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The co-existence of metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs), carbon-based nanomaterials and microplastics (MPs) in the natural environment are expected to be of growing global concern due to their increasing abundance and persistence in the environment worldwide. Knowledge of the interaction of the above compounds particularly under light irradiation in water remains limited. In the present study, the possible individual and combined toxic effects of MONPs, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through styrofoam (SF) on the environmental bacterium Jeotaglicoccus huakuii were systematically investigated. The fabricated MONPs and CNTs were characterized using the following techniques: FT-IR (functional groups), XRD (crystallinity), SEM, and EDX (topological morphology). The objective of this study was to investigate and identify naturally occurring bacteria capable of mitigating and detoxifying toxic pollutants under adverse conditions. Moreover, the assessment of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was made through an agar well plate method, resazurin (ELISA measurement), growth kinetics and bacterial viability were assessed employing live and dead assay and biofilm combating ability was analyzed using an antibiofilm assay. Further, the biotransformation of f-MWCNTs by J. huakuii was evaluated employing RT-PCR and SEM analysis. The results demonstrated that the toxicity of Pb 3 O 4 @f-MWCNTs was comparatively higher than the remaining Pb 3 O 4 NPs and SF coated NPs.. Interestingly, J. huakuii showed resistance against f-MWCNTs at very high concentrations and able to utilize f-MWCNTs as a sole carbon source suggesting J. huakuii as a suitable aquatic bioremediation tool for both MONPs and CNTs transfer via MPs. The results also enhanced our understanding of the affinity of MPs towards MONPs and CNTs under extreme environmental conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study tackles the critical challenges in metal analysis by presenting an innovative miniaturized metal extraction device prototype. This device features a functional nanocomposite (FNC) enhanced 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) metal extractant (FNC@3D PLA). The research is motivated by the constraints of traditional solid-phase extraction (SPE) methods, specifically their limitations in handling competitive metal ion environments and matrix interference during inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. The designed prototype aims to overcome these challenges and enhance the extraction efficiency of diverse metals., Results: The FNC, designed to incorporate various functional groups critical for metal ion extraction efficiency, was meticulously engineered through the reaction of acid-treated and delaminated graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (Thiol-gCN NSs) with 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The competitive metal ion extraction efficiency of FNC@3D PLA was demonstrated, showcasing notable limit of detection values of 3.2 ± 0.7 ng mL -1 and 8.57 ± 3.05 ng mL -1 for Cu and Ag, respectively. Furthermore, the miniaturized 3D-printed metal-preconcentration setup incorporating FNC@3D PLA exhibited favorable intraday relative standard deviation (RSD) percentage (%) values ranging from 1.23 to 8.6 for both Cu and Ag. Interday RSD % between 1.41 and 8.14 were observed under spiked real urine sample conditions. The sustainability and robustness of the proposed approach were underscored by substantial recovery % values exhibited by FNC@3D PLA, even after eight consecutive regeneration processes., Significance: This study significantly contributes to the advancement of analytical methodologies by providing a reliable and efficient platform for metal extraction and preconcentration in practical metal analysis applications. Developed FNC@3D PLA system demonstrates its potential to address the challenges associated with SPE in metal analysis, especially in complex sample matrices. We believe implications of this research can be extended to various fields, from environmental monitoring to clinical diagnostics, where accurate and reliable metal analysis is paramount., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study presents a facile preparation and durable amorphous Fe and Al-based MOF nanoplate (AlFe-BTC MOFs) catalyst with notable stability in Fenton reactions. Rigorous characterization using XRD, HR-TEM, and BET confirms the amorphous nature of the synthesized AlFe-BTC MOFs, revealing mesopores (3.4 nm diameter), a substantial surface area (232 m 2 /g), and a pore volume of 0.69 cc/g. XPS analysis delineates distinct Al2p and Fe2p binding energy values, signifying specific chemical bonding. FE-SEM elemental mapping elucidates the distinctive distribution of Fe and Al within the framework of AlFe-BTC MOFs. In catalytic activity testing, the amorphous AlFe-BTC MOFs exhibited outstanding performance, achieving complete degradation of Methylene blue (MB) dye and 78% TOC removal over 45 min of treatment under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst's durability was assessed, revealing about 75% TOC removal and complete dye decomposition over five successive recycles, with less than 1 mg/L of Fe and Al leaching. UV-Vis spectra revealed the destruction of MB dye over multiple recycling studies. Based on this finding, the amorphous AlFe-BTC MOF nanoplates emerge as a promising solution for efficient dye removal from industrial wastewater, underscoring their potential in advanced environmental remediation processes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Developing a polymer-based photocrosslinked 3D printable scaffolds comprised of gelatin methacryloyl (G) and hyaluronic acid methacryloyl (H) incorporated with two molecular weights of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (P) of various concentrations that enables rabbit adipose-derived stem cells (rADSCs) to survive, grow, and differentiate into smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Then, the chemical modification and physicochemical properties of the PGH bioinks were evaluated. The cell viability was assessed via MTT, CCK-8 assay and visualized employing Live/Dead assay. In addition, the morphology and nucleus count of differentiated SMCs were investigated by adopting TRAP (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase) staining, and quantitative RT-PCR analysis was applied to detect gene expression using two different SMC-specific gene markers α-SMA and SM-MHC. The SMC-specific protein markers namely α-SMA and SM-MHC were applied to investigate SMC differentiation ability by implementing Immunocytofluorescence staining (ICC) and western blotting. Moreover, the disk, square, and tubular cellular models of PGH7 (GelMA/HAMA=2/1) + PEGDA-8000 Da, 3% w/v) hybrid bioink were printed using an extrusion bioprinting and cell viability of rADSCs was also analysed within 3D printed square construct practising Live/Dead assay. The results elicited the overall viability of SMCs, conserving its phenotype in biocompatible PGH7 hybrid bioink revealing its great potential to regenerate SMCs associated organs repair., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The present study highlights heavy metal tolerance, EPS production, and biosorption capacity of four hydrothermal vent bacterial strains, namely Exiguobacterium aquaticum, Mammaliicoccus sciuri, Micrococcus luteus, and Jeotgalicoccus huakuii against As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Pb and Ni. The biosorption assay showed high removal efficiency of As (83%) by E. aquaticum, Cd (95%) by M. sciuri, Cu (94%) by M. luteus, and Ni (89%) by J. huakuii and their produced EPS with these metals in aqueous solution were 84%, 85%, 98%, and 91%, respectively. The maximum EPS yield was attained by optimized medium composition consisting of 1% Xylose, and 1% NaCl at pH 7. In metal-amended conditions, the four bacterial strains showed induced EPS production in the initial concentrations. SEM with EDX and CLSM images showed that the growth and EPS production of bacterial strains were affected by metal ion concentrations. A phenol sulphuric acid method and BCA assay were used to identify both the carbohydrate and total protein content of four extracted EPS. A DPPH assay revealed that EPS influences free radical scavenging and has a highly enhanced synergistic effect with its antioxidant activity. FT-IR analysis of four extracted EPS showed the shifting of peaks in the functional groups of EPS before and after adsorption of metal ions. At pH 5 and after 60 min contact time metal removal efficiency and adsorption capacity increased as calculated for As, Cd, Cu, and Ni by four extracted EPS: (86%, 20 mg/g), (74%, 19 mg/g), (94%, 