Model-based rationalization of mixture toxicity and accumulation in Triticum aestivum upon concurrent exposure to yttrium, lanthanum, and cerium

Rare earth elements (REEs) often co-exist in the environment, but predicting their ‘cocktail effects’ is still challenging, especially for high-order mixtures with more than two components. Here, we systematically investigated the toxicity and accumulation of yttrium, lanthanum, and cerium mixtures in Triticum aestivum following a standardized bioassay. Toxic effects of mixtures were predicted using the reference model of Concentration Addition (CA), Ternary model, and Ternary-Plus model. Interactions between the REEs in binary and ternary mixtures were determined based on external and internal concentrations, and their magnitude estimated from the parameters deviated from CA. Strong antagonistic interactions were found in the ternary mixtures even though there were no significant interactions in the binary mixtures. Predictive ability increased when using the CA model, Ternary model, and Ternary-Plus model, with R2 = 0.78, 0.80, and 0.87 based on external exposure concentrations, and R2 = 0.72, 0.73, and 0.79, respectively based on internal concentrations. The bioavailability-based model WHAM-FTOX explained more than 88 % and 85 % of the toxicity of binary and ternary REE treatments, respectively. Our result showed that the Ternary-Plus model and WHAM-FTOX model are promising tools to account for the interaction of REEs in mixtures and could be used for their risk assessment

Effects of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) on water quality in aquatic ecosystems dominated by submerged plants: a mesocosm study

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) have been introduced into aquatic systems across the world, where their benthivorous feeding behavior has resulted in serious water quality problems. A 12-week mesocosm experiment was set up to test the hypotheses that common carp increase water column nutrient levels and decrease water clarity in aquatic ecosystems dominated by submerged plants. Further, we tested whether the effect of common carp on macrophytes depended on the species of plants. Relative to the controls, the presence of carp decreased water clarity by increasing total suspended solids (TSS) and light attenuation. However, levels of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the water column were reduced. No significant change in phytoplankton biomass (measured as chlorophyll a) and the biomass of Hydrilla verticillata was observed between common carp treatment mesocosms and controls, but the common carp did reduce the biomass of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria denseserrulata. We conclude that removal of common carp is likely to improve water clarity in aquatic ecosystems dominated by submerged plants primarily by decreasing TSS and that the effect of common carp on macrophytes is stronger for the meadow forming Vallisneria than for the canopy forming Hydrilla

High blood galectin-3 level associated with risk of frailty in aging

BackgroundFrailty is one of the most problematic expressions of population aging, but its underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Circulating galectin-3 (Gal-3) is involved in the pathogenesis of many age-related diseases. This study aims to explore the influence of circulating Gal-3 on the regulation of frailty and aging and to identify the potential mechanism further.MethodsIn this cross-sectional analysis, the Fried frailty phenotype (FP) was assessed among 149 community elderly residents in Shanghai. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by the Ficoll-Paque density gradient method, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding transcription factors in frailty were detected by Illumina and bioinformatics analyzed with R software. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to explore the functional roles of these DEGs and the target genes related to frailty phenotypes. The serum Gal-3 concentration was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mouse frailty phenotype was used to construct an in vivo model of frailty, after which the serum levels of circulating Gal-3 and its gene expression levels in mouse tissues were determined.ResultsParticipants’ mean age was 72.04 ± 7.05 years. In total, 21.48% were frail and 36.91% were pre-frail. The mean serum Gal-3 concentration was 46.34 ± 17.99 ng/mL in frail participants, 32.30 ± 8.14 ng/mL in pre-frail participants, and 26.00 ± 5.87 ng/mL in non-frail individuals (p < 0.001). Significant positive correlations between serum Gal-3 level and FP score, SARC-F score, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6, etc., were observed. In addition, the KEGG pathway and GO enrichment analyses showed that 265 DEGs in PBMCs of frail participants were mainly related to inflammatory response, translation, RNA binding, protein binding, ribosome, and primary immunodeficiency. LGALS3 was identified as the overlapping gene between frailty-related DEGs and aging-related DEGs. The elevated serum Gal-3 concentration in the in vivo model of frailty was consistent with the results in participants.ConclusionIn both community-dwelling older adults and aged mice, serum Gal-3 concentration was positively correlated with frailty. This circulating mediator may be a promising indicator of frailty.Clinical trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry identifier, ChiCTR2000036399

Enzyme-Nanoporous Gold Biocomposite: Excellent Biocatalyst with Improved Biocatalytic Performance and Stability

Background: Applications involving biomolecules, such as enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins as well as whole cells, are often hampered by their unstable nature at extremely high temperature and in organic solvents. Methodology/Principal Findings: We constructed enzyme-NPG biocomposites by assembling various enzymes onto the surface of nanoporous gold (NPG), which showed much enhanced biocatalytic performance and stability. Various enzymes with different molecular sizes were successfully tethered onto NPG, and the loadings were 3.6, 3.1 and 0.8 mg g 21 for lipase, catalase and horseradish peroxidase, respectively. The enzyme-NPG biocomposites exhibited remarkable catalytic activities which were fully comparable to those of free enzymes. They also presented enhanced stability, with 74, 78 and 53 % of enzymatic activity retained after 20 successive batch reactions. Moreover, these novel biocomposites possessed significantly enhanced reaction durability under various thermal and in organic solvent systems. In a sample transesterification reaction, a high conversion rate was readily achieved by using the lipase-NPG biocomposite. Conclusion/Significance: These nano-biocomposite materials hold great potential in applications such as biosensing, molecular electronics, catalysis, and controlled delivery

