Intake Rate Research Articles

Impact of the Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Rifampicin on the Feeding, Growth and Embryonic Developmental Profile of the Mosquitofish <i>Gambusia affinis</i>

Although the accumulation of pharmaceutical drugs in aquatic bodies has increased rapidly in recent years, the effect of rifampicin (RIF), a first-line anti-tuberculosis drug, on fish feeding, growth, and embryonic development is unknown. This investigation aimed to determine the impact of RIF on growth and embryonic developmental profile in the mosquitofish Gambusia affinis. Experimental groups included controls, which were kept in normal water for 21 days, whereas those in the second, third, and fourth groups were exposed to 50, 200, and 500 mg RIF/L water, respectively. The food intake rate and Specific Growth Rate (SGR) showed a concentration-dependent significant decrease in RIF-treated fish compared with controls, and a strong positive correlation was found between food consumption and SGR. A significant decrease in the number of embryos at an early stage of development and the total number of embryos in RIF-treated fish was associated with several congenital anomalies such as lack of vitellogenin accumulation, yolk sac regression, decreased pigmentation, aggregations of blood vessels, and curvature of the spinal cord compared with controls. Together, these results reveal for the first time that RIF treatment not only impacts feeding and growth, but also exerts potential teratogenic effect on embryonic developmental stages in the mosquitofish G. affinis.

#4581 EVALUATION OF THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF SGLT2 INHIBITORS AND GLP-1 RECEPTOR AGONIST ON TOP OF RAS BLOCKADE IN EXPERIMENTAL DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY

Abstract Background and Aims Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and some glucagon-like-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) have demonstrated to delay diabetic nephropathy (DN) progression. Potentially, the combination of these two therapeutic approaches on top of the standard of care with renin angiotensin system (RAS) blockers could exert additive cardiorenal protection in the diabetic milieu. The present study aimed to evaluate the cardiorenal protective effects of the combination of SGLT2i and GLP1-RA on top of RAS blockade versus the monotherapies on top of RAS blockade in experimental diabetes. Method Twelve weeks old male and female uninefrectomized (UNx) db/db mice were treated for 8 weeks with an SGLT2i (empagliflozin, 10 mg/Kg/day five days a week) and/or a GLP1-RA (semaglutide, 10.0 nmol/kg twice per week) on top of a RAS blocker (ramipril, 8 mg/Kg/day). Vehicle-treated UNx db/db and non-diabetic (db/m) mice were included as controls. During the experiment weight, food and water intake, blood glucose, blood pressure (BP) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured. Kidney and heart were collected at the end of the experiment. Results The vehicle-treated UNx db/db showed increased body weight, food and water intake and blood glucose as compared to the vehicle-treated UNx db/m (Fig. 1A, B and C, p = 0.03, p<0.001 and p<0.0001, respectively). The GFR slope (ΔGFR, difference between final and basal GFR) was also significantly higher in the vehicle-treated UNx db/db vs the vehicle-treated UNx db/m (Fig. 1D, p = 0.02), a typical feature of incipient DN. All treatments significantly decreased systolic and diastolic BP as compared to vehicle-treated UNx db/db due to its ramipril component (Fig. 1E). Further, both empagliflozin and semaglutide (alone or combined) on top of ramipril lowered blood glucose in UNx db/db (Fig. 1C, p<0.001 vs vehicle UNx db/db in all cases) but semaglutide component maximized this effect. Food and water intake was decreased in UNx db/db treated with semaglutide on top of RAS blockade (alone or combined with empagliflozin) as compared to vehicle-treated UNx db/db (Fig. 1B) although no differences in body weight were noted between treated and untreated UNx db/db (Fig. 1A). A trend towards ΔGFR decline was observed in UNx db/db treated with empagliflozin and semaglutide on top of RAS blockade (Fig. 1D). Finally, heart weight but not kidney weight was significantly lower in all treated UNx db/db as compared to vehicle-treated UNx db/db (Fig. 1F). Conclusion Our preliminary results show that addition of semaglutide to empagliflozin therapy on top of RAS blockade could have synergic hypoglycemic effects. Further, although more research is needed, both empagliflozin and semaglutide in combination with ramipril trended to ameliorate diabetic hyperfiltration and decreased heart weight in a DN mouse model which suggests cardiorenal beneficial effects.

