Abundant Category Research Articles

Genetically modified soybean lines exhibit less transcriptomic variation compared to natural varieties

ABSTRACT Genetically modified (GM) soybeans provide a huge amount of food for human consumption and animal feed. However, the possibility of unexpected effects of transgenesis has increased food safety concerns. High-throughput sequencing profiling provides a potential approach to directly evaluate unintended effects caused by foreign genes. In this study, we performed transcriptomic analyses to evaluate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in individual soybean tissues, including cotyledon (C), germ (G), hypocotyl (H), and radicle (R), instead of using the whole seed, from four GM and three non-GM soybean lines. A total of 3,351 DEGs were identified among the three non-GM soybean lines. When the GM lines were compared with their non-GM parents, 1,836 to 4,551 DEGs were identified. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the DEGs showed more abundant categories of GO items (199) among non-GM lines than between GM lines and the non-GM natural varieties (166). Results of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that most KEGG pathways were the same for the two types of comparisons. The study successfully employed RNA sequencing to assess the differences in gene expression among four tissues of seven soybean varieties, and the results suggest that transgenes do not induce massive transcriptomic alterations in transgenic soybeans compared with those that exist among natural varieties. This work offers empirical evidence to investigate the genomic-level disparities induced by genetic modification in soybeans, specifically focusing on seed tissues.

Identification of Diversity of Coral Fish Species in the Rumpon Area in Banyak Island District, Aceh Singkil Regency

This study aims to determine the diversity and abundance of reef fish around FADs in Balai Island Waters. This research was conducted in October - December 2022 in the waters of Balai Island, Aceh Singkil Regency. The method used is a Stationary Visual Census then identified using the reef fish identification guidebook. Based on the results of the study, 9 species of reef fish were identified, consisting of 6 species. The abundance of reef fish is 1.3 is included in the medium category, the diversity index is 1.676 medium category, uniformity is 0.935 abundance category, and dominance is 0.209 low category

Probiotic characteristics of Lactobacillus gasseri TF08-1: A cholesterol-lowering bacterium, isolated from human gut

Lactobacillus contribute to maintain the human healthy and use for nutritional additives as probiotics. In this study, a cholesterol-lowering bacterium, Lactobacillus gasseri TF08–1, was isolated from the feces of a healthy adolescent, and its probiotic potentials were evaluated through genomic mining and in vitro test. The assembled draft genome comprised of 1,974,590 bp and was predicted total of 1,940 CDSs. The annotation of the genome revealed that L. gasseri TF08–1 harbored abundant categories of functional genes in metabolic and information processing. Moreover, strain TF08–1 has capacity to utilize D-Glucose, Sucrose, D-Maltose, Salicin, D-Xylose, D-Cellobiose, D-Mannose, and D-Trehalose, as the carbon source. The safety assessment showed strain TF08–1 contained few antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors and was only resistant to 2 antibiotics detected by antimicrobial susceptibility test. A high bile salt hydrolase activity was found and a cholesterol-reducing effect was determined in vitro, which the result showed a remarkable cholesterol removal capability of L. gasseri TF08–1 with an efficiency of 84.40 %. This study demonstrated that the strain showed great capability of exopolysaccharide production, and tolerance to acid and bile salt. Therefore, these results indicate that L. gasseri TF08–1 can be considered as a safe candidate for probiotic, especially its potential in biotherapeutic for metabolic diseases.

Contamination characteristics, spatial distribution and ecological-health risk assessment of legacy and current-use pesticides: a case study in the Beibu Gulf

