zebrafish to FEN from 4 to 120 h post fertilization (hpf), and analyzed the morphology and behavior of zebrafish.

Decomposition Characteristics of SF under Flashover Discharge on the Epoxy Resin Surface.

In this paper, the flashover discharging experiment was carried out on epoxy resin surface in an SF atmosphere under pin-plate electrodes, with the electrodes distance from 5 mm to 9 mm. The concentration of seven characteristic gases was detected, indicating that the concentration of SOF and CF was the two highest, followed by SO, CO, SOF, CS, and HS. Based on the changes in the concentration of the characteristic gases, a preliminary rule was proposed to predict the occurrence of flashover discharge on epoxy resin: When the concentration of SOF reaches twice of CF concentration, and the total concentration of both SOF and CF is much higher than that of HS, a possible flashover discharge on the epoxy resin surface in SF-infused electrical equipment occurs.

Isoliquiritigenin as an antioxidant phytochemical ameliorates the developmental anomalies of zebrafish induced by 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether.

2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47) is the most abundant PBDE congeners in biological samples. It has strong tendencies to bioaccumulate and potentially endangers development of mammals through oxidative stress. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), an emerging natural chalcone-type flavonoid, possesses various biological and pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and estrogenic activities.

Decreased adhesion and improved biocompatibility on tetracycline-loaded TiO nanotubes: an in vitro study.

Background: Titanium dioxide (TiO) nanotubes are often used as carriers for loading materials such as drugs, proteins, and growth factors.

Materials And Methods: In this study, we loaded tetracycline onto TiO nanotubes to demonstrate its antibacterial properties and biocompatibility. The two-layered anodic TiO nanotubes with a honeycomb-like porous structure were fabricated by using a two-step anodization, and they were loaded with tetracycline by using a simplified lyophilization method and vacuum drying.

Fenvalerate induces oxidative hepatic lesions through an overload of intracellular calcium triggered by the ERK/IKK/NF-κB pathway.

Fenvalerate (FEN), a mainstream pyrethroid pesticide, was initially recommended as a low-toxicity agent for controlling agricultural and domestic pests. Despite the widespread use of FEN worldwide, little data are available on FEN-induced hepatic lesions and molecular mechanisms. In the present study, we first performed an occupational cross-sectional study on FEN factory workers and found that the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total antioxidant capacity increased, whereas malondialdehyde decreased in laborers in the working areas where the levels of airborne FEN were much higher compared with the office area.

Overexpression of MARCKS indicates a poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is a protein kinase C substrate functioning in different physiological and pathological mechanisms. Previous studies have suggested that MARCKS is capable of influencing tumorigenesis and progression. However, a limited number of studies are available regarding the role of MARCKS in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Investigation of serotype distribution and resistance genes profile in group B Streptococcus isolated from pregnant women: a Chinese multicenter cohort study.

We surveyed the group B Streptococcus (GBS) strains isolated from four teaching hospitals during 1-year period to investigate the current serotypes and antimicrobial resistance status of these strains. A total of 231 non-duplicate colonizing GBS isolates were collected from pregnant women. Antimicrobial susceptibility of these isolates was tested by the disk diffusion method.

[TiO₂nanotubes functionalized with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 enhance biological activity in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the effect of TiO₂nanotube arrays covalently modified by recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein- 2(rhBMP- 2) on the early bioactivity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in vitro and to provide experimental evidence for the biochemical modification of titanium implants.

Methods: In the experiment group, double titanium nanotube arrays were prepared by anodization, and were chemically grafted with rhBMP- 2. Mechanically polished pure titanium was used as blank control group, and titanium dioxide nanotubes was used as negative control A group, and titanium dioxide nanotubes + carbonyldiimidazole as negative control B group.

β-Arrestin 1 modulates functions of autoimmune T cells from primary biliary cirrhosis patients.

Objectives: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by antimitochondrial antibodies and autoreactive T cells causing destruction of the primary bile ducts. The molecular mechanisms regulating the autoreactive T cells remain elusive. β-Arrestins (βarr) are multifunctional signaling molecules that are crucial to T cell survival.

Overexpression of beta-arrestin 2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with cryptococcal meningitis.

Cryptococcal meningitis is often associated with elevated IL-10 levels, which suggest a dysregulation in the antifungal immune response. beta-Arrestin 2 plays a major role in desensitization of G-protein-coupled receptors involved in the immune responses, provides a scaffolding platform for modification of many signal transduction proteins, and binds Src and MAP kinases family members. This study compared the levels of beta-arrestin 2 mRNA and protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with cryptococcal meningitis detected.

[Migration and distribution of allogeneic T lymphocytes in organs of graft-versus-host disease mouse model].

This study was aimed to investigate the migration and distribution processes of allogeneic donor T lymphocytes in the organs of recipient mice. GVHD model was established by transfusion of the splenocytes of eGFP transgeneic C57BL/6 mice together with born marrow cells harvested from C57BL/6 mice into BALB/c mice underwent 8.0 Gy total body irradiation.