Nucleus accumbens shell neurons’ early sensitivity to cocaine is associated with future increases in drug intake

The striatum, both dorsal and ventral, is strongly implicated in substance use disorder. Chronic consumption of abused substances, such as cocaine, can cause an oversaturation of mesostriatal dopamine, which results in alterations in the firing of striatal neurons. While most preclinical studies of drug self-administration (S-A) are focused on these alterations, individual differences in a subject's early responses to drugs can also account for substantial differences in addiction susceptibility. In this study, we modeled longitudinal pharmacokinetics using data from a previous longitudinal study (Coffey et al., 2015) and aimed to determine if firing in specific dorsal and ventral striatal subregions was subject to changes across chronic cocaine S-A, and if individual animal differences in striatal firing in response to early drug exposure correlated with increases in drug intake. We observed that the firing patterns of nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and shell neurons exhibited increasing sensitivity to cocaine over the first 6 S-A sessions and maintained a strong negative correlation between drug intake and neuronal firing rates across chronic S-A. Moreover, we observed that the early sensitivity of NAc shell neurons to cocaine correlated with future increases in drug intake. Specifically, rats whose NAc shell neurons were most inhibited by increasing levels of cocaine upon first exposure exhibited the strongest increases in cocaine intake over time. If this difference can be linked to a genetic difference, or druggable targets, it may be possible to screen for similar addiction susceptibility in humans or develop novel preemptive pharmacotherapies.

Estimating arsenic biotransfer factors from feed to chicken: a viable approach to animal feed risk assessment

Reliable biotransfer factor (BTF) data are critical for animal-feed studies in human risk assessment. A wide range of BTF values have been reported (0.0015–0.83 d/kg), expressed as the ratio of total arsenic (tAs) concentration (µg/kg) in chicken to daily intake rate (µg/d) of tAs in feed (tAs/tAs). Data on inorganic As (iAs) for chicken meat and tAs concentrations for feed were obtained from our related study. Using the linear regression technique developed in this study, we estimated the BTF as 0.016 d/kg, as iAs/tAs (R 2 > 0.7702) and 0.55 d/kg as tAs/tAs (R 2 = 0.9743) for whole chicken meat. From a mass-balance perspective, we suggest that tAs be used as the denominator for the BTF unit. To illustrate our feed-risk assessment method, we analyzed commercial feeds for tAs concentration (n = 79). Consumption data for the general population (n = 2479) were obtained from a Taiwanese total diet study. Bivariate Monte Carlo simulations (n = 10,000) showed that the 95th percentile (P95) of estimated daily intake (EDI) was 0.002 µg/kg body weight (bw)/d as iAs (< the benchmark dose lower limit of 3.0 µg/kg bw/d). Our results thus show that the commercial chicken feeds assessed in this study are of low health concern for the general Taiwanese population. We discuss the factors that may have affected the assessment, such as the type of animals investigated, type of feeds, feed tested, type of chemical species used for BTF estimation and statistical approach.

