Design of Pectin-Based Hydrogel Microspheres for Targeted Pulmonary Delivery.

Pulmonary drug delivery via microspheres has gained growing interest as a noninvasive method for therapy. However, drug delivery through the lungs via inhalation faces great challenges due to the natural defense mechanisms of the respiratory tract, such as the removal or deactivation of drugs. This study aims to develop a natural polymer-based microsphere system with a diameter of around 3 μm for encapsulating pulmonary drugs and facilitating their delivery to the deep lungs.

Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking water.

Corrosion inhibitors, including zinc orthophosphate, sodium orthophosphate, and sodium silicate, are commonly used to prevent the corrosion of drinking water infrastructure. Metals such as zinc are known stressors for antibiotic resistance selection, and phosphates can increase microbial growth in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS). Yet, the influence of corrosion inhibitor type on antimicrobial resistance in DWDS is unknown.

Distinct variations in fluorescent DOM components along a trophic gradient in the lower Fox River-Green Bay as characterized using one-sample PARAFAC approach.

Variations in molecular weight distributions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and PARAFAC-derived fluorescent components were investigated along a transect in the seasonally hypereutrophic lower Fox River-Green Bay using the one-sample PARAFAC approach coupling flow field-flow fractionation for size-separation with fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) and PARAFAC analysis. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, chromophoric-DOM, specific UV absorbance at 254 nm, and humification index all decreased monotonically from river to open bay, showing a strong river-dominated DOM source and a dynamic change in DOM quality along the river-lake transect. The relative abundance of colloidal DOM (>1 kDa) derived from ultrafiltration exhibited minimal variation, averaging 71 ± 4 % of the bulk DOM, across the entire estuarine transect although the colloidal concentration decreased in general.

Separating signal from noise in wastewater data: An algorithm to identify community-level COVID-19 surges in real time.

Wastewater monitoring has provided health officials with early warnings for new COVID-19 outbreaks, but to date, no approach has been validated to distinguish signal (sustained surges) from noise (background variability) in wastewater data to alert officials to the need for heightened public health response. We analyzed 62 wk of data from 19 sites participating in the North Carolina Wastewater Monitoring Network to characterize wastewater metrics around the Delta and Omicron surges. We found that wastewater data identified outbreaks 4 to 5 d before case data (reported on the earlier of the symptom start date or test collection date), on average.

Modeled predictions of human-associated and fecal-indicator bacteria concentrations and loadings in the Menomonee River, Wisconsin using in-situ optical sensors.

Human sewage contamination of waterways is a major issue in the United States and throughout the world. Models were developed for estimation of two human-associated fecal-indicator and three general fecal-indicator bacteria (HIB and FIB) using in situ optical field-sensor data for estimating concentrations and loads of HIB and FIB and the extent of sewage contamination in the Menomonee River in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Three commercially available optical sensor platforms were installed into an unfiltered custom-designed flow-through system along with a refrigerated automatic sampler at the Menomonee River sampling location.

Ghrelin Modulates Differential Expression of Genes Relevant to Immune Activities and Antimicrobial Peptides in Primary Head Kidney Cells of Rainbow Trout ().

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone/cytokine that regulates metabolic processes and plays essential roles in the immune system. To evaluate the immunomodulatory actions of ghrelin isoforms in rainbow trout (RT), an in vitro model was utilized with primary cells isolated from fish head kidney (HKD). These RT-HKD cells were treated with synthetic rainbow trout ghrelin and its truncated isoform, desVRQ-ghrelin, over time (0, 2, 4, and 24 h).

One Health and Global Health View of Antimicrobial Susceptibility through the "Eye" of Aeromonas: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing public health concerns; therefore, it is imperative to advance our understanding of the factors influencing AMR from Global and One Health perspectives. To address this, Aeromonas populations were identified using 16S rRNA gene libraries among human, agriculture, aquaculture, drinking water, surface water, and wastewater samples, supporting its use as indicator bacteria to study AMR. A systematic review and meta-analysis was then performed from Global and One Health perspectives, including data from 221 articles describing 15 891 isolates from 57 countries.