60 mg/g) and (89%, 32 mg/g) and (89%, 16 mg/g), (85%, 16 mg/g), (96%, 22 mg/g) and (91%, 16 mg/g), respectively. The Langmuir compared to the Freundlich model was found to better represent the adsorption by EPS providing maximum adsorption capacities for As (34.65 mg/g), Cd (52.88 mg/g), Cu (24.91 mg/g), and Ni (58.38 mg/g)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Diatoms, with their complex cellular architecture, have been recognized as a source of limitless potential. These microbes are common in freshwater and marine habitats and are essential for primary production and carbon sequestration. They are excellent at utilizing nutrients, providing a sustainable method of treating wastewater while also producing biomass rich in beneficial substances like vitamins, carotenoids, polysaccharides, lipids, omega-3 fatty acids, pigments, and novel bioactive molecules. Additionally, they are highly efficient organisms that can be employed to monitor the environment by acting as trustworthy indicators of water quality. This comprehensive review explores the multifaceted applications of diatoms in a variety of fields, such as bioremediation, aquaculture, value-added products, and other applications. The review set out on a path towards greener, more sustainable methods amicable to both industry and the environment by utilizing theenormous diverse biotechnological potentials of diatoms., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Contaminated water bodies such as rivers provide reservoirs for bacterial resistance. This field study tested the water quality and the bacterial resistance to heavy metals of Qishan River water pollution. Wastewater discharged to environmental surface waters is a major pathway of heavy metals and heavy metal-resistant bacteria. Contaminated water bodies such as rivers provide reservoirs for bacterial resistance. This field study tested the water quality and bacterial resistance to heavy metals of Qishan River water pollution. Guided by our research hypothesis that an overall increase in downstream heavy metal resistance levels was following an increase in human settlements were eight sites sampled along the Qishan River. These were situated upstream and downstream to the confluence of the Qishan River with the Kaoping River. In the laboratory bacterial heavy metal resistance was bio-assayed by disk diffusion and micro-dilution with six widely used heavy metals. The comparison of bacterial resistance was among Qishan River upstream sites (sites 1-6) and downstream sites (sites 7-9). Multi-drug-resistant bacteria and co-resistance against heavy metals and antibacterials appeared at site 8. This research discusses the correlation between environmental factors, and antibacterial and heavy metal resistance. The results provide stakeholders and authorities responsible for environmental pollution with a reference for risk assessment and management of bacterial resistance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Hans-Uwe Dahms & Chi-Ying Hsieh report financial support was provided by National Science and Technology Council. Hans-Uwe Dahms reports financial support was provided by National Health Research Institutes. Hans-Uwe Dahms reports financial support was provided by Ministry of Education., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Human pathogenic diseases received much attention recently due to their uncontrolled spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which causes several threads every year. Effective alternate antimicrobials are urgently required to combat those disease causing infectious microbes. Halophilic actinobacteria revealed huge potentials and unexplored cultivable/non-cultivable actinobacterial species producing enormous antimicrobials have been proved in several genomics approaches. Potential gene clusters, PKS and NRPKS from Nocardia , Salinospora , Rhodococcus , and Streptomyces have wide range coding genes of secondary metabolites. Biosynthetic pathways identification via various approaches like genome mining, In silico, OSMAC (one strain many compound) analysis provides better identification of knowing the active metabolites using several databases like AMP, APD and CRAMPR, etc. Genome constellations of actinobacteria particularly the prediction of BGCs (Biosynthetic Gene Clusters) to mine the bioactive molecules such as pigments, biosurfactants and few enzymes have been reported for antimicrobial activity. Saltpan, saltlake, lagoon and haloalkali environment exploring potential actinobacterial strains Micromonospora , Kocuria , Pseudonocardia, and Nocardiopsis revealed several acids and ester derivatives with antimicrobial potential. Marine sediments and marine macro organisms have been found as significant population holders of potential actinobacterial strains. Deadly infectious diseases (IDs) including tuberculosis, ventilator-associated pneumonia and Candidiasis, have been targeted by halo-actinobacterial metabolites with promising results. Methicillin resistant Staphylococus aureus and virus like Encephalitic alphaviruses were potentially targeted by halophilic actinobacterial metabolites by the compound Homoseongomycin from sponge associated antinobacterium. In this review, we discuss the potential antimicrobial properties of various biomolecules extracted from the unexplored halophilic actinobacterial strains specifically against human infectious pathogens along with prospective genomic constellations., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestOn behalf of all the authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Sodium alginate based (SA) hydrogel supplemented Cerium Oxide nanoparticles (CeO 2 NPs) was produced to fabricate an antimicrobial thin film using an aqueous extract of G. salicornia (Gs). The Gs-CeO 2 NPs were characterized via SEM, FT-IR, EDX, XRD and DLS, the particle size was 200 nm, agreed with XRD. Gs-SA powder was extracted and incorporated with CeO 2 NPs. The Gs-SA and its composite thin film (Gs-CeO 2 NPs-SATF) were characterized including viscosity, FT-IR, TGA, and SEM. The adhesion of Gs-SA coating around Gs-CeO 2 NPs confirmed via FTIR. The antimicrobial properties of Gs-CeO 2 NPs and CeO 2 NPs-SATF were proved in MICs for E. coli and Candida albicans at 62.5 and 250.0 μg/mL. The biofilm inhibition efficiency of CeO 2 NPs-SATF was 74.67 ± 0.98% and 65.45 ± 0.40% for E. coli and Candida albicans. The CeO 2 NPs-SATF was polydisperse in nature and film structure gets fluctuated with NPs concentration. Increased NPs into SATF enhances pore size of gel and corroborated with viscous behaviour. The cytotoxicity of Gs-CeO 2 NP-SA in Artemia salina at higher concentration 100 μg/mL provides less lethal effect into the adult. The antioxidant activity of Gs-CeO 2 NP-SA in DPPH assay was noticed at 0.6 mg ml -1 with radical scavenging activity at 65.85 ± 0.81%. Thus the Gs-CeO 2 NP-SATF would be suitable in antimicrobial applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Alternative treatment strategies for urinary tract infections (UTIs) are becoming more necessary due to increasing drug resistance patterns in uropathogens. Nanoparticle-based therapeutics is emerging as a way to treat UTIs. In the present study, using Turbinaria ornata extract, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized, characterized, and their anti-uropathogenic activity was evaluated. The stability and formation of synthesized To-AgNPs were confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, SEM, and DLS. An FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of seaweed functional groups in To-AgNPs, a XRD analysis confirmed their crystalline nature, and SEM imaging confirmed their spherical nature with an average size of 73.98 nm with diameters ranging from 64.67 to 81.28 nm. This was confirmed by TEM results. DLS determined that the cumulant hydrodynamic diameter of To-AgNPs was 128.3 nm with a PdI of 0.313 and the zeta potential value were found to be -63.3 mV which indicates the To-AgNPs are negatively charged and more stable. DPPH assays were used to assess the antioxidant activity of biosynthesized To-AgNPs, while an agar well diffusion method was used to test the antibacterial activity against uropathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis , and Klebsiella pneumoniae . The To-AgNPs showed the highest susceptibility to S. aureus (15.75 ± 0.35 mm) and E. coli (15 ± 0.7 mm) with MIC values of 0.0625 and 0.125 mg/ml, respectively in macro broth dilution method and observed considerable membrane damage under CLSM and SEM. To-AgNPs displayed stronger antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, suggesting they may be developed as a new class of antimicrobial agents for treating UTIs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Raj, Muthukumar, Dahms, James and Kandaswamy.)