With the prohibition of conventional organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), the extensive use and continuous release of current-use pesticides (CUPs), such as organic amine pesticides (OAPs) and organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), in agriculture and mariculture activities have raised global attention. In this study, the occurrence and distribution of 36 pesticides from above 3 categories were investigated in seawater and sediment in Beibu Gulf, a typical subtropical agricultural and maricultrual zone. Results showed that pesticides were widely present in this region with the total concentration ranging from 0.36 to 21.07 ng/L in seawater and from 0.02 to 9.73 ng/g dw in sediment. OAPs and OPPs were the most abundant categories contributing 74% and 66% to the total pesticides burden in seawater and sediment, respectively, revealing the current-use pesticides as substitutes of legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were mainly used in surrounding areas. For both seawater and surface sediment, the spatial distribution of pesticides concentrations showed generally seaward decreasing trends, suggesting that anthropogenic activities at coastal areas have an important impact on pesticides pollution. Source identification indicated OCPs in some seawater samples might be from mixture of antifouling paint and dicofol usage, while history residues are main sources of OCPs in sediment. OAPs, especially for cyflufenamid and kresoxim-methyl, mainly come from agricultral and maricultural sewage input, and OPPs were speculated from currency transportation from surrounding areas. Ecological risk assessment showed that OPPs posed moderate to even high risks in most seawater sites. It appears that crustaceans are the most sensitive trophic species to OPPs among aquatic organisms, followed by fish. According to the results of health risks proposed by the major aquatic products in Beibu Gulf (fish and shrimp), the selected pesticides pose no health risk to humans. Nevertheless, OCPs made the highest contribution to the total HQ values. Comprehensively considering the evaluation results of both ecological and health risks, more attention should be given on OPPs and OCPs pollution in the Beibu Gulf.

Hsa_circITGA4/ miR-1468/EGFR/ PTEN a Master Regulators Axis in Glioblastoma Development and Progression.

In the fight against glioblastoma, circular RNA is emerging as a functional molecule. However, how circular RNA (circRNA) is regulated and what role it plays is still a mystery. In this research, different bioinformatics approaches were used to evaluate glioblastoma circRNA sequencing and array data, with the goal of developing a putative molecular sponge mechanism control network. The circRNAs were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. MicroRNA-circRNA interactions were predicted using CircInteractome. The microRNAs' expression and survival trends were screened using the TCGA database. MicroRNA gene targets were predicted using the MiRnet database. Sponge network gene candidates were screened using data from the GEPIA. The roles of the targeted genes were to be explained by analyzing data from Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. To build the network and display the outcomes, we utilized python program, and enrichment online Bioinformatics databases. The circRNAs hsa_circITGA4_002, hsa_circITGA4_001, hsa_circITGA4_003, hsa_circ_0030855, hsa_circ_0030857 were chosen from among GBM patients and control group. Upregulation of hsa-miR-1468, hsa-miR-3683, hsa-miR-1273c, and hsa-miR-4665-3p were associated with a poor prognosis in GBM. MicroRNA targets such as ITGA4, LAMA2, EGFR, PTEN, COL1A4, and NCAM2 were analyzed using expression and survival data. The Apoptosis, cell adhesion molecules, PI3K/AKT and P53 signaling pathways were the most abundant functional categories among gene targets. The circRNA molecular sponge regulatory network includes hsa-miR-1468 and hsa-miR-4665-3p. In this network, hs hsa_circITGA4_002, hsa_circITGA4_001, hsa_circ_0030857, EGFR, PTEN, and ITGA4 may represent GBM therapeutic targets. Their role in GBM needs additional study.

A first step to assess suspended microplastics in a freshwater wetland from the coastal region of Ecuador

Introduction: La Segua is an important wetland in Ecuador, recognized as a Ramsar site and of great ecological relevance. Currently, La Segua is threatened by human pressures and unsustainable landscape use associated with agriculture and aquaculture. This study is the first approach to the occurrence of suspended microplastics (SMPs) in an Ecuadorian lentic waterbody and the estimated potential threat of these on the filter and suspension feeders in aquatic food webs.Methods: Surface water samples were collected at 16 sampling points in the wetland to analyze the occurrence, concentration, and horizontal distribution of Suspected Suspended Microplastics (SSMPs) and zooplankton.Results and discussion: SSMPs were found in all sampling sites, and concentrations were between 313 and 490 particles/liter. Fragments were the most abundant category, followed by fibers, films, and pellets. The highest concentration of SSMPs was found in sampled sites on the east coast and in the middle of the wetland. The frequency and concentration of categories of SSMps found in surface water largely reflect the reality of local human activity around the La Segua wetland. Only rotifers and copepod nauplii were found in the zooplankton. The SSMMPs to zooplankton ratio varied between 0.3 and 441 particles/individuals.The SSMPs/zooplankton ratio indicates that fish and other filter and suspension feeders of aquatic food webs could be more likely to feed on suspended microplastics than natural food items around the wetland. SSMPs indicate that microplastics may represent.