Microplastics in the menu of Mediterranean zooplankton: Insights from the feeding response of the calanoid copepod Centropages typicus

AbstractMicroplastic input into the ocean represents an increasing threat to marine biota and may endanger the functioning of marine ecosystems, especially in semi‐enclosed basins, such as the Mediterranean Sea. The size spectrum of microplastics overlaps with that of nano‐microplankton (2–200 μm), thus potentially misleading suspension‐feeding zooplankton, which represent a key trophic link in pelagic food webs. We investigated the effects of microplastics on the feeding performance of the copepod Centropages typicus in laboratory experiments. Adult females were incubated in natural prey assemblages under different conditions: without and with nutrient enrichment, and in the presence and absence of microplastics (20–1000 μm). Non‐significant changes were recorded in either copepod ingestion rates or daily rations upon microplastic addition. However, the copepod diet shifted significantly in the presence of microplastics, as the copepods fulfilled their individual carbon requirements by ingesting different protistan prey. The number of microplastic particles found in copepod guts (0.9 particles ind.−1) and fecal pellets (2.1 particles pellet−1) was low and particles occurred mostly in the lower size range (∽20 μm). Overall, the exposure of C. typicus to microplastics did not affect the copepod daily intake of food, likely due to the avoidance of microplastics and flexible feeding habits.

The scale-dependent role of submerged macrophytes as drift-feeding lotic fish habitat

Although submerged macrophyte (hereafter, “macrophyte”) communities are globally prevalent in low-gradient rivers, the net reach-scale effect of macrophytes on drift-feeding fish microhabitat preference is poorly understood. We used snorkeling and bioenergetics to study fish habitat selection for rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Henrys Fork, ID, USA, investigating microhabitat preference across a reach-scale gradient of macrophyte growth. Fish preferred microhabitats with deep water, low velocity, and low macrophyte coverage. Preferences for microhabitats with higher net rate of energy intake (NREI) were modulated by reach-scale macrophyte coverage, higher coverage increasing preferences for higher NREI. Macrophyte coverage was a weak positive predictor for depth and NREI, and a weak negative predictor for water velocity and median substrate. Our results suggest trade-offs between fish predation risk and bioenergetic food intake, with macrophytes modulating these trade-offs across scales by affecting reach-scale geomorphology, bioenergetics, and predation risk. As such, this study highlights the important and dynamic role that macrophytes can play in fish population dynamics in rivers, with important implications for management decisions.

A systematic characterization of soil/dust ingestion for typical subpopulations in China.

An accurate assessment of human exposure to pollutants through the ingestion of dust and/or soil particles depends on a thorough understanding their rate of human ingestion. To this end, we investigated the load and size distribution patterns of dust/soil particles on the hands of three typical subpopulations, including preschoolers, college students, and security guards (outdoor workers). The geometric mean diameter of dust/soil particles on hands was observed to be 38.7 ± 11.2, 40.0 ± 12.1, and 36.8 ± 10.4μm for preschoolers, college students, and security guards, respectively. The particle size distribution differed between subpopulations: Preschoolers were more exposed to fine particles, whereas security guards were exposed to more coarse particles. The geometric means of dust/soil particle loading on the hands were 0.126, 0.0163, and 0.0377mg/cm2 for preschoolers, college students, and security guards, respectively. Males had statistically higher dust/soil particle loadings on hands than females, notably for preschoolers and college students; preschoolers with frequent hand contact with the bare ground had higher dust/soil particle loadings compared to those of peers in contact with commercial and residential grounds. The mean total dust/soil particle ingestion rate was estimated to be 245, 19.7, and 33.1mg/day for preschoolers, college students, and security guards, respectively. Our estimates for college students and security guards are close to the consensus central-tendency values recommended by the U.S. EPA's Exposure Factor Handbook for American adults, whereas the estimates for children are much higher than the upper percentile values recommended for American children.

Adverse effects of sulfamethoxazole on locomotor behavior and lipid metabolism by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and lipase in Daphnia magna

Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ), a kind of sulfonamide antibiotic, is widely used in both human and veterinary medicine. Frequent detection of SMZ in natural aquatic environments has prompted growing attention and posed ecological risks to the ecosystem and human health. In this study, we investigated the ecotoxicological properties of SMZ upon Daphnia magna, and the mechanisms of the deleterious effects of SMZ were attempted to be elucidated by investigating a chain of parameters, including survival, reproduction, growth, locomotor behavior, metabolism, as well as levels of related enzyme activity and gene expression. After a 14-d sub-chronic exposure to SMZ at environmentally relevant concentrations, we observed virtually no lethal effect, weak growth inhibition, significant reproductive damage, evident ingestion rate decline, obvious change in locomotor behavior, and remarkable metabolic disorder. Notably, we identified SMZ as an inhibitor against acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/lipase in D. magna both in vivo and in vitro, which explained the adverse effects of SMZ on locomotor ability and lipid metabolism at the molecular levels. Furthermore, the direct interactions between SMZ and AChE/lipase were confirmed by using fluorescence spectrum and molecular docking. Together, our findings provide a new insight to advance the understanding of the environmental effects of SMZ on freshwater organisms.

Dietary habits and selected noncommunicable disease risk factors among middle-aged adults in rural Kerala

Background: Noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factors are increasing in Kerala. The science of Ayurveda emphasizes lifestyle modification rather than treating the disease. We aim to explore the correlation between selected ayurvedic dietary risk factors with NCD risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and obesity. Methods: Using cluster sampling, a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 410 middle-aged adults in the rural Kollam district, Kerala. The participants underwent biochemical tests for fasting blood sugar (FBS) and serum cholesterol (S. Cholesterol). WHO STEPs questionnaire, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and a checklist to assess the usage of dietary risk factors proposed by Ayurveda for NCDs were used. All analyses were done using R software version 4.1.2. Results: The mean age of the participants was 46±5.4 years. The rates of regular intake of salty foods (ati-lavana) (77.1%), sour foods (ati-amla) (80.5%), heavy foods (guru-annapaana) (87.3%), oily foods (snigdha annapaana) (67.3%), frequency of food intake more than 4 times day (80%) were found to be high in population. On multivariate analysis, increased frequency of food intake was found to be associated with diabetes (AOR-1.9, CI: 1.2-3.2). Conclusions: Some of the risk factors that Ayurveda has been proposing are found to have an association with the NCD risk factors considered. Interventions to reduce the prevalence of selected NCD risk factors that incorporate the stipulations of alternative systems could have a significant public health impact.

Advancing Methodologies Used in Trace Element-Based Mass Balance Studies to Separately Estimate Soil and Dust Ingestion Rates for Children

Historically, soil ingestion rate estimates were based on trace element-based mass balance (MB) study results. These were used in assessing exposures and health risks for children residing in Superfund or chemically contaminated communities. However, soil and dust can have considerable differences with respect to their sources, chemical, physical, and toxicological characteristics. Unfortunately, the MB approach is incapable of disentangling dust ingestion rates from soil ingestion rates. Alternative methods, such as activity pattern and biokinetic modeling techniques, have also been used to predict soil and dust ingestion rates. The results from these studies differed from those obtained from the MB studies. This research evaluated the MB methodology and formulated a physical model which characterized the environmental and behavioral determinants of soil and dust ingestion exposures by children. This new approach explicitly separates outdoor soil exposures from the indoor tracked-in soil portion of the dust and total dust exposures by utilizing information from five key MB studies along with new information derived from the SHEDS-Soil/Dust time-activity pattern-based modeling runs. Application of this new hybrid methodology showed that the predicted mean soil ingestion rates are 30%-70% less than the “total soil” ingestion rates obtained from the selected MB studies. In contrast, most of the predicted dust ingestion rate estimates were typically greater than the predicted soil ingestion rates. Moreover, the predicted total soil plus dust ingestion rates were found to be mostly higher (by ≤ 60%) than the MB-based “total soil” ingestion rates. Except for one study these results were higher than the results produced by the stand-alone SHEDS-Soil/Dust model runs. Across the MB studies analyzed, predicted outdoor soil ingestion rate contributions to “total soil” ingestion rates varied between 29% and 70% while the tracked-in soil portion of the indoor dust ingestion rates varied between 30% and 71%.