Background: Medical universities use their websites to teach, research, and promote a culture of health. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of medical universities in terms of health information and education regarding COVID-19 by surveying the website of Iranian medical universities., Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in June to August 2020 on the websites of medical universities in three categories of universities (type 1, type 2 and type 3). The information of this study was collected from medical universities located in the east, west, north, south and center of Iran. Data were collected according to a checklist. The checklist contained 3 sections; the first part with 8 components regarding general information of the university websites, the second part with 11 components regarding the information and news related to the coronavirus and the third part with 12 components regarding the content of personal health education and environmental health for the prevention of coronavirus. To determine the status of each website in the two areas of health information and education, websites were divided into three categories based on scores (poor, average and good). Data were analyzed by chi-square., Results: In this study, 1118 web pages related to 48 Iranian universities of medical sciences were reviewed, where 19 were type 1 universities, 21 type 2 universities, and 8 type 3 universities. The mean scores of the websites regarding the information and news related to the coronavirus (8.54 ± 1.750) and the mean scores of the websites regarding the personal and environmental health education related to coronavirus (10.96 ± 1.148) were in a favorable and positive condition. The ranking of medical universities by type showed that the scores in the two areas of health information and education about the coronavirus were in good condition and none of the universities were in bad condition. Chi-square showed that the information status and news related to the coronavirus had a significantly positive relationship with the type of medical universities (χ 2  = 10.343, p = 0.006)., Conclusions: The results of this study showed that type1 and type 2 and 62.5% of type 3 medical universities were in good condition in terms of total scores in the two areas of health information and education about coronavirus and none of the universities were in a bad situation. It is suggested that the website of medical universities can serve as a reliable and appropriate source of information not only for academics and students but also for the general public., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Polluted waterbodies such as rivers provide a pathway or reservoir for bacterial resistance. We studied water quality and bacterial antibacterial resistance along the subtropical Qishan River in Taiwan as a case study of environmental resistance spread in a pristine rural area. Human settlement densities increased generally from pristine mountain sites to the more polluted lowlands. Accordingly, as a working hypothesis, we expected the antibacterial resistance level to increase downstream. We collected sediment samples from 8 stations along the Qishan river and where the Qishan river reaches the Kaoping river. The samples were processed in the lab for bacteriological and physicochemical analysis. Antibacterial resistance was tested with common antibacterial. A comparison was made among the sites where isolates began to occur at the upstream (sites 1-6) with the downstream, including site 7 (Qishan town), site 8 (wastewater treatment plant), and site 9 (Kaoping river). The results of multivariate analysis for bacteriological and physicochemical parameters showed increasing water pollution levels downstream of the Qishan river. Bacterial isolates including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter sp., Acinetobacter sp., Staphylococcus spp., and Bacillus spp. were analyzed and tested in the study. Their percentage of occurrence varied at each site. The resistance level was determined from the growth inhibition zone diameter (disk diffusion) and the minimum inhibitory concentration (micro-dilution). The results indicated that antibacterial resistance was related to certain environmental factors. Besides, the usage pattern of different classes of antibacterial in different sections could alter trends of their resistance. Bacteria were found with increased resistance to antibacterial used in agriculture through the downstream sites. The WWTP discharging wastewater was demonstrated to be a hotspot of resistance in aquatic environments. In conclusion, bacterial resistance against antibacterial from the Qishan river has become a potential public health threat. This study could assist authorities by providing a reference for risk assessment and management of water quality in Kaohsiung city and southern Taiwan., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Multidrug-resistant strains (MDRs) are becoming a major concern in a variety of settings, including water treatment and the medical industry. Well-dispersed catalysts such as BiPO 4 , ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), and different ratios of BiPO 4 /ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized through hydrothermal treatments. The morphological behavior of the prepared catalysts was characterized using XRD, Raman spectra, PL, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), SEM, EDX, and Fe-SEM. MDRs were isolated and identified by the 16s rDNA technique as belonging to B. flexus , B. filamentosus , P. stutzeri , and A. baumannii . The antibacterial activity against MDRs and the photocatalytic methylene blue (MB) dye degradation activity of the synthesized NPs and NCs were studied. The results demonstrate that the prepared BiPO 4 /ZnO-NCs (B1Z4-75:300; NCs-4) caused a maximum growth inhibition of 20 mm against A. baumannii and a minimum growth inhibition of 12 mm against B. filamentosus at 80 μg mL -1 concentrations of the NPs and NCs. Thus, NCs-4 might be a suitable alternative to further explore and develop as an antibacterial agent. The obtained results statistically justified the data ( p ≤ 0.05) via one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). According to the results of the antibacterial and photocatalytic study, we selected the best bimetallic NCs-4 for the photoexcited antibacterial effect of MDRs, including Gram ve + and Gram ve - strains, via UV light irradiation. The flower-like NCs-4 composites showed more effectiveness than those of BiPO 4 , ZnO, and other ratios of NCs. The results encourage the development of flower-like NCs-4 to enhance the photocatalytic antibacterial technique for water purification.

