Explore the vast range of titles available.

Wastewater analysis has been demonstrated to be a complementary approach for assessing the overall patterns of drug use by a population while the full potential of wastewater-based epidemiology has yet to be explored. F -isoprostanes are a prototype wastewater biomarker to study the cumulative oxidative stress at a community level. In this work, 8-iso-prostaglandin F (8-iso-PGF ) was analysed in raw 24 h-composite wastewater samples collected from 4 Norwegian and 7 other European cities in 2014 and 2015. Using the same samples, biomarkers of alcohol (ethyl sulfate) and tobacco (trans-3'-hydroxycotinine) use were also analysed to investigate any possible correlation between 8-iso-PGF and the consumption of the two drugs. The estimated per capita daily loads of 8-iso-PGF in the 11 cities ranged between 2.5 and 9.9 mg/day/1000 inhabitants with a population-weighted mean of 4.8 mg/day/1000 inhabitants. There were no temporal trends observed in the levels of 8-iso-PGF , however, spatial differences were found at the inter-city level correlating to the degree of urbanisation. The 8-iso-PGF mass load was found to be strongly associated with that of trans-3'-hydroxycotinine while it showed no correlation with ethyl sulfate. The present study shows the potential for 8-iso-PGF as a wastewater biomarker for the assessment of community public health.

Dimethyl sulfate (DMS) is a highly toxic chemical that appears innocuous and is commonly used as a methylating agent in industry. It can be readily absorbed leading to poisoning or death through the skin or mucous membranes of the respiratory tract in the process of production or transportation. Although there are some articles on treatment for DMS poisoning, reports of death resulting from acute fatal DMS poisoning are very rare. Here, we present a case of a 50-year-old Chinese man who died accidentally from DMS poisoning after he broke a plastic storage tank full of DMS during transportation. The patient complained of eye irritation. In addition, the corrosive damage could be seen in his corneas and skin. The autopsy revealed erosions and ulcers in the respiratory tract, as well as massive congestion, necrosis, edema, and pseudomembrane formation on the mucous layer of the trachea and main bronchi. Histopathological examination confirmed extensive pulmonary edema, multifocal hemorrhages, whole-cell swelling in the brain, as well as disintegration of the neuronal cell. We inferred that DMS poisoning caused the symptoms resulting from the production of methanol and sulfate through hydrolysis, including respiratory toxicity and neurotoxicity, and these symptoms had temporal continuity. Toxicological analysis revealed no DMS or methanol, but formic acid was detected in the brain, both qualitatively and quantitatively. In this report, we also present a retrospective study of 8 similar cases of DMS poisoning in literature in China, including some clinical data and autopsy information.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a cellular state that results from the overload of unfolded/misfolded protein in the ER that, if not resolved properly, can lead to cell death. Both acute lung infections and chronic lung diseases have been found related to ER stress. Yet no study has been presented integrating metabolomic and transcriptomic data from total lung in interpreting the pathogenic state of ER stress. Total mouse lungs were used to perform LC–MS and RNA sequencing in relevance to ER stress. Untargeted metabolomics revealed 16 metabolites of aberrant levels with statistical significance while transcriptomics revealed 1593 genes abnormally expressed. Enrichment results demonstrated the injury ER stress inflicted upon lung through the alteration of multiple critical pathways involving energy expenditure, signal transduction, and redox homeostasis. Ultimately, we have presented p-cresol sulfate (PCS) and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) as two potential ER stress biomarkers. Glutathione metabolism stood out in both omics as a notably altered pathway that believed to take important roles in maintaining the redox homeostasis in the cells critical for the development and relief of ER stress, in consistence with the existing reports.