Kuram Temelli Araştırmaların Emzirme Üzerine Etkisi: Sistematik Derleme ve Metaanaliz

The aim of this study is to systematically review the results of theory-based research on breastfeeding and to perform a meta-analysis of the available evidence. The literature review for this systematic review was conducted between September and October 2022 by using five electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ULAKBIM. Published articles were scanned using MeSH-based keywords. Only Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) conducted in the last five years were included. The data were analyzed using the Review Manager computer program (Version 5.3).Two randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. All of the studies were combined for breastfeeding information, time to start breastfeeding, and five-course (breast milk only, breast milk, and formula). The meta-analysis revealed that theory-based education increased the rate of breastfeeding information of pregnant women in the postpartum period (OR: 0.73 95% CI: 0.51 to 1.05, Z = 1.69, p: 0.09), the rate of exclusive breastfeeding (OR: 1.80 95% CI: 1.26 to 2.57, Z = 3.23, p: 0.001) and decreased the rate of feeding intake (OR: 0.49 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.74, Z = 3.41, p: 0.0007). The study findings found that education did not affect the rate of early initiation of breastfeeding between groups ((OR: 1.31 95% CI: 0.91 to 1.90, Z = 1.45, p: 0.15) and was not significant. This study provides sufficient evidence that theory-based training has positive effects on breastfeeding attitudes and behaviors.

Grazing Effects of Xenocypris davidi Bleeker (Cyprinidae, Cypriniformes) on Filamentous Algae and the Consequent Effects on Intestinal Microbiota

Filamentous algae are present in seawater and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Their growth poses a serious threat to water environments and fishery production, especially Chinese mitten crab and red swamp crayfish culturing. To explore safe and ecological treatment methods, we comparatively studied the grazing effects of Xenocypris davidi Bleeker on Cladophora (one species) and Spirogyra (two species) in indoor glass tanks and examined the intestinal microbiota related to digestion and absorption. The results showed that the fish was more receptive to Spirogyra than to Cladophora, and the intake rates of different species of Spirogyra varied. Fish weight increased slightly after feeding with Spirogyra, and the levels of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in water increased significantly ( p &lt; 0.05 ) relative to the initial values. Intestinal microbiota diversity and richness varied after feeding with three filamentous algal species, and the similarity increased after feeding with two Spirogyra species. The microbial species detected in this study belonged to 40 phyla and 838 genera. The clustering characteristics of different groups and subgroups were obvious based on the microbial phylum composition. Significant differences in the relative abundance rates of eight nutrition-related metabolism functions were found among groups and subgroups ( p &lt; 0.05 ). The correlations between intestinal microbiota and metabolism functions were analyzed, and some meaningful correlations were revealed. The results presented in this study provided a meaningful reference on the control of the overgrowth of filamentous algae in aquaculture waters by the biomanipulation method.

Parenteral Protein in Extremely Preterm Infants: More Is Not Better

(N Engl J Med. 2022;387:1712–1713) Adequate nutrient absorption in utero is critical for neonatal health and development. Premature delivery of a baby disrupts the accumulation of vital nutrients, so sufficient nutrient replacement is required to help prevent nutrient deficits and adverse health outcomes. The standard of preterm infant nutritional management is to closely replicate a healthy fetus’s nutrient intake and growth rates. This approach, however, does not take into consideration factors and illnesses preterm infants face in the neonatal intensive care unit such as lung injury, immature metabolism, and hypothermia that may require necessary pivots in treatment. Additional studies are required to determine the best nutrition management of preterm infants that may be different than healthy fetuses to ensure optimal outcomes.