The aim of this study was to understand the distribution of the personal care products nonylphenol (NP), triclosan (TCS), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), and caffeine in the sludges from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP-A, -B, and -C) in southern Taiwan. The four compounds were analyzed from activated sludge and dewatered sludge samples, and then the samples were treated with pressure-assisted ozonation under different conditions and removal efficiencies. All four target compounds were detected, especially NP, which was detected in the highest concentrations in the activated sludges of WWTP-A and dewatered sludges of WWTP-C at 17.19 ± 4.10 and 2.41 ± 1.93 µg/g, respectively. TCS was dominant in dewatered sludges from WWTP-B, and the highest detected concentration was 13.29 ± 6.36 µg/g. Removals of 70% and 90% were attained under 150 psi at 40 cycles for NP and TCS, respectively, with 5 min of ozonation reaction time, a solid/water ratio of 1:20, and 2% ozone concentration. Ecological risk quotients (RQs) were calculated by the ratios of the 10-day Hyalella azteca (freshwater amphipod) LC50 to the environmental concentrations of the target compounds. High RQs were found to be >10 for NP, TCS, and BP-3 in untreated sludges, resulting in significant ecological risks to aquatic organisms when the sludges are arbitrarily disposed. However, the toxic effects on Hyalella azteca were not significantly different among ozone sludge treatments. The reason for this may be related to the formation of toxic oxidation by-products and incomplete mineralization of organic compounds. This could also be true for unknown intermediates. The relatively high detection frequencies of these emerging compounds in WWTP sludges requires further applications and treatments.

Background: Food hygiene is one of the specialized fields of environmental health, and despite the problems associated with foodborne illnesses, there is no evaluation available that would focus on specialized environmental health journals. The purpose of the present survey is a comparison of the status of food hygiene articles published in Iranian and international journals of environmental health., Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on all published articles in five Iranian environmental health journals and three international environmental health journals that are among the top 5% and 10% based on SNIP, emphasizing the issue of food. Our data were collected by searching relevant keywords in the articles published during the years (2008-2021), with emphasis on food hygiene. In the checklist, journal and articles information was collected by year of publication, a number of articles, information on authors' participation status in terms of number, gender, organizational affiliation, country and continents, and research centers according to authors' authorship. Statistical analysis of data was performed using descriptive and inferential statistical indices. VOSviewer software was also used to visualize the data., Results: In Iranian environmental health journals, out of 2305 articles (7.3%) and out of 6898 articles in international environmental health journals (2.4%) dealt with food hygiene. Food hygiene articles were divided into seven categories, with the largest number of articles on aquatic and agricultural products each with a frequency of 48 articles. Articles related to heavy metals in food were provided by 30.81%. In this study, out of 150 articles, 15 articles were written with the participation of 30 authors from seven continents (Asia, America, and Europe), most of which were from Asia and India. In international environmental health journals, among the main research topics in articles related to food hygiene, the highest number (52.5%) was related to a determination about pollution such as heavy metal concentrations in food., Conclusions: Articles published in Iranian and international environmental health journals about food hygiene were limited. According to the increasing prevalence of foodborne illnesses, especially in recent decades, and the importance of paying attention to food hygiene, more targeted studies are needed., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Colonisation of crustacean zooplankton with ciliate epibionts is widespread in freshwater and marine environments. However, the ecology of such association are little studied as yet. The occurrence of ciliate epibionts on copepods and the preference towards this association with different life stages of Mesocyclops were studied from winter to spring. Relative susceptibility of zooplankton species was evaluated by analysing the epibiont colonies and zooids and relate this to the surface area of the host. The maximum epibiont infestation per unit body surface area was recorded on copepodites followed by copepod nauplii rather than other zooplankton species, whereas the rotifer Asplanchna was never affected. Influence of climatic factors such as temperature on the colonisation of epibionts on basibionts was found significant. In winter (November to February) samples, copepods were infested by autotrophic epibionts whereas in late spring and early summer (March-April) heterotrophic protists (peritrichian ciliates) were the sole epibionts on copepods. We conducted experiments in the laboratory on prey selection pattern of predators by direct visual and video-graphic observations of various events (encounter, attack, capture, ingestion, prey escape) during predation by infested and uninfested copepodites and adults of Mesocyclops. Postencounter the attack probability was significantly lower in infested than in uninfested copepods. The present paper reports on substrate preference by epibionts and their impacts in food rich and food scarce environments. Furthermore, major environmental interactions were studied with the reproductive phenology of copepods with respect to epibionts and the cause and effect of long term association of epibionts with copepods need to be addressed., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Microplastics are potential carriers of harmful contaminants but their combined effects are largely unknown. It needs intensive monitoring in order to achieve a better understanding of metal-oxide nanoparticles and their dispersion via microplastics such as styrofoam in the aquatic environment. In the present study, an effort was made to provide a preferable perception about the toxic effects of engineered nanoparticles (NPs), namely, copper oxide (CuO NPs), nickel oxide (NiO NPs), copper oxide/chitosan (CuO/CS NPs) and nickel oxide/chitosan (NiO/CS NPs). Characterizations of synthesized NPs included their morphology (SEM and EDX), functional groups (FT-IR) and crystallinity (XRD). Their combined toxic effect after adsorption to styrofoam (SF) was monitored using the hydrothermal vent bacterium Jeotgalicoccus huakuii as a model. This was done by determining MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) through a resazurin assay measuring ELISA, growth, biofilm inhibition and making a live and dead assay. Results revealed that at high concentrations (60 mg/10 mL) of CuO, CuO/CS NPs and 60 mg of SF adsorbed CuO and CuO/CS NPs inhibited the growth of J. huakuii. However, NPs rather than SF inhibited the growth of bacteria. The toxicity of NPs adsorbed on plain SF was found to be less compared to NPs alone. This study revealed new dimensions regarding the positive impacts of SF at low concentrations. Synthesized NPs applied separately were found to affect the growth of bacteria substantially more than if coated to SF resin beads., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Plasticizers increase the flexibility of plastics. As environmental leachates they lead to increased water and soil pollution, as well as to serious harm to human health. This study was set out to explore various web applications to predict the toxicological properties of plasticizers. Web-based tools (e.g., BOILED-Egg, LAZAR, PROTOX-II, CarcinoPred-EL) and VEGA were accessed via an 5th-10th generation computer in order to obtain toxicological predictions. Based on the LAZAR mutagenicity assessment was only bisphenol F predicted as mutagenic. The BBP and DBP in RF; DEHP in RF and XGBoost; DNOP in RF and XGBoost models were predicted as carcinogenic in the CarcinoPred-EL web application. From the bee predictive model (KNN/IRFMN) BPF, di-n-propyl phthalate, diallyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and diisohexyl phthalate were predicted as strong bee toxicants. Acute toxicity for fish using the model Sarpy/IRFMN predicted 19 plasticizers as strong toxicants with LC50 values of less than 1 mg/L. This study also considered plasticizer effects on gastrointestinal absorption and other toxicological endpoints., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: A balanced and optimized amount of nutrients in bread, which is the main food in many countries, is necessary to maintain human health. Considering the importance of nutritional values of bread in the food basket of Iranian households, the purpose of this study was to determine the nutrients and their concentrations in breads consumed in Iran., Methods: This systematic review study was performed to determine the types of nutrients in breads consumed in Iran by searching reputable international databases including