WASTE CHARACTERIZATION IN THE URBAN CANAL NETWORK OF PADOVA (ITALY) TO MITIGATE DOWNSTREAM MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION

Concern about plastic pollution in coastal wetlands, seas and oceans has risen dramatically in recent years. Most of the waste found in the environment has a land-based origin and it is transported toward coastal-marine ecosystems through rivers and canals. Thus, waste collection in watercourses flowing through urban areas has a great potential to mitigate plastic pollution in local and coastal water bodies. In this paper, authors describe the results of three waste collection campaigns performed during 2021 (early summer, late summer and autumn) in three representative points of the channel network of the historical center of the city of Padova, Italy, where restoration efforts of the urban stream ecosystems are ongoing. The collected waste was analyzed both in terms of size and material type. A total of 418 kg of waste was collected: the prevailing fraction was the coarse one (59% of the material intercepted by a 100 mm side mesh sieve), and plastic represented the most abundant waste category (47% by weight). The total amount of litter produced in one year from the channel network of the city of Padova was estimated, with litter amounts on the canal banks found to be much higher than or at least comparable to those in water, a result which highlights the importance of planning waste collection together with riparian vegetation management to reduce plastic pollution. These findings provide a baseline for assessing the possibility to valorize the waste collected from the waterways of the city with processes other than landfilling and incineration

Characterization of Large Microplastic Debris in Beach Sediments in the Po Delta Area

The use of single-use or disposable plastic objects has massively increased during the last few decades, and plastic has become the main type of litter found in marine environments. The Adriatic Sea is seriously prone to marine litter pollution, and it collects about one-third of all the freshwater flowing into the Mediterranean, mainly via the river Po. This study investigated the type and composition of large microplastic debris collected in different sites in the Po Delta area. Visual classification was performed by relevant criteria, while chemical composition was assessed by infrared spectroscopy. The main plastic fraction is composed of polyolefin (76%), followed by polystyrene (19%). This proportion roughly matches global plastic production, rescaled after excluding plastics with negative buoyancy: all the identified compounds have a specific gravity lower than that of the seawater. Fragments (irregularly shaped debris) represent the most abundant category fraction (85%), followed by pellets, which represent roughly 10% of the total. Overall, the results provided an insight into large microplastic pollution in beach sediments in the Po delta area.

Functional and Structural Facts of Effective Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Materials: A Review.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) systems have received immense attention from researchers owing to the rapid development in electronics and telecommunications, which is an alarming matter in our modern society. This radiation can damage the performance of EM devices and may harmfully affect animal/human health. The harmonious utilization of magnetic alloys and conducting but nonmagnetic materials (such as carbon/graphene) is a practical approach toward EMI SE. This review is not exhaustive, although it is comprehensive and aimed at all materials for EMI SE especially graphene-based polymeric composites. It encompasses multifunctional and functional structural EMI shields. These materials comprise polymers, carbons, ceramics, metals, cement composites/nanocomposites, and hybrids. The accessibility of abundant categories of carbon-based materials in their microscale, nanoscale, and quantum forms as EMI shields as polymer-carbon, cement-carbon, ceramic-carbon, metal-carbon, and their hybrids, makes them receive much attention, as a result of their unique amalgamation of electrical, magnetic, dielectric, thermal, and/or mechanical properties. Herewith, we have discussed the principles of EMI shields along with their design and state of the art basis and material architecture along with the drawbacks in research on EMI shields.

Microbial Diversity, Community Turnover, and Putative Functions in Submarine Canyon Sediments under the Action of Sedimentary Geology.