Institutional Arrangement for Integrated River Basin Management

This study concerns the management functions, institutional and legal frameworks to foster IRBM in the Yangtze River Basin. It is implemented as part of the EU China River Basin Management Programme funded by the EU.The overall objective of the study is to contribute to an enabling framework of policies, legislation and institutions that will promote IRBM in China and assist the government to harmonise social and economic development and water and environmental protection within the Yangtze River Basin. Specifically, the study will provide the CWRC with a better basis for informed decisions on adjustment of its organization, responsibilities and management functions to be incorporated in the Yangtze River Master Plan. Based on stakeholder mapping an assessment has been made to characterise the present situation of water resources management in China and provide direction for future changes. The assessment found that 1) China has established a legal framework supporting water management in a river basin context, 2) plans embodying IRBM are drafted at national, river basin and provincial levels, and 3) the existing funding of water management is dominated by government investment. A diagnosis and evaluation of the management functions of the CWRC is presented with focus on gaps and overlaps providing recommendations for a more effective governance structure in accordance with internationally accepted principles that have emerged during the past 10 years. The diagnosis is based on key informant interviews and questionnaires and indicated that 1) Chinese legislation enables decentralized river basin management, 2) river basin, regional and provincial management functions are not clearly defined, 3) some management functions of the CWRC are difficult to implement due to discrepancies between authority and responsibilities 4) there are no efficient consultation and coordination mechanisms among stakeholders within the river basin, 5) the implementation of IRBM lacks support of provincial and local authorities, and 6) the CWRC sees stakeholder participation as the key to better river basin governance. Water management in the Yangtze River Basin has been analysed with the Rhine River, Danube River, France and the European Union as reference. The comparisons indicate that 1) legislation or formal agreements between different administrative units, nations or provinces, are required for efficient cooperation, 2) an inter-provincial river basin organization is an ideal platform to promote IRBM and resolve conflicts between nations or provinces within a river basin, 3) political governance and technical support should be separated, 4) stakeholder participation is imperative for efficient IRBM, and 5) pollution of the Yangtze River is at risk of increasing while the Rhine River and to some extent the Danube River have passed a turning point (top of Kuznet’s curve), where pollution is effectively managed and declining.Strategically institutional arrangements for IRBM will be conditional on central government initiative. At the national level four initiatives are proposed as umbrella for basin level action, 1) a national water framework plan to be inspired by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), 2) an assessment of basin institutional arrangements inspired by the Rhine and Danube rivers, 3) an assessment of provincial institutions inspired by France and 4) an assessment of legal efficiency taking the EU WFD as benchmark.In close consultation with the CWRC an action plan to foster IRBM in the Yangtze River Basin has been formulated in terms of legislation, institutions, capacity building, financing, information disclosure and stakeholder participation.The principal recommendations of the study are:1) Water Law to be amended or supplemented with legislation, which clearly defines the division of responsibilities between the national, river basin and provincial level authorities.2) A National Water Resource Commission to be established to strengthen cross-sectorial coordination and cooperation and mitigate the current fragmentation of responsibilities, especially the overlapping responsibilities of the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) and Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) in water pollution management and of the Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Land and Resources in groundwater management.3) Reform of the CWRC may take one of three basic models: Unified management as branch of central government, essentially the current structure; Coordinated management governed by stakeholders, including central government; Autonomous enterprise authorised by central government.4) Institutions and responsibilities for water resources management and water service delivery to be separated and clearly defined.5) River basin commissions to be assigned responsibility for coordination of water resources management at basin scale and provinces for implementation in accordance with overall management objectives.6) River basin commissions to be responsible for operation of multipurpose infrastructure and bulk water supply.7) Provinces and municipalities to be the responsible for management and delivery of water supply and sanitation services in both rural and urban areas.8) Cost recovery for water resources management, bulk water supply, water supply and sanitation services to be scaled up and serve as water demand management tool as well as a significant source of funding for infrastructure development.9) National Water Resources Council to be set up at national level to supervise and regulate water resources management and services delivery by benchmarking of river basin commissions, provincial administrations and water utility companies using clear and well defined performance indicators

Transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation affect explicit but not implicit emotion regulation: a meta-analysis

Abstract Emotion regulation (ER) refers to the process through which people influence the occurrence, experience, and expression of emotions. It can be established in an explicit (voluntary) or implicit (automatic) way, both of which are essential for mental and physical well-being. Recent evidence has highlighted the potential of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to modulate ER. However, previous studies have only evaluated the effects of TMS and tDCS on explicit ER, leaving implicit ER relatively unexplored. In this review and meta-analysis, we systematically evaluated the effects of TMS and tDCS over the PFC on the two forms of ER, using both subjective and physiological response as outcome indicators. Twenty-seven studies were included in our study. Both subjective (Hedges’ g = − 0.20) and physiological (Hedges’ g = − 0.65) results indicated a significant effect of TMS and tDCS targeting PFC on down-regulation of explicit ER, but not implicit ER (Hedges’ g = − 0.04). Moreover, moderation analysis indicated that the effect of TMS and tDCS on the down-regulating of subjective experience was moderated by several factors, including stimulation method, target area, target hemisphere, and stimulation timing. Specifically, our results showed that applying TMS or targeting the right PFC, particularly the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, or using offline TMS and tDCS produced a larger stimulation effect on ER. In summary, these findings suggest that TMS and tDCS has a positive effect on explicit, but not implicit ER. The distinct TMS and tDCS effect on the two forms of ER help deepen our understanding of TMS and tDCS use and provide valuable insights for the development of tailored TMS and tDCS protocols for explicit and implicit regulation