Scopus and Google scholar, PubMed, Science direct, ISI (Web of Science). Data were collected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and by searching for relevant keywords, emphasizing the types of nutrients in breads consumed in Iran. Qualitative data were collected using the standard PRISMA checklist (preferential reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis). After verifying the quality of the articles, the information was entered into a checklist such as the name of the first author and year of publication of the research, type of study, number of samples, type of nutrition, type of bread and amount of nutrition measured., Results: After reviewing the information and quality of articles, 10 articles were qualified for systematic review. The review of the articles showed that different breads were experimented, including: Sangak, Barbari, Taftoon, Lavash, French and local bread. The highest number of experimented bread samples was Sangak. Examination of the articles showed that 6 nutrients were experimented in different breads such as Fe, K, Mg, Ca, Cu and Zn. The highest number of experimented in breads was related to the amount of Zn (13 times) and Cu (10 times), respectively. The results of quality assessment of articles showed that most of the studies were of good quality. The results of articles on the amount of nutrients measured in different breads showed that only in two articles the amount of nutrients was reported to be desirable. In most articles, the amount of nutrients in breads was reported to be lower or higher than standard., Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the concentration of nutrients in most articles was undesirable. It is suggested that optimal methods of enrichment of breads and flours be done with interdisciplinary cooperation between food hygiene, environmental health, nutrition, farmers and bakers. It is recommended that food hygiene and environmental health researchers investigate other nutrients (including phosphorus, selenium, manganese, boron and molybdenum) in breads and other staple foods used by people to constructive and practical measures to increase public health., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are increasingly causing morbidity and mortality; thus, drugs with multifunctional efficacy against MRSA are needed. We extracted a novel compound from the halophilic Pseudomonas aeruginosa using an ethyl acetate (HPAEtOAcE). followed by purification and structure elucidation through HPLC, LCMS, and 1 H and 13 C NMR, revealing the novel 5-(1 H -indol-3-yl)-4-pentyl-1,3-oxazole-2-carboxylic acid (Compound 1 ). Molecular docking of the compound against the MRSA PS (pantothenate synthetase) protein was confirmed using the CDOCKER algorithm in BDS software with specific binding to the amino acids Arg (B:188) and Lys (B:150) through covalent hydrogen bonding. Molecular dynamic simulation of RMSD revealed that the compound-protein complex was stabilized. The proficient bioactivities against MRSA were attained by the HPAEtOAcE, including MIC and MBCs, which were 0.64 and 1.24 µg/mL, respectively; 100% biomass inhibition and 99.84% biofilm inhibition were observed with decayed effects by CLSM and SEM at 48 h. The hla , IrgA , and SpA MRSA genes were downregulated in RT-PCR. Non-hemolytic and antioxidant potential in the DPPH assay were observed at 10 mg/mL and IC 50 29.75 ± 0.38 by the HPAEtOAcE. In vitro growth inhibition assays on MRSA were strongly supported by in silico molecular docking; Lipinski's rule on drug-likeness and ADMET toxicity prediction indicated the nontoxic nature of compound.

Pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease caused by progressive deterioration of lung tissue, is generated by several factors including genetic and environmental ones. In response to long-term exposure to environmental stimuli, aberrant tissue repair and epithelial cell-to- mesenchymal cell transition (EMT) trigger the subsequent progression of pulmonary fibrotic diseases. The Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that is activated by ligands providing lung dysfunction when activated by environmental toxins, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Our previous study demonstrated that AhR mediates α-SMA expression by directly binding to the α-SMA (fibroblast differentiation marker) promoter, suggesting the role of AhR in mediating fibrogenic progression. Here we follow the hypothesis that macrophage infiltrated microenvironments may trigger inflammation and subsequent fibrosis. We studied the expression of cytokines in RAW 264.7 cells by AhR activation through an ELISA assay. To investigate molecular events, migration, western blotting and zymography assays were carried out. We found that AhR agonists such as TCDD, IP and FICZ, promote the migration and induce inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α and G-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1β and MIP-2. These cytokines arbitrate EMT marker expression such as E-cadherin, fibronectin, and vimentin in pulmonary epithelial cells. Expression of proteins of MMPs in mouse macrophages was determined by zymography, showing the caseinolytic activity of MMP-1 and the gelatinolytic action of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Taken together, the present study showed that AhR activated macrophages create an inflammatory microenvironment which favours the fibrotic progression of pulmonary epithelial cells. Such production of inflammatory factors was accomplished by affecting the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, thereby creating a microenvironment which enhances the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, leading to fibrosis of the lung.

This study reports a facile approach for the fabrication of chitosan (CS, biopolymer)- and l-histidine (L-His, biomolecule)-stabilized self-assembled silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) for sensing Cu 2+ ions. Approached method yielded 3.8 ± 0.04 nm size CS/L-His-SiNPs particles, with high stability against harsh pH and temperature conditions. Besides, CS/L-His-SiNPs highly selective to Copper amongst different metal ions tested (Fe 3+ , Mg 2+ , Al 3+ , Cr 3+ , Cr 6+ , Cu 2+ , Mn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ , Zn 2+ , Hg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Li 2+ , Po 4 2- , As 3+ , As 5+ ). As compared to the blank-SiNPs (LOD = 96.49 ± 0.223 μM) and CS-SiNPs (LOD = 33.35 ± 1.004 μM); L-His ligand, enhanced the sensitivity of the CS/L-His-SiNPs toward Cu 2+ with remarkable LOD value of 55.02 ± 0.42 nM. Applicability of CS/L-His-SiNPs was evaluated by coating CS/L-His-SiNPs on thin layer chromatography (TLC) sheets, CS/L-His-SiNPs-TLC sheets exhibited significant sensing capacity toward Cu 2+ ions, with a detection range of 4.0-900 μM, making them suitable for on-site analysis of Cu 2+ ions from both environmental and clinical samples. Finally, Cu 2+ sensing practicality of CS/L-His-SiNPs-TLC sheets were challenged against real human urine samples. Expressively, CS/L-His-SiNPs-TLC sheets could be regenerated using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), without losing their photostability, and can be reused further., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Green nanotechnology is currently a very crucial and indispensable technology for handling diverse problems regarding the living planet. The concoction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has opened new insights in cancer therapy. The current investigation caters to the concept of the involvement of a novel eco-friendly avenue to produce AgNPs employing the wild endolichenic fungus Talaromyces funiculosus. The synthesized Talaromyces funiculosus -AgNPs were evaluated with the aid of UV visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesized Talaromyces funiculosus -AgNPs ( TF -AgNPs) exhibited hemo-compatibility as evidenced by a hemolytic assay. Further, they were evaluated for their efficacy against foodborne pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis , Listeria innocua , and Micrococcus luteus and nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, and Bacillus subtilis bacterial strains. The synthesized TF -AgNPs displayed cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner against MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells and eventually condensed the chromatin material observed through the Hoechst 33342 stain. Subsequent analysis using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy provided the inference of a possible role of intracellular ROS (OH - , O - , H 2 O 2 , and O 2 - ) radicals in the destruction of mitochondria, DNA machinery, the nucleus, and overall damage of the cellular machinery of breast cancerous cells. The combined effect of predation by the cyclopoid copepod Mesocyclops aspericornis and TF-AgNPS for the larval management of dengue vectors were provided. A promising larval control was evident after the conjunction of both predatory organisms and bio-fabricated nanoparticles. Thus, this study provides a novel, cost-effective, extracellular approach of TF -AgNPs production with hemo-compatible, antioxidant, and antimicrobial efficacy against both human and foodborne pathogens with cytotoxicity (dose dependent) towards MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma.