Sampling challenges in deep-sea ecosystems lead to a lack of knowledge about the distribution of microbes in different submarine canyons. To study microbial diversity and community turnover under different ecological processes, we performed 16S/18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing for sediment samples from a submarine canyon in the South China Sea. Bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes made up 57.94% (62 phyla), 41.04% (12 phyla), and 1.02% (4 phyla) of the sequences, respectively. Thaumarchaeota, Planctomycetota, Proteobacteria, Nanoarchaeota, and Patescibacteria are the five most abundant phyla. Heterogeneous community composition was mainly observed in vertical profiles rather than horizontal geographic locations, and microbial diversity in the surface layer was much lower than that in deep layers. According to the null model tests, homogeneous selection dominated community assembly within each sediment layer, whereas heterogeneous selection and dispersal limitation dominated community assembly between distant layers. Different sedimentation processes of sediments, i.e., rapid deposition caused by turbidity currents or slow sedimentation, seem to be primarily responsible for these vertical variations. Finally, functional annotation through shotgun-metagenomic sequencing found that glycosyl transferases and glycoside hydrolases are the most abundant carbohydrate-active enzyme categories. The most likely expressed sulfur cycling pathways include assimilatory sulfate reduction, the link between inorganic and organic sulfur transformation, and organic sulfur transformation, while the potentially activated methane cycling pathways include aceticlastic methanogenesis and aerobic and anaerobic oxidation of methane. Overall, our study revealed high levels of microbial diversity and putative functions in canyon sediments and the important influence of sedimentary geology on microbial community turnover between vertical sediment layers. IMPORTANCE Deep-sea microbes have received growing attention due to their contribution to biogeochemical cycles and climate change. However, related research lags due to the difficulty of collecting samples. Based on our previous study, which revealed the formation of sediments under the dual action of turbidity currents and seafloor obstacles in a submarine canyon in the South China Sea, this interdisciplinary research provides new insights into how sedimentary geology influences microbial community assembly in sediments. We proposed some uncommon or new findings, including the following: (i) microbial diversity was much lower on the surface than in deeper layers (ii) archaea and bacteria dominated the surface and deep layers, respectively; (iii) sedimentary geology played key roles in vertical community turnover; and (iv) the microbes have great potential to catalyze sulfur, carbon, and methane cycling. This study may lead to extensive discussion of the assembly and function of deep-sea microbial communities in the context of geology.

Flora and Typology of Wetlands of Haho River Watershed, Togo

Wetlands are recognized as hotspots of biodiversity and providers of several ecosystem services, including water purification, sediment stabilization, and flood, erosion, and climate regulation. This article aims to investigate the floristic diversity of the wetlands the Haho River watershed in southern Togo. Spatial data from Astrium service and Google Earth were collected, and phytosociological data were classified following the Braun–Blanquet approach. The findings indicate that 72 families in total have evolved in this environment, with Poaceae (14.95%) and Fabaceae (11.98%) dominating. The number of species was estimated to be 323; the three species that were most prevalent in the wetland’s habitats were Elaeis guineensis Jacq (2.44%), Panicum maximum Jacq (2.29%), and Lonchocarpus sericeus (Poir) H. B. K. (1.71%). The most prevalent and abundant life forms in these moist habitats were micro-phanerophytes (34.70%) and therophytes (23.50%). However, the most common and abundant chorological categories included pantropical (31.05%) and Guinean-Congolese species (21.46%). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to examine how abiotic parameters, including depth/degree of immersion, influence the distribution of plant species in a wetland landscape. This research has the potential to be developed into a more robust action study for wetland classification and recognition.

Rose bud extract as a natural antimicrobial agent against Staphylococcus aureus: Mechanisms and application in maintaining pork safety

Pingyin rose bud extract (RBE) may serve as a green antibacterial agent replacing chemically synthesized agents, but its potential antibacterial activity and mechanisms were not well studied. In the present study, RBE component was analyzed through untargeted metabolomics. Then, Staphylococcus aureus was taken as research subject, and the action mechanisms of RBE in Luria–Bertani broth and its elimination efficiency in pork were studied. The results indicated that fatty acids were the most abundant category of antibacterial substances. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of RBE against S. aureus were 0.19 and 0.39 mg/mL, respectively. Cell wall and membrane disruptions were observed in S. aureus treated with RBE. 865 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through transcriptome analysis (≥2-fold change, P < 0.05); DEGs related to two-component systems, DNA replication, and cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance were significantly affected. RBE can control the contamination of S. aureus in cooked pork without adversely impacting odor, pH, and color. Findings from this study revealed that RBE demonstrated good antibacterial efficacy against S. aureus, and can be used as a natural antimicrobial agent in cooked pork for maintaining food safety.