Cecropin P1 antimicrobial peptide modulates differential expression of immune relevant genes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) gill cell line, RTgill-W1.

Accumulated evidence indicates that antimicrobial peptides modulate immune activities in fish. In this study, we profiled the differential expression patterns of representative immune relevant genes in an epithelial-like cell line of rainbow trout gill, RTgill-W1, in response to exposure of cecropin P1 antimicrobial peptide. RTgill-W1 cells were treated with synthetic cecropin P1 over time (0, 2, 4 and 24 h) with or without the present of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (PolyI:C).

Physiological Impacts on Raphidocelis subcapitata in Response to Lithiated Cobalt Oxide Nanomaterials.

Complex metal oxide nanomaterials, like lithiated cobalt oxide (LCO) nanosheets, are among the most widespread classes of nanomaterials on the market. Their ubiquitous application in battery storage technology drives their production to rates of environmental significance without sufficient infrastructure for proper disposal/recycling, thus posing a risk to ecosystem health and sustainability. The present study assesses the general toxicological impacts of LCO when exposed to Raphidocelis subcapitata; physiological endpoints relating to growth and energy production are considered.

A highly conserved and globally prevalent cryptic plasmid is among the most numerous mobile genetic elements in the human gut.

Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements that often encode fitness enhancing features. However, many bacteria carry 'cryptic' plasmids that do not confer clear beneficial functions. We identified one such cryptic plasmid, pBI143, which is ubiquitous across industrialized gut microbiomes, and is 14 times as numerous as crAssphage, currently established as the most abundant genetic element in the human gut.

An inexpensive, reproducible method to quantify activated sludge foaming potential: Validation through lab-scale studies and year-long full-scale sampling campaign.

Activated sludge is a conventional treatment process for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). Foaming events are a common operational issue in activated sludge and can lead to decreased treatment efficiency, maintenance issues, and potential environmental health risks. Stable foaming events are caused by biological and chemical drivers (i.

Microplastics in aquatic environments: A comprehensive review of toxicity, removal, and remediation strategies.

The occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments has been a global concern because they are toxic and persistent and may serve as a vector for many legacies and emerging pollutants. MPs are discharged to aquatic environments from different sources, especially from wastewater plants (WWPs), causing severe impacts on aquatic organisms. This study mainly aims to review the Toxicity of MPs along with plastic additives in aquatic organisms at various trophic compartments and available remediation methods/strategies for MPs in aquatic environments.

Role of molecular weight-dependent spectral properties in regulating Cu(II) binding by dissolved organic matter from different sources.

The complexation of metals with dissolved organic matter (DOM) under different compositions and molecular weights (MWs) will result in different environmental fate and toxicity, but the specific role and impact of DOM MWs remain less well understood. This study explored the metal binding characteristics by DOM with different MWs from different sources, including sea, river, and wetland waters. The results of fluorescence characterization showed that the >1 kDa high-molecular-weight (HMW)-DOM were mainly from terrestrial sources while the low-molecular-weight (LMW)-DOM fractions were mostly from microbial sources.

Forced signal and predictability in a prototype climate model: Implications for fingerprinting based detection in the presence of multidecadal natural variability.

Advanced numerical models used for climate prediction are known to exhibit biases in their simulated climate response to variable concentrations of the atmospheric greenhouse gases and aerosols that force a non-uniform, in space and time, secular global warming. We argue here that these biases can be particularly pronounced due to misrepresentation, in these models, of the multidecadal internal climate variability characterized by large-scale, hemispheric-to-global patterns. This point is illustrated through the development and analysis of a prototype climate model comprised of two damped linear oscillators, which mimic interannual and multidecadal internal climate dynamics and are set into motion via a combination of stochastic driving, representing weather noise, and deterministic external forcing inducing a secular climate change.

Looking Forward: The Role of Academic Researchers in Building Sustainable Wastewater Surveillance Programs.

Background: In just over 2 years, tracking the COVID-19 pandemic through wastewater surveillance advanced from early reports of successful SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in untreated wastewater to implementation of programs in at least 60 countries. Early wastewater monitoring efforts primarily originated in research laboratories and are now transitioning into more formal surveillance programs run in commercial and public health laboratories. A major challenge in this progression has been to simultaneously optimize methods and build scientific consensus while implementing surveillance programs, particularly during the rapidly changing landscape of the pandemic.

