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The importance of organic aerosol particles in the environment has been long established, influencing cloud formation and lifetime, absorbing and scattering sunlight, affecting atmospheric composition and impacting on human health. Conventionally, ambient organic particles were considered to exist as liquids. Recent observations in field measurements and studies in the laboratory suggest that they may instead exist as highly viscous semi-solids or amorphous glassy solids under certain conditions, with important implications for atmospheric chemistry, climate and air quality. This review explores our understanding of aerosol particle phase, particularly as identified by measurements of the viscosity of organic particles, and the atmospheric implications of phase state. The phase state of organic particles in the atmosphere has important consequences for the impact of aerosols on climate, visibility, air quality and health. Here, the authors review the evidence for the formation of amorphous glassy particles and the methods for determining aerosol particle viscosity.

Protective effect of probiotic bacteria Bifidobacteria, sometimes used in yoghurts and other food products as 'probiotics', are natural inhabitants of the human gut and are known to protect us from infection. A possible mechanism for at least part of that protective action has now been found in the form of acetate. Oral application of a subtype of Bifidobacterium longum in mice seems to protect them from potentially fatal Escherichia coli O157:H7 by promoting host-defence mechanisms in epithelial cells. Bifidobacteria are natural inhabitants of the human gut and are known to provide protection from infection. It is now shown that certain features of bifidobacterial metabolism that ultimately lead to the production of acetate are involved in this effect. The human gut is colonized with a wide variety of microorganisms, including species, such as those belonging to the bacterial genus Bifidobacterium , that have beneficial effects on human physiology and pathology 1 , 2 , 3 . Among the most distinctive benefits of bifidobacteria are modulation of host defence responses and protection against infectious diseases 4 , 5 , 6 . Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have barely been elucidated. To investigate these mechanisms, we used mice associated with certain bifidobacterial strains and a simplified model of lethal infection with enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7, together with an integrated ‘omics’ approach. Here we show that genes encoding an ATP-binding-cassette-type carbohydrate transporter present in certain bifidobacteria contribute to protecting mice against death induced by E. coli O157:H7. We found that this effect can be attributed, at least in part, to increased production of acetate and that translocation of the E. coli O157:H7 Shiga toxin from the gut lumen to the blood was inhibited. We propose that acetate produced by protective bifidobacteria improves intestinal defence mediated by epithelial cells and thereby protects the host against lethal infection.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of preventable cancer deaths worldwide, with dietary factors being recognised as key risk modifiers. Foods containing dietary fibre are protective to a degree that the World Cancer Research Fund classifies the evidence supporting their consumption as ‘convincing’. The mechanisms by which fibre components protect against CRC remain poorly understood, especially their interactions with the gut microbiome. Fibre is a composite of indigestible plant polysaccharides and it is emerging that fermentable fibres, including resistant starch (RS), are particularly important. RS fermentation induces SCFA production, in particular, relatively high butyrate levels, and in vitro studies have shown that this acid has strong anti-tumorigenic properties. Butyrate inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of CRC cell lines at physiological concentrations. These effects are attributed to butyrate's ability to alter gene transcription by inhibiting histone deacetylase activity. However, the more recent discovery of G-protein coupled receptors that bind butyrate and other SCFA and data obtained from proteomic and genomic experiments suggest that alternative pathways are involved. Here, we review the mechanisms involved in butyrate-induced apoptosis in CRC cells and, additionally, the potential role this SCFA may play in mediating key processes in tumorigenesis including genomic instability, inflammation and cell energy metabolism. This discussion may help to inform the development of strategies to lower CRC risk at the individual and population levels.

The viscosity of primary and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) has important implications for the processing of aqueous organic aerosol phases in the atmosphere, their involvement in climate forcing, and transboundary pollution. Here we introduce a new thermodynamics-based group-contribution model, which is capable of accurately predicting the dynamic viscosity of a mixture over several orders of magnitude (∼10-3 to >1012 Pa s) as a function of temperature and mixture composition, accounting for the effect of relative humidity on aerosol water content. The mixture viscosity modelling framework builds on the thermodynamic activity coefficient model AIOMFAC (Aerosol Inorganic–Organic Mixtures Functional groups Activity Coefficients) for predictions of liquid mixture non-ideality, including liquid–liquid phase separation, and the calorimetric glass transition temperature model by DeRieux et al. (2018) for pure-component viscosity values of organic components. Comparing this new model with simplified modelling approaches reveals that the group-contribution method is the most accurate in predicting mixture viscosity, although accurate pure-component viscosity predictions (and associated experimental data) are key and one of the main sources of uncertainties in current models, including the model presented here. Nonetheless, we find excellent agreement between the viscosity predictions and measurements for systems in which mixture constituents have a molar mass below 350 g mol−1. As such, we demonstrate the validity of the model in quantifying mixture viscosity for aqueous binary mixtures (glycerol, citric acid, sucrose, and trehalose), aqueous multicomponent mixtures (citric acid plus sucrose and a mixture of nine dicarboxylic acids), and aqueous SOA surrogate mixtures derived from the oxidation of α-pinene, toluene, or isoprene. We also use the model to assess the expected change in SOA particle viscosity during idealized adiabatic air parcel transport from the surface to higher altitudes within the troposphere. This work demonstrates the capability and flexibility of our model in predicting the viscosity for organic mixtures of varying degrees of complexity and its applicability for modelling SOA viscosity over a wide range of temperatures and relative humidities.