Comparative evaluation of physical characteristics and volatile flavor components of Bangia fusco-purpurea subjected to hot air drying and vacuum freeze-drying

Bangia fusco-purpurea is an economically important seaweed with Fujian characteristics. Given that its harvest is seasonal, drying is often used to remove moisture, extend storage time, and facilitate further processing. Hence, the current study sought to explore the impact of different drying processes on the quality and volatile fingerprints of Bangia fusco-purpurea. To this end, the effects of hot air drying (HAD) and vacuum freeze drying (VFD) on the drying characteristics, microstructure, rehydration, and volatile components of dried B. fusco-purpurea were investigated. The results showed that the water removal efficiency of HAD was significantly higher than that of VFD. However, VFD better preserved the skeletal structure of B. fusco-purpurea than HAD, with a faster rehydration rate and a more uniform cell structure after rehydration. Using electronic nose and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF MS), significant differences in the volatile profiles of fresh, HAD, and VFD B. fusco-purpurea were assessed. E-nose analysis revealed that both HAD and VFD treatments significantly reduced sulfides, aromatic compounds, and nitrogen oxides in fresh B. fusco-purpurea. However, the alcohol, aldehyde, and ketone contents were lower in the VFD samples compared with HAD and fresh samples, whereas the content of methyl flavor substances was significantly higher. GC × GC-TOF MS analysis revealed that the most abundant volatile categories in HAD and VFD were hydrocarbons, alcohols, and esters. The number of volatile components in the HAD samples was significantly lower than in the VFD and fresh samples. As drying progressed, hydrocarbons and alcohols were formed in dried B. fusco-purpurea due to the thermal degradation of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, and the Maillard reaction. There were also significant flavor differences between HAD and VFD B. fusco-purpurea. Thus, although HAD exhibits better drying efficiency, VFD has more significant advantages in terms of product quality.

Freshwater Fish Siberian Dace Ingest Microplastics in the Remote Yenisei Tributary.

This study analyzed microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of Siberian dace (Leuciscus leuciscus subsp. baicalensis (Dybowski, 1874)) in the remote Yenisei tributary of the Nizhnyaya (Lower) Tunguska River (Siberia, Russia). µRaman analysis showed that 60% of the fish from two different sites had ingested plastic microparticles (on average, 1.55 ± 1.95 items per individual). The most common type of microplastic were fibers, and the most abundant size category was 300 to 1000 µm. In the studied population, no significant differences in the MP content between the two sites or between males and females were found (p &gt; 0.05). The tendency for higher MP ingestion by Siberian dace at earlier ages (2+ and 3+) compared to later (4+ and 5+) was observed, which may be connected to the features of the fish biology and ecology.

Species Diversity and Distribution Area of Lichen in Baturraden Botanical Garden, Banyumas

Lichen is a symbiotic organism between fungi and algae which is used as a bioindicator of air pollution. This study aims to determine the diversity of species and distribution areas of lichen in Baturraden Botanical Garden, Banyumas Regency by using purposive random sampling method. Sampling was carried out at three stations, namely flora of Java forest (Javanese mountain plants), resin tree forest (damar forest), and natural forest. Based on the results of the research at the three observation stations, 10 species of lichen were found. The lichens found belonged to 8 families including Cryptothecia striata (Family Arthoniaceae), Dirinaria picta (Family Caliciaceae), Graphis scripta and Diorygma poitaei (Family Graphidaceae), Parmotrema austrosinense and Parmotrema perlatum (Family Parmeliaceae), Psilolechia lucida (Family Psilolechiaceae), Lepraria caeosioalba (Family Stereocaulaceae), Normandina pulchella (Family Verrucariaceae), Opegrapha atra (Family Opegraphaceae). The thallus types of lichen found were foliose, crustose, and squamulose species. The average value of the species diversity index from the three stations is H' = 1.493 in the moderate abundance category. The distribution of lichens in Baturraden Botanical Garden is influenced by climatic factors (light intensity, air temperature, humidity), topographic factors (altitude) and environmental conditions.

ВИДОВЕ РІЗНОМАНІТТЯ РОДУ CORTINARIUS (PERS.) GRAY (CORTINARIACEAE) В НПП «ГУЦУЛЬЩИНА»