Characterization of drinking groundwater quality and assessment of human health risk in Xin’an spring basin, a typical mining and karst area of the northern China

Groundwater is an important natural resources of drinking water in mining area in Xin’an spring basin, northern China. To foster the sustainable development and utilization of groundwater, a total of 332 groundwater samples, including 147 pore groundwater, 95 fissure groundwater and 90 karst groundwater, were collected and hydrochemical parameters were applied to assess the groundwater quality and human health risks caused by oral ingestion. The results showed that the major chemical components of groundwater in Xin’an spring basin were HCO3−, SO42−, NO3−, Cl−, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, total hardness (TH), and total dissolved solids (TDS). The contents of TDS, TH, SO42−, NO3−, F−, Fe, Mn, Pb, and As in groundwater were exceed the standard of groundwater quality (SGQ) limits. The main hydrochemical types of groundwater were HCO3-Ca·Mg and SO4·Cl–Ca·Mg. The factors controlling the groundwater chemistry mainly were mineral weathering, evaporation, cation exchange, and anthropogenic input. The results of water quality assessment showed that the karst and fissure groundwater in study area was mainly excellent-good quality water, while pore groundwater was mainly good-medium quality water. The poor and extremely poor quality water was mainly distributed in Changzhi basin, and the greater contribution made by Pb, Mn, NO3−, Fe, SO42−, TH and TDS. The range of hazard index (HI) values of groundwater was 0.28 to 27.79, and the HI values mainly contributed by NO3−, F−, As, ingestion rate (IR) and exposure duration (ED). The cumulative carcinogenic risk (CCR) values ranged from 1.5 × 10–7 to 2.78 × 10–3, and the greater contribution made by Cr, As, Cd, IR and ED. The results of health risk assessment suggested that some parts of the study region may pose a significant non-carcinogenic risk and a high probability in developing cancer to local residents, and infants were at greatest risk to health, followed by children and adults, while teenagers were at least at risk. This study will provide a deeper insight into the water quality situation and geochemical evolution of groundwater in Xin’an spring area, and will assist decision-makers to formulate management strategies of drinking water safety for the study area.

Effects of grazing management and concentrate supplementation on intake and milk production of dairy cows grazing orchardgrass

In pasture-based dairy systems, grazing management strategies have focused mainly on achieving a high herbage harvest per hectare, whereas strategies oriented to maximizing the intake rate of herbage have been recently explored. The objectives of the study were (i) to evaluate the herbage nutritional value, intake and milk production per animal and per hectare of mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows grazing orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) in response to grazing management strategies that prioritize either herbage harvest per hectare or herbage intake rate, and (ii) to assess whether concentrate supplementation affects this response. The experiment was conducted in Uruguay using twenty-four mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows grazing orchardgrass under rotational stocking over an 81-day period. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of two grazing management strategies [i.e. “high intake rate” (HIR) with pre- and post-grazing sward target heights of 21 and 13 cm, respectively, vs. “high herbage harvest per hectare” (HHH) with a pre-grazing target of 3.5–4 leaves per tiller and a post-grazing target of minimum leaf area corresponding to sward heights between 7 and 11 cm] in combination with concentrate supplementation levels of 0 (CS0) or 4 (CS4) kg of dry matter/cow per day. Sward height, number of leaves, herbage morphological and chemical composition, body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), feed intake, and milk production per cow and per hectare were measured. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed models. Compared to cows under HHH, cows under HIR grazed herbage with greater nutritional value and achieved a greater feed intake and greater milk production per cow (P < 0.05), regardless of concentrate supplementation level. Conversely, under HHH milk production per hectare was marginally greater (P < 0.10) and milk solids production per hectare was greater (P < 0.05). Yet, cows under HHH lost BCS when were managed without supplementation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, HIR grazing management is an effective option for grazing dairy production systems that seek to maximize individual productivity of high-producing cows. On the other hand, HHH grazing strategies remain relevant to dairy farm businesses in which profit is driven by production per hectare. Yet, high producing dairy cows under this strategy are likely to lose BCS if not supplemented.

Different levels of arsenic exposure through cooked rice and its associated benefit-risk assessment from rural and urban populations of West Bengal, India: a probabilistic approach with sensitivity analysis.