Propolis has abundant polyphenolic constituents and is used widely as a health/functional food. Here, we investigated the effects of polyphenol-rich propolis extracts (PPE) on intestinal barrier function in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells, as well as in rats. In Caco-2 cells, PPE increased transepithelial electrical resistance and decreased lucifer yellow flux. PPE-treated cells showed increased expression of the tight junction (TJ) loci occludin and zona occludens (ZO)-1. Confocal microscopy showed organized expressions in proteins related to TJ assembly, i.e., occludin and ZO-1, in response to PPE. Furthermore, PPE led to the activation of AMPK, ERK1/2, p38, and Akt. Using selective inhibitors, we found that the positive effects of PPE on barrier function were abolished in cells in which AMPK and ERK1/2 signaling were inhibited. Moreover, rats fed a diet supplemented with PPE (0.3% in the diet) exhibited increased colonic epithelium ZO-1 expression. Overall, these data suggest that PPE strengthens intestinal barrier function by activating AMPK and ERK signaling and provide novel insights into the potential application of propolis for human gut health.

The gut microbial metabolite butyrate is shown to induce the differentiation of colonic T regulatory cells in mice and to ameliorate the development of colitis; it also increases histone H3 acetylation at the Foxp3 promoter. Bacterial butyrate influences immune balance Several lines of evidence indicate that subsets of commensal microbes shape the gut immune system. For instance, colonization with Clostridia promotes extrathymic generation of regulatory T (T reg ) cells that have a central role in the suppression of inflammatory and allergic responses. However, the molecular basis of such microbe-mediated T reg induction remains unknown. Two papers in this issue of Nature show that the colonic microbial fermentation product butyrate significantly accelerates the differentiation of colonic T reg cells and ameliorates colitis in conjunction with an increase in histone H3 acetylation at the Foxp3 promoter. This finding links butyrate to the induction of functional T reg cells in the colonic mucosa, and also provides molecular insight into the therapeutic application of butyrate. Gut commensal microbes shape the mucosal immune system by regulating the differentiation and expansion of several types of T cell 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 . Clostridia , a dominant class of commensal microbe, can induce colonic regulatory T (T reg ) cells, which have a central role in the suppression of inflammatory and allergic responses 3 . However, the molecular mechanisms by which commensal microbes induce colonic T reg cells have been unclear. Here we show that a large bowel microbial fermentation product, butyrate, induces the differentiation of colonic T reg cells in mice. A comparative NMR-based metabolome analysis suggests that the luminal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids positively correlates with the number of T reg cells in the colon. Among short-chain fatty acids, butyrate induced the differentiation of T reg cells in vitro and in vivo , and ameliorated the development of colitis induced by adoptive transfer of CD4 + CD45RB hi T cells in Rag1 −/− mice. Treatment of naive T cells under the T reg -cell-polarizing conditions with butyrate enhanced histone H3 acetylation in the promoter and conserved non-coding sequence regions of the Foxp3 locus, suggesting a possible mechanism for how microbial-derived butyrate regulates the differentiation of T reg cells. Our findings provide new insight into the mechanisms by which host–microbe interactions establish immunological homeostasis in the gut.

The gut microbiota can influence immune-cell function by the production of short-chain fatty acids. Mackay and colleagues show that diets enriched for acetate and butyrate protect non-obese diabetic mice from insulitis and diabetes progression. Gut dysbiosis might underlie the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. In mice of the non-obese diabetic (NOD) strain, we found that key features of disease correlated inversely with blood and fecal concentrations of the microbial metabolites acetate and butyrate. We therefore fed NOD mice specialized diets designed to release large amounts of acetate or butyrate after bacterial fermentation in the colon. Each diet provided a high degree of protection from diabetes, even when administered after breakdown of immunotolerance. Feeding mice a combined acetate- and butyrate-yielding diet provided complete protection, which suggested that acetate and butyrate might operate through distinct mechanisms. Acetate markedly decreased the frequency of autoreactive T cells in lymphoid tissues, through effects on B cells and their ability to expand populations of autoreactive T cells. A diet containing butyrate boosted the number and function of regulatory T cells, whereas acetate- and butyrate-yielding diets enhanced gut integrity and decreased serum concentration of diabetogenic cytokines such as IL-21. Medicinal foods or metabolites might represent an effective and natural approach for countering the numerous immunological defects that contribute to T cell–dependent autoimmune diseases.