Background and Objectives: The worldwide prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to increase, representing a major concern for public health systems. CKD is associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, which may exacerbate disease progression by increasing the levels of uremic toxins, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress. Modulation of the gut microbiota through biotic supplementation has been proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy to slow CKD progression and mitigate its complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 10-month synbiotic supplementation on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), circulating concentrations of indoxyl sulfate (IS), p-cresyl sulfate (p-CS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with stage IV–V CKD not receiving dialysis, in comparison to placebo. Materials and Methods: Fifty non-dialysis CKD IV–V patients were assigned (n = 25 each) via matched, non-randomized allocation (age, sex, and primary disease) to synbiotic or placebo. This single-blind, placebo-controlled trial blinded participants and laboratory personnel. The synbiotic group received daily capsules containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14 (2 × 1011 CFU/g) + fructooligosaccharides; controls received identical placebo. Adherence was monitored monthly (pill counts, diaries), with < 80% over two visits resulting in withdrawal. The eGFR, IS, p-CS, IL-6, and MDA were measured at baseline and month 10. Results: Forty-two patients (21/arm) completed the study; eight withdrew (4 per arm). At 10 months, the change in eGFR was −1.2 ± 2.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 (synbiotic) vs. −3.5 ± 3.0 mL/min/1.73 m2 (placebo); between-group difference in change was 2.3 mL/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI: 0.5–4.1; p = 0.014; adjusted p = 0.07). IS decreased by −15.4 ± 8.2 ng/L vs. −3.1 ± 6.5 ng/L; between-group difference in change was −12.3 ng/L (95% CI: −17.8 to −6.8; p < 0.001; adjusted p = 0.005). No significant differences were observed for p-CS, IL-6, or MDA after correction. Conclusions: Synbiotic supplementation over a 10-month period resulted in a trend toward decreased serum IS levels in patients with advanced CKD, suggesting potential benefits of microbiota-targeted therapies. However, no significant effects were observed on renal function, inflammatory, or oxidative stress markers. Further large-scale studies are warranted to confirm these findings and explore the long-term impact of synbiotics in CKD management.

Black cumin (Nigella sativa L., Ranunculaceae) is an annual herb commonly used in the Middle East, India and nowadays gaining worldwide acceptance. Historical and traditional uses are extensively documented in ancient texts and historical documents. Black cumin seeds and oil are commonly used as a traditional tonic and remedy for many ailments as well as in confectionery and bakery. Little is known however about the mechanisms that allow the accumulation and localization of its active components in the seed. Chemical and anatomical evidence indicates the presence of active compounds in seed coats. Seed volatiles consist largely of olefinic and oxygenated monoterpenes, mainly p-cymene, thymohydroquinone, thymoquinone, γ-terpinene and α-thujene, with lower levels of sesquiterpenes, mainly longifolene. Monoterpene composition changes during seed maturation. γ-Terpinene and α-thujene are the major monoterpenes accumulated in immature seeds, and the former is gradually replaced by p-cymene, carvacrol, thymo-hydroquinone and thymoquinone upon seed development. These compounds, as well as the indazole alkaloids nigellidine and nigellicine, are almost exclusively accumulated in the seed coat. In contrast, organic and amino acids are primarily accumulated in the inner seed tissues. Sugars and sugar alcohols, as well as the amino alkaloid dopamine and the saponin α-hederin accumulate both in the seed coats and the inner seed tissues at different ratios. Chemical analyses shed light to the ample traditional and historical uses of this plant.

Presence of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE), ethyl glucuronide (EtG), and ethyl sulfate (EtS) in meconium, the first neonatal feces, identifies maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Current meconium alcohol marker assays require separate analyses for FAEE and EtG/EtS. We describe development and validation of the first quantitative liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for 9 FAEEs, EtG, and EtS in 100 mg meconium. For the first time, these alcohol markers are analyzed in the same meconium aliquot, enabling comparison of the efficiency of gestational ethanol exposure detection. 100 mg meconium was homogenized in methanol and centrifuged. The supernatant was divided, and applied to two different solid phase extraction columns for optimized analyte recovery. Limits of quantification for ethyl laurate, myristate, linolenate, palmitoleate, arachidonate, linoleate, palmitate, oleate, and stearate ranged from 25–50 ng/g, with calibration curves to 2,500–5,000 ng/g. EtG and EtS linear dynamic ranges were 5–1,000 and 2.5–500 ng/g, respectively. Mean bias and between-day imprecision were <15 %. Extraction efficiencies were 51.2–96.5 %. Matrix effects ranged from −84.7 to 16.0 %, but were compensated for by matched deuterated internal standards when available. All analytes were stable (within ±20 % change from baseline) in 3 authentic positive specimens, analyzed in triplicate, after 3 freeze/thaw cycles (−20 °C). Authentic EtG and EtS also were stable after 12 h at room temperature and 72 h at 4 °C; some FAEE showed instability under these conditions, although there was large inter-subject variability. This novel method accurately detects multiple alcohol meconium markers and enables comparison of markers for maternal alcohol consumption. Figure ᅟ