Rice arsenic (As) contamination and its consumption poses a significant health threat to humans. The present study focuses on the contribution of arsenic, micronutrients, and associated benefit-risk assessment through cooked rice from rural (exposed and control) and urban (apparently control) populations. The mean decreased percentages of As from uncooked to cooked rice for exposed (Gaighata), apparently control (Kolkata), and control (Pingla) areas are 73.8, 78.5, and 61.3%, respectively. The margin of exposure through cooked rice (MoEcooked rice) < 1 signifies the existence of health risk for all the studied exposed and control age groups. The respective contributions of iAs (inorganic arsenic) in uncooked and cooked rice are nearly 96.6, 94.7, and 100% and 92.2, 90.2, and 94.2% from exposed, apparently control, and control areas. LCR analysis for the exposed, apparently control, and control populations (adult male: 2.1 × 10-3, 2.8 × 10-4, 4.7 × 10-4; adult female: 1.9 × 10-3, 2.1 × 10-4, 4.4 × 10-4; and children: 5.8 × 10-4, 4.9 × 10-5, 1.1 × 10-4) through cooked rice is higher than the recommended value, i.e., 1 × 10-6, respectively, whereas HQ > 1 has been observed for all age groups from the exposed area and adult male group from the control area. Adults and children from rural area showed that ingestion rate (IR) and concentration are the respective influencing factors towards cooked rice As, whereas IR is solely responsible for all age groups from urban area. A vital suggestion is to reduce the IR of cooked rice for control population to avoid the As-induced health risks. The average intake (μg/day) of micronutrients is in the order of Zn > Se for all the studied populations and Se intake is lower for the exposed population (53.9) compared to the apparently control (140) and control (208) populations. Benefit-risk assessment supported that the Se-rich values in cooked rice are effective in avoiding the toxic effect and potential risk from the associated metal (As).

Carbon budgets of Scotia Sea mesopelagic zooplankton and micronekton communities during austral spring

Zooplankton form an integral component of epi- and mesopelagic ecosystems, and there is a need to better understand their role in ocean biogeochemistry. The export and remineralisation of particulate organic matter at depth plays an important role in controlling atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Pelagic mesozooplankton and micronekton communities may influence the fate of organic matter in a number of ways, including: the consumption of primary producers and export of this material as fast-sinking faecal pellets, and the active flux of carbon by animals undertaking diel vertical migration (DVM) into the mesopelagic. We present day and night vertical biomass profiles of mesozooplankton and micronekton communities in the upper 500 m during three visits to an ocean observatory station (P3) to the NW of South Georgia (Scotia Sea, South Atlantic) in austral spring, alongside estimates of their daily rates of ingestion and respiration throughout the water column. Day and night community biomass estimates were dominated by copepods >330 μm, including the lipid-rich species, Calanoides acutus and Rhincalanus gigas. We found little evidence of synchronised DVM, with only Metridia spp. and Salpa thompsoni showing patterns consistent with migratory behaviour. At depths below 250 m, estimated community carbon ingestion rates exceeded those of metabolic costs, supporting the understanding that food quality in the mesopelagic is relatively poor, and organisms have to consume a large amount of food in order to fulfil their nutritional requirements. By contrast, estimated community rates of ingestion and metabolic costs at shallower depths were approximately balanced, but only when we assumed that the animals were predominantly catabolising lipids (i.e. respiratory quotient = 0.7) and had relatively high absorption efficiencies. Our work demonstrates that it is possible to balance the metabolic budgets of mesopelagic animals to within observational uncertainties, but highlights the need for a better understanding of the physiology of lipid-storing animals and how it influences carbon budgeting in the pelagic.