Background: Negative effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs on HIV/AIDS patients are one of the major health issues in the therapeutic treatment of this communicable disease. This holds particularly for people living with HIV (PLHIV) who might have a non-communicable disease (like hypertension), which also requires a lifetime treatment. In this study, we investigated the association between hypertension and other possible factors on ART toxicity markers in patients with hypertension, compared to those without hypertension., Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study reviewed chronic patient files of 525 patients (of which 222 were hypertensive) who satisfied the inclusion criteria and were on ART at a hospital in central Eswatini. Specific levels of estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were used as drug toxicity markers. To analyze the longitudinal data between the exposure of interest and outcome variables, a Generalized Estimated Equation method was employed., Results: Participants with hypertension had decreased eGFR compared to those without hypertension (β = -2.22; p -value = 0.03). There was no significant association between ALT, AST and hypertension ( p -value = 0.34 and 0.20, respectively). Factors that were found to have a significant association with ART toxicity markers included age, sex, ART duration, hypertension treatment and time of study. The eGFR was found to be significantly increasing over the study period ( p -value < 0.001) for all participants. The significance was consistent in both hypertensive and non-hypertensive participants independently ( p -value = 0.002 and <0.001, respectively). The overall trends of ALT and AST over time were also significant ( p -value = 0.003 and <0.001, respectively)., Conclusions: Patients with hypertension had decreased eGFR, and there was a significant association of eGFR with time of the study. Special attention, therefore, to monitor calamities which are indicated by a decrease of eGFR (like renal impairment) should be given in PLHIV on ART with hypertension, especially more so if they were on ART for longer time.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulation of various diseases including cancer has been extensively studied. Reactive oxidative species (ROS) elevated by oxidative stress are associated with cancer progression and drug resistance, while autophagy serves as an ROS scavenger in cancer cells. However, the regulatory effects of ncRNAs on autophagy and ROS in various cancer cells remains complex. Here, we explore how currently investigated ncRNAs, mainly miRNAs and lncRNAs, are involved in ROS production through modulating antioxidant genes. The regulatory effects of miRNAs and lncRNAs on autophagy-related (ATG) proteins to control autophagy activity in cancer cells are discussed. Moreover, differential expression of ncRNAs in tumor and normal tissues of cancer patients are further analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. This review hypothesizes links between ATG genes- or antioxidant genes-modulated ncRNAs and ROS production, which might result in tumorigenesis, malignancy, and cancer recurrence. A better understanding of the regulation of ROS and autophagy by ncRNAs might advance the use of ncRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as therapeutic targets in cancer therapy., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Current study aims to synthesize chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA), poly(ethyleneimine), and Fe 3 O 4 impregnated beads for co-removal of Cr(VI) and toxic azo-dyes from wastewater. The mesoporous PEI@AC@Fe 3 O 4 exhibits magnetism and enhanced physisorption by higher specific-porosity (2.1 nm) from Cr(VI) radii (0.044 nm). Moreover, surface functional groups (-OH, -NH, -NH 2 , -COOH etc.), especially amines enhance ionic bonding due to positive zeta potential. Hence, it is unique for anionic dyes removal under a wide pH range. It showed maximum adsorption capacity 98, 85.5, 85.8, and 91%, or 199.8, 148, 167, 176.5 mg g -1 respectively for Cr(VI), tartrazine, sunset yellow, and erythrosine. Surface adsorption of Cr(VI) and its transition into Cr(III) was confirmed by EDX. Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-first-order kinetics best fit the adsorption of Cr(VI) and azo-dyes confirming their monolayer physisorption on adsorbent surface. Synthesized adsorbent examined in wastewater purification prototype for efficient removal of different simulated wastewaters confirms its potential for real-world applications., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microbial pathogens that cause severe infections and are resistant to drugs are simultaneously becoming more active. This urgently calls for novel effective antibiotics. Organisms from extreme environments are known to synthesize novel bioprospecting molecules for biomedical applications due to their peculiar characteristics of growth and physiological conditions. Antimicrobial developments from hypersaline environments, such as lagoons, estuaries, and salterns, accommodate several halophilic microbes. Salinity is a distinctive environmental factor that continuously promotes the metabolic adaptation and flexibility of halophilic microbes for their survival at minimum nutritional requirements. A genetic adaptation to extreme solar radiation, ionic strength, and desiccation makes them promising candidates for drug discovery. More microbiota identified via sequencing and 'omics' approaches signify the hypersaline environments where compounds are produced. Microbial genera such as Bacillus , Actinobacteria , Halorubrum and Aspergillus are producing a substantial number of antimicrobial compounds. Several strategies were applied for producing novel antimicrobials from halophiles including a consortia approach. Promising results indicate that halophilic microbes can be utilised as prolific sources of bioactive metabolites with pharmaceutical potentialto expand natural product research towards diverse phylogenetic microbial groups which inhabit salterns. The present study reviews interesting antimicrobial compounds retrieved from microbial sources of various saltern environments, with a discussion of their potency in providing novel drugs against clinically drug-resistant microbes.