The genus Cortinarius is one of the largest in the world among lamellar macromycetes, but in Ukraine the species of this genus are insufficiently studied. Тhe article presents the results of mycological studies of the genus Cortinarius during 2010–2020 in the National Natural Park «Hutsulshchyna». The main goal was to study the species composition of the genus Cortinarius in NNP and to identify rare taxa. Field research was carried out on the territory of NNP «Hutsulshchyna» by route-expedition method. As a result, 41 species of the genus Cortinarius were identified, among which one species of C. сaperatus is included in the IUCN lists. The genus under study is a mycorrhizal macromycetes. Among the identified species, 41 % are common in all forest ecosystems, 29 % are highly specialized (associated with specific parterre trees), 8 % grow only in deciduous forests and 10 % – in conifers. The narrowly specialized ones include: Cortinarius flexipes (birch), C. argentatus, C. prasinus (beech), C. purpureus, C. rubellus, C. variicolor (spruce), C. acutus, C. mucosus, C. mucifluoides, C. sanguineus, C. traganus, C. violaceus (pine). The analysis is made: the ratio of the number of species of the genus Cortinarius in the world and in Ukraine, the species richness of the studied genus using the Turing coefficient, the distribution of species by categories of abundance and by affiliation to tree species. The most common species on the territory of NNP «Hutsulshchyna» were: Cortinarius anomalus, C. caerulescens, C. caperatus, C. delibutus, C. multiformis, C. trivialis, C. violaceus. Rare in the NNP include 13 species: Cortinarius camphoratus, C. eburneus, C. hemitrichus, C. flexipes, C. mucifluoides, C. mucosus, C. pholideus, C. praestans, C. prasinus, C. rubellus, C. traganus, C. triumphans, C. variicolor. Іn the Ukrainian Carpathians 19 genus: Cortinarius acutus, C. argentatus, C. armillatus, C. bolaris, C. caerulescens, C. decipiens, C. mucosus, C. hemitrichus, C. flexipes, C. mucifluoides, C. eburneus, C. ochroleucus, C. pholideus, C. praestans, C. prasinus, C. purpureus, C. torvus, C. triumphans, C. trivialis are registered only on the territory of National Natural Park «Hutsulshchyna».

Kondisi tutupan terumbu karang dan kelimpahan ikan karang famili Pomacentridae di perairan Pulau Talam Kabupaten Tapanuli Tengah Provinsi Sumatera Utara

This research was conducted in March 2022 in the waters of Talam Island, Central Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatera Province. This study aims to determine the condition of coral reef cover, abundance of reef fish family pomacentridae and the relationship between live coral cover and abundance of coral fish family pomacentridae in the waters of Talam Island. Coral reef cover data collection was carried out using the LIT (Line Intercept Transect) method, with a transect length of 50 meters and data collection for coral fish family pomacentridae using the UVC (Underwater Visual Cencus) method, with a transect length of 50 meters and a visibility limit of 2.5 meters to right and 2.5 meters to the left. Observations were made at three station points, each station at a depth of 4 m, 6 m and 8 m. Data depth of 4 m is considered to represent shallow waters, 6 m depth represents medium waters and 8 m depth represents deep waters. The results of this study indicate that the average percentage of live coral reef cover in the waters of Talam Island is 54.74% in the good category and the average abundance of coral fish family Pomacentridae is 4760 ind/ha with a total of 1071 individuals and is included in the abundant category. The results of simple linear regression analysis showed a correlation coefficient of 0.937 and a coefficient of determination of 0.8787.

Comparative proteomics of adult Paragonimus kellicotti excretion/secretion products released in vitro or present in the lung cyst nodule.

Paragonimus kellicotti is a zoonotic lung fluke infection, the agent of North American paragonimiasis, and an excellent model for other Paragonimus infections. The excretory/secretory proteins (ESP) released by parasites and presented at the parasite-host interface are frequently proposed to be useful targets for drugs and/or vaccines In vitro culture conditions may alter ESP compared to those produced in vivo. In order to investigate ESPs produced in vivo we took advantage of the fact that adult P. kellicotti reproduce in the lungs of experimentally infected gerbils in tissue cysts. We performed a mass-spectrometric analysis of adult P. kellicotti soluble somatic protein (SSPs) extracts, excreted/secreted proteins (ESPs) produced by adult worms during in vitro culture, and lung cyst fluid proteins (CFPs) from experimentally infected gerbils. We identified 2,137 P. kellicotti proteins that were present in at least two of three biological replicates and supported by at least two peptides. Among those were 1,914 proteins found in SSP, 947 in ESP and 37 in CFP. In silico analysis predicted that only 141 of the total 2,137 proteins were secreted via classical or non-classical pathways. The most abundant functional categories in SSP were storage and oxidative metabolism. The most abundant categories in ESP were proteins related to metabolism and signal transduction. The 37 parasite-related proteins in CFP belonged to 11 functional categories. The largest groups were proteins with unknown function, cytoskeletal proteins and proteasome machinery. 29 of these 37 proteins were shared among all three sample types. To our knowledge, this is the first study that compares in vitro and in vivo ESP for any Paragonimus species. This study has provided new insights into ESPs of food-borne trematodes that are produced and released in vivo. Proteins released at the host-parasite interface may help the parasite evade host immunity and may represent new targets for novel treatments or diagnostic tests for paragonimiasis.