Multigenerational effects of the insecticide Pyriproxyfen and recovery in Daphnia magna

In the present study, an ecotoxicological approach to the evaluation of the insecticide Pyriproxifen in the crustacean Daphnia magna was done. Acute toxicity tests (48 h), feeding behavior test (5 h) and chronic toxicity test (21 days) were carried out on a parental daphnid generation (F0). Pyriproxifen D. magna EC50 value in our experimental conditions was 336.47 μg/L. Based on this result, sublethal test concentrations were selected for the feeding study and the F0 chronic experiment. Filtration and ingestion rates of D. magna exposed animals did not show any significant difference respect to control daphnids. However, daphnids from the parental F0 generation when exposed to the insecticide during 21 days showed a decreased in all the reproductive parameters tested (mean total neonates per female, mean brood size, time to first brood, and mean number of broods per female) as well as in the population statistic growth rate (r), although survival was not affected. On the other hand, offspring from F0 females exposed to the highest Pyriproxifen concentration (14.02 μg/L) were separated in two F1 generation experiments. One group was transferred during 21 days to a medium free of toxicant (F1 generation-TC group) while the other group was exposed during 21 days to the same insecticide concentration as their mothers (14.02 μg/L) (F1 generation-TT group). Results from both experiments determined a decreased in most of the reproductive parameters which was higher in the F1-TT group, although some of them were recovered in the F1-TC group. On the other hand, the morphological analysis of the daphnids showed that the coloration pattern was altered in the daphnids exposed to the insecticide, together with a significant size decreased, and neonates from F0 progeny with the same morphological abnormality. Finally, we determined that the insecticide caused the appearance of males among the offspring generated by the F0.

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in a freshwater river in northwestern Himalayas, India - Scenario of riverbank solid waste disposal sites

Microplastics (MPs) are one of the challenging and established contaminants that have adverse implications on human health. The focus of this study was to quantify and analyze the contribution of unscientific municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal sites to the MPs in the Jhelum River and the risk associated with it. Quantitative analysis of our study showed a mean MP concentration of 1474 ± 1026 particles/m3 for the entire stretch of the river. All the sites confirmed the presence of MPs with the concentration ranging from 600 particles/m3 to 2500 particles/m3. The size distribution of MPs suggested that 34 % of the microplastics ranged between 300 μm to 75 μm while 66 % of the particles varied between 300 μm to 5 mm. The concentrations of MPs downstream of unscientific disposal sites were found to increase threefold to that of upstream. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the presence of polyethylene (PE) in the majority followed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP). The flakes were dominant throughout the river followed by filaments, fragments, and spherules. Count based Pollution level indexing (PLI) estimated 3–14 times MP contamination in the river with respect to contamination in glacial runoffs. The risk assessment study of the MPs indicated an increase of around 10.2 % in ingestion rates of MPs due to the unscientific disposal of MSW on the banks of the freshwater body. The values of polymer hazard index (PHI) and potential ecological risk index (PERI) were in the extreme case of pollution (PHI>1000 and PERI>1200). This study manifests the adversities of unscientific municipal solid waste disposal for timely waste management.

Nutrient Inadequacy in Korean Young Adults with Depression: A Case Control Study

The role of diet is gaining attention among the modifiable factors associated with depression; thus, this case–control study examined the association between nutrition and depression in young Korean adults. Dietary surveys in individuals with depression (n = 39) and age- and gender-matched controls (n = 76) were conducted using food records and food frequency questionnaires. Men with depression consumed less mushrooms and meat, while women consumed significantly less grains (p &lt; 0.05). Overall, the depression group consumed less energy and nutrients, and the difference was more pronounced in men. The male depression group had lower nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) for energy, protein, vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, folate, and phosphorus, whereas the female depression group had lower NARs for energy, protein, niacin, and vitamin B12. The depression group had a significantly lower mean adequacy ratio in both genders. Furthermore, the proportion of inappropriate nutrient intake was higher in both genders of the depression group, exhibiting significant differences in energy, protein, niacin, folate, and zinc in men and energy, riboflavin, folate, and vitamin C in women. Hence, both men and women in the depression group had poor nutrient intake and high rates of nutrient inadequacy and improper consumption. This suggests that the quantity and quality of meals should be improved for individuals with depressive symptoms.