The traditional approach for biodegradation of organic matter in sewage treatment used a consortium of bacterial spp. that produce untreated or partially treated inorganic contaminants resulting in large amounts of poor-quality sludge. The aeration process of activated sludge treatment requires high energy. So, a sustainable technique for sewage treatment that could produce less amount of sludge and less energy demanding is required for various developed and developing countries. This led to research into using microalgae for wastewater treatment as they reduce concentrations of nutrients like inorganic nitrates and phosphates from the sewage water, hence reducing the associated chemical oxygen demand (COD). The presence of microalgae removes nutrient concentration in water resulting in reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and toxic heavy metals like Al, Ni, and Cu. Their growth also offers opportunity to produce biofuels and bioproducts from algal biomass. To optimize use of microalgae, technologies like high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs) have been developed, that typically use 22% of the electricity used in Sequencing Batch Reactors for activated sludge treatment with added economic and environmental benefits like reduced comparative operation cost per cubic meter, mitigate global warming, and eutrophication potentials. The addition of suitable bacterial species may further enhance the treatment potential in the wastewater medium as the inorganic nutrients are assimilated into the algal biomass, while the organic nutrients are utilized by bacteria. Further, the mutual exchange of CO 2 and O 2 between the algae and the bacteria helps in enhancing the photosynthetic activity of algae and oxidation by bacteria leading to a higher overall nutrient removal efficiency. Even negative interactions between algae and bacteria mediated by various secondary metabolites (phycotoxins) have proven beneficial as it controls the algal bloom in the eutrophic water bodies. Herein, we attempt to review various opportunities and limitations of using a combination of microalgae and bacteria in wastewater treatment method toward cost effective, eco-friendly, and sustainable method of sewage treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Mathew, Khatana, Vats, Dhanker, Kumar, Dahms and Hwang.)

There are certain disadvantages in treating bacterial infections through conventional methods. For this reason, the current study does focus on combating bacterial wound infections by photothermal therapy assisted by gold nanorod-peptide conjugates (GNR-peptide conjugates). Two peptides, the cationic antimicrobial peptide LL-37 and neuropeptide ANGIOPEP-2 both with specificity for targeted bacterial binding, were conjugated with GNR surface through electrostatic interactions. The GNR-peptide conjugates showed good biocompatibility, sufficient stability, enhanced targeting, potential photothermal killing of bacteria, and possible acceleration of wound healing. The photo-biomodulation properties of NIR improved the wound closure rates through enhanced cell migration. The multifunctional LL37-conjugated GNRs significantly enhanced photothermal therapeutic outcomes based on bacterial targeting with promising wound healing properties., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Extreme environments are hostile for most organisms, but such habitats represent suitable settings to be inhabited by specialized microorganisms. A marine shallow-water hydrothermal vent field is located offshore in northeast Taiwan, near the shallow shore of the southeast of Kueishantao Island (121°55' E, 24°50' N). Research on extremophilic microorganisms makes use of the biotechnological potential associated with such microorganisms and their cellular products. With the notion that extremophiles are capable of surviving in extreme environments, it is assumed that their metabolites are adapted to function optimally under such conditions. As extremophiles, they need specific culture conditions, and only a fraction of species from the original samples are recovered in culture. We used different non-selective and selective media to isolate bacterial species associated with the hydrothermal vent crab Xenograpsus testudinatus and the sediments of its habitat. The highest number of colonies was obtained from Zobell marine agar plates with an overall number of 29 genetically distinct isolates. 16sRNA gene sequencing using the Sanger sequencing method revealed that most of the bacterial species belonged to the phylum Firmicutes and the class Bacilli. The present study indicates that hydrothermal vent bacteria and their secondary metabolites may play an important role for the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of the phylum Procaryota.

Extreme temperatures from marine heatwaves (MHWs) and pollution are dominant stressors in tropical marine ecosystems. However, we know little about the role of transgenerational effects of metals and MHWs in shaping the offspring's vulnerability to these stressors. We addressed this fundamental knowledge gap by exposing the planktonic copepod Pseudodiaptomus incisus to copper (Cu: control, 15 and 60 μg L -1 ) under 2 temperatures (30 and a simulated marine heatwave at 34 °C) in the first generation (F1) and 16 treatments in F2: offspring from each of 4 F1 conditions (control or 15 μg Cu L -1  × 30 or 34 °C) was reared in 4 F2 conditions (control or 15 μg Cu L -1  × 30 or 34 °C). We assessed changes in copepod performance, particularly survival, adult size, grazing, and reproduction. In F1, Cu or marine heatwave (MHW) exposures reduced all fitness traits of F1; the effects were particularly strong when both stressors were present. Transgenerational effects of Cu or MHW also strongly reduced F2 performance. Direct Cu and MHW effects on the offspring were further strengthened by transgenerational effects, resulting in more substantial reductions in F2 performance when both generations were exposed to these stressors. As copepods are major food resources for corals, shrimps, or fish larvae and juveniles, strong transgenerational and direct effects of Cu and MHW can have a cascading effect on entire coastal food webs. These results highlight the importance of considering the interaction of transgenerational and direct effects of multiple stressors, particularly relevant for short-lived organisms in tropical marine ecosystems., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mosquitoes are a great menace for humankind since they transmit pathogenic organisms causing Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, Elephantiasis and Japanese encephalitis. There is an urgent need to discover new and novel biological tools to mitigate mosquito-borne diseases. To develop bioinsecticides through newly developed nanotechnology is another option in the present research scenario. In this study we synthesize and characterize sardine fish scales with silver nitrate by adopting various instrumental techniques such as UV- and FTIR-spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDAX), X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Toxicity bioassays were conducted with young developmental stages of mosquito vectors. Significant mortality appeared after different life stages of mosquito vectors (young larval and pupal instars were exposed to the nanomaterials). LC 50 values were 13.261 ppm for young first instar larvae and 32.182 ppm for pupae. Feeding and predatory potential of G. affinis, before and after exposure to nanoparticles against mosquito larval (I & II) instars of the mosquitoes showed promising results in laboratory experiments. Feeding potential of mosquito fish without nanoparticle treatment was 79.7% and 70.55% for the first and second instar larval populations respectively. At the nanoparticle-exposed situation the predatory efficiency of mosquitofish was 94.15% and 84.3%, respectively. Antioxidant enzymes like (SOD), (CAT), and (LPO) were estimated in the gill region of sardine fish in control and experimental waters. A significant reduction of egg hatchability was evident after nanoparticle application. It became evident from this study that the nano-fabricated materials provide suitable tools to control the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi in the aquatic phase of its life cycle. This finding suggests an effective novel approach to mosquito control., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: The use of nanotechnologies is important to reduce environmental health problems in Iran, so the present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of nanotechnologies in environmental health. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study for 11-year periods (2008-2018) on all articles published in three specialized journals of environmental health with emphasis on the use of nanotechnologies in various fields of environmental health (water, air, sewage, waste, food, radiation, etc)., Results: In this study, 774 articles related to 114 issues of 3 specialized environmental health journals were reviewed. A review of 774 articles showed that 80 articles (10.3%) were published in the field of nanotechnologies. Out of 80 articles published in the field of nanotechnology, 66 articles (82.5%) were published on the subject of water, 9 articles (11.3%) on wastewater and 5 articles (6.2%) on air pollution. Subject review of articles showed that articles using carbon nanotubes to remove natural organic pollutants, surfactants, hydroxybenzenes, phenol, dimethyl phthalates, use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, iron-magnesium nanoparticles for wastewater treatment, Silver nanoparticles were used to remove air pollution. The results showed that published articles on nanotechnology in the field of environmental health were few., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Non-communicable diseases are increasing faster in HIV/AIDS patients than in the general population. We studied the association between hypertension and other possible confounding factors on viral load and CD4-cell counts in hypertensive and non-hypertensive HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at a large hospital in Eswatini over a 4-year period. We performed a retrospective longitudinal review of the medical records of 560 ART patients divided into non-hypertension and hypertension groups (n = 325 and n = 235) from July 27 to September 8, 2018. Generalized Estimated Equation was used to analyze the longitudinal data. Hypertensive patients were more likely to have improved CD4-cell counts than non-hypertensive patients (OR = 1.83, [1.37-2.44]). ART patients with hypertension were more likely to have detectable viral loads, though not significant (OR = 1.37 [0.77-2.43]). In non-hypertensive patients, second line ART was significantly associated with viral load (OR = 8.61 [2.93-25.34]) and adverse side effects (OR = 3.50 [1.06-11.54]), while isoniazid preventive therapy was significantly associated with CD4-cell counts (OR = 1.68 [1.16-2.45]). In hypertensive patients, factors associated with viral load were WHO HIV stage (OR = 2.84 [1.03-7.85]) and adherence (OR = 8.08 [1.33-49.04]). In both groups, CD4-cell counts significantly and steadily increased over time (p-value < 0.001). Results show a significant association between hypertension and CD4 cell counts but not viral load. In ART patients with and without hypertension, the factors associated with prognostic markers were different. More attention may need to be paid to ART patients with well controlled HIV status to monitoring and controlling of hypertension status.

We disclose a straightforward approach to fabricate nanocomposites for efficient capture of Cr(VI) from an aqueous solution through the self-assembly of poly(ethyleneimine)-modified graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs) and lysozyme fibrils (LFs). The as-made PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs@LFs exhibited mesoporous structures with a high specific surface area of 39.6 m 2 g -1 , a large pore volume of 0.25 cm 3 g -1 , several functional groups (e.g., -N, -NH, -NH 2 , and -COOH), and a zero-point charge at pH 9.1. These merits allow the PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs@LFs to further enhance their physical adsorption and electrostatic attraction with the negatively charged Cr(VI) species of HCrO 4 - and CrO 4 2- , which is beneficial for the uptake of Cr(VI), >80%, from an aqueous solution in a wide pH range. Interestingly, X-ray photoelectron spectra indicate that the PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs@LFs converted Cr(VI) to Cr(III) through visible-light-induced photoreduction. The adsorption of Cr(VI) on the surface of PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs@LFs was found to obey the Freundlich isotherm model, signifying that they have a heterogeneous surface for the multilayer uptake of Cr(VI). In contrast, the PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs and LFs as Cr(VI) adsorbents followed the Langmuir isotherm model. Adsorption kinetic studies showed that the uptake of Cr(VI) through the PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs@LFs was highly correlated with a pseudo-first-order model, suggesting that physisorption dominates the interaction of Cr(VI) and the PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs@LFs. In real-life applications, the PEI-g-C 3 N 4 NSs@LFs were used for the detoxification of the total chromium in the industrial effluent and sludge samples.

Microbial secondary metabolites from extreme environments like hydrothermal vents are a promising source for industrial applications. In our study the protease gene from Bacillus cereus obtained from shallow marine hydrothermal vents in the East China Sea was cloned, expressed and purified. The protein sequence of 38 kDa protease SLSP-k was retrieved from mass spectrometry and identified as a subtilisin serine proteinase. The novel SLSP-k is a monomeric protein with 38 amino acid signal peptides being active over wide pH (7-11) and temperature (40-80 °C) ranges, with maximal hydrolytic activities at pH 10 and at 50 °C temperature. The hydrolytic activity is stimulated by Ca 2+ , Co 2+ , Mn 2+ , and DTT. It is inhibited by Fe 2+ , Cd 2+ , Cu 2+ , EDTA, and PMSF. The SLSP-k is stable in anionic, non-anionic detergents, and solvents. The ability to degrade keratin in chicken feather and hair indicates that this enzyme is suitable for the degradation of poultry waste without the loss of nutritionally essential amino acids which otherwise are lost in hydrothermal processing. Therefore, the proteinase is efficient in environmental friendly bioconversion of animal waste into fertilizers or value added products such as secondary animal feedstuffs.

Microbes or parasites spread vector-borne diseases by mosquitoes without being affected themselves. Insecticides used in vector control produce a substantial problem for human health. This study synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Lawsonia inermis L. and were characterized by UV-vis, FT-IR, SEM with EDX, and XRD analysis. Green synthesized ZnO NPs were highly toxic against Anopheles stephensi, whose lethal concentrations values ranged from 5.494 ppm (I instar), 6.801 ppm (II instar), 9.336 ppm (III instar), 10.736 ppm (IV instar), and 12.710 ppm (pupae) in contrast to L. inermis treatment. The predation efficiency of the teleost fish Gambusia affinis and the copepod Mesocyclops aspericornis against A. stephensi was not affected by exposure at sublethal doses of ZnO NPs. The predatory potency for G. affinis was 45 (I) and 25.83% (IV), copepod M. aspericornis was 40.66 (I) and 10.8% (IV) while in an ZnO NPs contaminated environment, the predation by the fish G. affinis was boosted to 71.33 and 34.25%, and predation of the copepod M. aspericornis was 60.35 and 16.75%, respectively. ZnO NPs inhibited the growth of several microbial pathogens including the bacteria (Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) and the fungi (Alternaria alternate and Aspergillus flavus), respectively. ZnO NPs decreased the cell viability of Hep-G2 with IC 50 value of 21.63 µg/mL (R 2  = 0.942; P < 0.001) while the concentration increased from 1.88 to 30 µg/mL. These outcomes support the use of L. inermis mediated ZnO NPs for mosquito control and drug development.