Climate change and increasing societal demands for water pose challenges for the management of dam‐regulated rivers. Management decisions impact the environment of these rivers, creating the need to balance societal needs with environmental conservation. Here we present a modeling framework that optimizes resource benefits within imposed water use goals for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, where sandbars are a valued natural feature. The current sand‐management paradigm utilizes controlled dam‐release floods to build and maintain sandbars without exhausting the limited sand supplied by tributaries downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, which blocks all sand supplied from upriver. High monthly releases outside of controlled floods erode sandbars and cause net sand export from Grand Canyon, reducing the sand available to build sandbars. Releases are high in some months owing to the need to adjust flows to meet annual delivery targets, which can be updated throughout the year. Here, we present alternative strategies for operations that avoid high releases, while meeting water storage and delivery goals. We test these strategies using a simplified reservoir model which accounts for forecast uncertainty. We show how these strategies affect sand mass balance and sandbar size using previously developed models. Strategies optimal for sustainable sandbar building maintained sufficient reservoir elevations for implementing controlled floods, avoided high monthly releases by relaxing annual release constraints, and implemented controlled floods in fall immediately following tributary sand inputs. Coordinated modeling of reservoir operations and environmental resources is valuable for managers seeking to balance societal and environmental needs in regulated rivers worldwide.

Increasing hydrologic volatility—more extreme rain, and larger variations between wet and dry years—has become apparent in some regions, but few data exist to determine how intensifying hydrologic extremes affect sedimentary systems. Using uniquely high‐resolution records of fluvial suspended sediment and coastal morphology, we quantify sedimentary responses from a steep, 357‐km2 watershed in California under extreme wet and dry hydrologic conditions. In years with multiple 2‐ to 10‐year floods, fluvial sediment coarsened significantly as the wet season progressed, with late‐season floods delivering dominantly sand‐sized material to the coast. Greater and coarser sediment supply under wetter antecedent conditions affected nearshore geomorphic evolution for 4–5 years. The watershed and coastal changes we documented point to an increasing role of sediment‐related hazards (flooding and hillslope erosion) and resources (nearshore accretion) as wet seasons intensify. Plain Language Summary Some regions are experiencing more extreme rain and a stronger contrast between extreme drought and extreme wet years. Understanding how those extremes affect sediment moving through rivers is important for assessing hazards, risk to ecosystems, and managing resources in rivers and along coastlines where rivers deliver sediment, but not much is known about how river sediment is responding to shifts in hydrologic extremes. We studied river and coastal sediment over more than a decade in the San Lorenzo River area (California coast), including collecting data during extreme wet years and extreme dry years. During extreme wet years when multiple floods occurred, the river started carrying much more sand‐sized material, consistent with many landslides dumping new sediment into the river and its tributary creeks. The greater proportion of river sand delivered to the coast late in those wet seasons (in contrast to finer‐grained, mostly mud‐sized material in non‐extreme‐wet years) means those extreme wet years have an outsized influence on the sand supply to beaches and other nearshore sediment deposits. The extra sediment from extreme wet years stays in the nearby coastal region for 4–5 years and could help counteract beach losses expected from sea‐level rise. Key Points Sand proportion in river flood sediment is significantly greater with wetter antecedent conditions, consistent with more hillslope supply Extreme wet years have substantial, years‐long influence on coastal morphology Future climate likely will enhance coarse fluvial sediment delivery to U.S. west coast

Propolis is an important hive product and considered beneficial to health. However, evidence of its potential for improving gut health is still lacking. Here we use rats to examine whether dietary supplementation with propolis could be used as a therapy for ulcerative colitis. Rats were fed with a Western style diet alone (controls) or supplemented with different amounts of Chinese propolis (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) to examine effects on acute colitis induced by 3% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) in drinking water. Propolis at 0.3%, but not lower levels, significantly improved colitis symptoms compared with the control group, with a less pronounced disease activity index (DAI) (p < 0.001), a significant increase in colon length/weight ratio (p < 0.05) and an improved distal colon tissue structure as assessed by histology. Although short chain fatty acid levels in digesta were not altered by propolis supplementation, 16S rRNA phylogenetic sequencing revealed a significant increase in gut microbial diversity after 21 days of 0.3% propolis supplementation compared with controls including a significant increase in bacteria belonging to the Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria phyla. This is the first study to demonstrate that propolis can attenuate DSS-induced colitis and provides new insight into diet-microbiota interactions during inflammatory bowel disease.