Genetic Determinants of Escherichia coli Survival in Beach Sand.

Escherichia coli contain a high level of genetic diversity and are generally associated with the guts of warm-blooded animals but have also been isolated from secondary habitats outside hosts. We used E. coli isolates from previous microcosm experiments conducted under actual beach conditions and performed population-level genomic analysis to identify accessory genes associated with survival within the beach sand environment.

Feeding Strategies for Adapting Lake Sturgeon () Larvae to Formulated Diets at Early Life Stages.

Cost-effective feeding management is required to support conservation hatcheries for lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), an ecologically important species in the Great Lakes region. This study investigated an approach to transition lake sturgeon larvae from live feed (Artemia) to formulated feed and its effect on growth performance, survival, and response to acute hypoxia stress. The first experiment showed that sturgeon had similar (p > 0.

Mechanisms Underlying the Virulence Regulation of ND-01 and with a Transcriptomic Analysis.

is a common opportunistic pathogen of fish, shrimp, and shellfish, and many diseases it causes can result in severe economic losses in the aquaculture industry. Causing host disease was confirmed by several virulence factors of To date, there have been no reports on the effect of the gene on its virulence regulation of . The virulence mechanism of target genes regulating is worthy of further study.

Influence of Nutrients and the Native Community on E. coli Survival in the Beach Environment.

Previous research has identified E. coli populations that persist in freshwater beach sand distinct from fecal pollution events. This work identifies factors that influence the survival of E.

Transcriptome signatures of wastewater effluent exposure in larval zebrafish vary with seasonal mixture composition in an effluent-dominated stream.

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent-dominated streams provide critical habitat for aquatic and terrestrial organisms but also continually expose them to complex mixtures of pharmaceuticals that can potentially impair growth, behavior, and reproduction. Currently, few biomarkers are available that relate to pharmaceutical-specific mechanisms of action. In the experiment reported in this paper, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos at two developmental stages were exposed to water samples from three sampling sites (0.

Modelling the transport of sloughed cladophora in the nearshore zone of Lake Michigan.

The invasion of dreissenid mussels has profoundly altered benthic physical environments and whole-lake nutrient cycling in the Great Lakes over the past several decades. The resurgence of the filamentous green alga Cladophora appears to be one of the consequences of this invasion. Sloughed Cladophora deteriorates water quality, fouls recreational beaches, and may contribute to outbreaks of avian botulism, which have been especially severe in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) region of Lake Michigan.

Modeling Risk Dynamics of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in a Temperate-region Wastewater Effluent-dominated Stream.

Wastewater effluent-dominated streams are becoming increasingly common worldwide, including in temperate regions, with potential impacts on ecological systems and drinking water sources. We recently quantified the occurrence/ spatiotemporal dynamics of pharmaceutical mixtures in a representative temperate-region wastewater effluent-dominated stream (Muddy Creek, Iowa) under baseflow conditions and characterized relevant fate processes. Herein, we quantified the ecological risk quotients (RQs) of 19 effluent-derived contaminants of emerging concern (CECs; including: 14 pharmaceuticals, 2 industrial chemicals, and 3 neonicotinoid insecticides) and 1 run-off-derived compound (atrazine) in the stream under baseflow conditions, and estimated the probabilistic risks of effluent-derived CECs under all-flow conditions (i.

Use of Magnetic Modulation of Nitrogen-Vacancy Center Fluorescence in Nanodiamonds for Quantitative Analysis of Nanoparticles in Organisms.

The fluorescence intensity emitted by nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond nanoparticles can be readily modulated by the application of a magnetic field using a small electromagnet. By acquiring interleaved images acquired in the presence and absence of the magnetic field and performing digital subtraction, the fluorescence intensity of the NV nanodiamond can be isolated from scattering and autofluorescence even when these backgrounds are changing monotonically during the experiments. This approach has the potential to enable the robust identification of nanodiamonds in organisms and other complex environments.