The present study describes the conductometric and spectroscopic study of the interaction of reactive anionic dyes, namely, reactive red 223 and reactive orange 122 with the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). In a systematic investigation, the electrical conductivity data was used to calculate various thermodynamic parameters such as free energy ( Δ G ) , enthalpy ( Δ H ) , and the entropy ( Δ S ) of solubilization. The trend of change in these thermodynamic quantities indicates toward the entropy driven solubilization process. Moreover, the results from spectroscopic data reveal high degree of solubilization, with strong interactions observed in the cases of both dyes and the CTAB. The spontaneous nature of solubilization and binding was evident from the observed negative values of free energies ( Δ G p and Δ G b ).

To avoid predation, holothuroids produce feeding-deterrent molecules in their body wall and viscera, the so-called saponins. Five tropical sea cucumber species of the family Holothuriidae were investigated in order to study their saponin content in two different organs, the body wall and the Cuvierian tubules. Mass spectrometry techniques (MALDI- and ESI-MS) were used to detect and analyze saponins. The smallest number of saponins was observed in Holothuria atra, which contained a total of four congeners, followed by Holothuria leucospilota, Pearsonothuria graeffei and Actinopyga echinites with six, eight and ten congeners, respectively. Bohadschia subrubra revealed the highest saponin diversity (19 congeners). Saponin mixtures also varied between the two body compartments within a given animal. A semi-quantitative approach completed these results and showed that a high diversity of saponins is not particularly correlated to a high saponin concentration. Although the complexity of the saponin mixtures described makes the elucidation of their respective biological roles difficult, the comparisons between species and between body compartments give some clues about how these molecules may act as predator repellents.

We have studied the exopolysaccharide produced by the type strain of Salipiger mucosus, a species of halophilic, EPS-producing (exopolysaccharide-producing) bacterium belonging to the Alphaproteobacteria. The strain, isolated on the Mediterranean seaboard, produced a polysaccharide, mainly during its exponential growth phase but also to a lesser extent during the stationary phase. Culture parameters influenced bacterial growth and EPS production. Yield was always directly related to the quantity of biomass in the culture. The polymer is a heteropolysaccharide with a molecular mass of 250 kDa and its components are glucose (19.7%, w/w), mannose (34%, w/w), galactose (32.9%, w/w) and fucose (13.4%, w/w). Fucose and fucose-rich oligosaccharides have applications in the fields of medicine and cosmetics. The chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of fucose-rich polysaccharides offers a new efficient way to process fucose. The exopolysaccharide in question produces a solution of very low viscosity that shows pseudoplastic behavior and emulsifying activity on several hydrophobic substrates. It also has a high capacity for binding cations and incorporating considerable quantities of sulfates, this latter feature being very unusual in bacterial polysaccharides.

Soil below decomposing cadavers may have a different lateral spatial extent depending upon whether scavengers have access to the human cadaver or not. We examined the lateral spatial extent of decomposition products to a depth of 7cm of soils beneath two decomposing corpses, one in which the subject was autopsied, unclothed and placed under a wire cage to restrict scavenger access and one in which the subject was not autopsied, unclothed and exposed to scavengers. The two bodies had accumulated degree days (ADD) of 5799 and 5469 and post mortem interval (PMI) of 288 and 248d, respectively. The spatial extent for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and organic nitrogen (DON) for both bodies was large but similar suggesting some movement off site for both compounds. Mean DOC was 1087±727 and 1484±1236μgg−1 dry soil under the two corpses relative to 150±68μgg−1 in upslope control soils. Sulfate tended to have ‘hot spots’ of lower values relative to the control soils indicative of anaerobic respiration. pH was lower and electrical conductivity was higher in the soil under both decomposing cadavers relative to control soils. Some of the nutrients examined downslope of the human remains were significantly higher than control soils upslope suggesting movement of decomposition products off-site which could be an important factor when using human remains detector dogs.