Plastic pollution on Durance riverbank: First quantification and possible environmental measures to reduce it

Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing issues of our time, with negative impacts on natural ecosystems, human health, and the climate system. The identification of top litter items discarded in the environment is essential to prioritize environmental policies to prevent plastic leakage and promote a circular economy. Here, we present the first quantification of macrolitter on three sites along Durance riverbank and one site on Lake Serre-Ponçon's beach, in the Région SUD–Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France. Data were collected through citizen science between 2019 and 2020 in three sampling occasions (autumn, winter, spring) on Durance riverbank and in 22 occasions on Lake Serre-Ponçon. A total of 25'423 litter items were categorized, of which 82% were plastics. Single-use plastic items correspond to 8.13% of total, while single-use plastic bottles are among the top 10 litter items at each site. Median litter abundance across all samples is 2,081 items/100 m survey, two orders of magnitude higher than European precautionary threshold value for marine litter (20 items/100 m survey). The majority of items (74.83%) were small and non-identifiable. Pieces of polystyrene, soft plastics and rigid plastics represented the majority of litter items in total (56.63%) and at S1 (89.28%), S2 (58.95%) and S3 (79.60%). Glass pieces corresponded to 15.83% of total litter items. Soft plastic pieces are the most abundant litter category overall and correspond to 58.85% of litter items at sampling site along Durance riverbank located in an agricultural zone, suggesting their source from agricultural plastic mulch films. Among the identifiable items, the most abundant were plastic biomedia used in waste water treatment plants and single-use beverage bottles in plastic and in glass. The development of extended producer responsibility schemes for plastic mulch films and plastic biomedia and of deposit return schemes for single-use beverage bottles is suggested as a way to prevent leakage in the environment. This work confirms the opportunity to use citizen science to gather relevant data on macrolitter items and to monitor the effectiveness of environmental regulations to reduce plastic pollution.

Metagenomic study of the gut microbiota associated with cow milk consumption in Chinese peri-/postmenopausal women.

Cow milk consumption (CMC) and alterations of gut bacterial composition are proposed to be closely related to human health and disease. Our research aims to investigate the changes in human gut microbial composition in Chinese peri-/postmenopausal women with different CMC habits. A total of 517 subjects were recruited and questionnaires about their CMC status were collected; 394 subjects were included in the final analyses. Fecal samples were used for studying gut bacterial composition. All the subjects were divided into a control group (n = 248) and a CMC group (n = 146) according to their CMC status. Non-parametric tests and LEfSe at different taxonomic levels were used to reveal differentially abundant taxa and functional categories across different CMC groups. Relative abundance (RA) of one phylum (p_Actinobacteria), three genera (g_Bifidobacterium, g_Anaerostipes, and g_Bacteroides), and 28 species diversified significantly across groups. Specifically, taxa g_Anaerostipes (p < 0.01), g_Bacteroides (p < 0.05), s_Anaerostipes_hadrus (p < 0.01), and s_Bifidobacterium_pseudocatenulatum (p < 0.01) were positively correlated with CMC levels, but p_Actinobacteria (p < 0.01) and g_Bifidobacterium (p < 0.01) were negatively associated with CMC levels. KEGG module analysis revealed 48 gut microbiome functional modules significantly (p < 0.05) associated with CMC, including Vibrio cholerae pathogenicity signature, cholera toxins (p = 9.52e-04), and cephamycin C biosynthesis module (p = 0.0057), among others. In conclusion, CMC was associated with changes in gut microbiome patterns including beta diversity and richness of some gut microbiota. The alterations of certain bacteria including g_Anaerostipes and s_Bifidobacterium_pseudocatenulatum in the CMC group should be important for human health. This study further supports the biological value of habitual cow milk consumption.