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ObjectiveThe monitoring of fluoride in drinking water in Qingpu District was conducted to evaluate the external exposure of residents through drinking water， and to provide data support for the continuous improvement of drinking water quality in the area and the health level of residents.MethodsFrom 2016 to 2021， the pipe network water was collected from 42 monitoring points in Qingpu District， every month， and the fluoride concentration in the pipe network water was detected by ion chromatography.ResultsThe fluctuation range of fluoride concentration in drinking water in Qingpu District from 2016 to 2021 was between 0.10 and 0.96 mg·L-1. The fluoride in drinking water did not exceed the standard， which was lower than the lower limit of the WHO recommended range. The median fluoride concentration in drinking water in the Qingcaosha water source area was 0.20 mg·L-1， and the median fluoride concentration in drinking water in the Dianshan lake water source area was 0.44 mg·L-1， and the difference between the two was statistically significant （Z=20.260， P

Background: Dianshan Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Shanghai and is the major water source for the Upper Huangpu River, which supplies raw water to the Jinze Reservoir. In this study involving continuously monitoring, we tested the water quality of Dianshan Lake to understand the main water pollution indicators and the status of algal toxins and to evaluate the quality of water in Dianshan Lake. Objective: The objectives of the study were to understand the changes in lake eutrophication status and algal toxin distribution patterns, the metabolism and accumulation of algal toxins in aquatic organisms in the lake area, and the changes in liver and kidney functions in healthy people after water treatment in Dianshan Lake in Qingpu District, Shanghai. Methods: We collected water samples from 5 monitoring points in Dianshan Lake every month in 2021. The test methods were based on the national standards of China: MC-RR and MC-CR were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. The Carlson index was calculated to assess eutrophication. Additionally, we collected 10 types of aquatic organisms and examined them for algal toxins once a month. We selected healthy human volunteers for experiments in which we collected fasting venous blood from each individual in both observation and control groups to measure renal function impairment. Results: All seasonal conditions, including high water, stagnant water, and dry periods, were represented in the 600 water samples taken from Dianshan Lake in 2021. The permanganate index (CODMn) was within the values for Chinese national surface water quality standard III, while the total nitrogen and total phosphorus levels did not meet the surface water quality standards. According to the Carlson index, Dianshan Lake exhibited moderate eutrophication. MC-LR was the dominant toxin in the high-temperature season, when the amount of algal toxins increased. From June through August, extremely high levels of MC-RR were found, whereas MC-LR dominated from July through October. In aquatic organisms, both MC-LR and MC-RR were detected in the monthly samples. The levels of toxins in local healthy humans differed significantly between the observation group and the control group. Individuals in the observation group exhibited renal function impairment. Conclusion: The water in Dianshan Lake is eutrophic. We detected both MC-LR and MC-RR in aquatic organisms. Our results indicate that long-term exposure to the polluted water of the lake may lead to health risks. Highlights: In this study, the main algal toxins affecting water quality in Dianshan Lake in Qingpu District, Shanghai, were monitored and detected, and the distribution and trends in algal toxins in different seasons and at different monitoring points in the Dianshan Lake area were preliminarily evaluated. The dominant algal toxins prevailing in different seasons were identified to provide a scientific basis for environmental protection, to understand the function and self-purification capacity of Dianshan Lake water, and to evaluate correlations between algal toxins and other nutrients. In this study, the main pollutants and the eutrophication status of the water source of Dianshan Lake were analyzed and evaluated. Through continuous monitoring, the water quality in different seasons and at different monitoring points was assessed. The results of this study were combined with those from previous research to determine long-term changes in the water body and potential intervention measures to be implemented after environmental protection in Dianshan Lake, and mutual interactions among relevant nutrients were elucidated. In this study, we detected algal toxins in water samples and in aquatic organisms to understand the distribution of algal toxins in the environment and in organisms, to determine the health risks that may exist in healthy human populations due to daily contact and dietary exposure, to assess the potential health hazards of long-term exposure to low concentrations of algal toxins in healthy populations, and to provide a scientific basis for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, we elucidated the neuroprotective effect of dioscin, a plant-derived steroidal saponin utilized in Chinese medicine to treat various diseases. To achieve this, we established the aluminum chloride–induced Alzheimer's disease rat model. Materials and Methods: Young, healthy, male Wistar rats were grouped into five: control, Alzheimer's disease–induced, Alzheimer's disease–induced and treated with 10 mg/kg dioscin, Alzheimer's disease–induced and treated with 20 mg/kg dioscin, and Alzheimer's disease–induced and treated with standard neuroprotective drug donepezil (1.5 mg/kg/day) by oral route. After completion of the treatment period, the animals were subjected to behavioral, biochemical, molecular, and histological analyses. Morris water maze and open-field tests were conducted to analyze the behavior of the animals. Acetylcholinesterase, glutamate, neurotransmitters, and oxidative stress markers were quantified to assess the biochemical changes in Alzheimer's-induced and dioscin-treated rats. Furthermore, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis was done to assess the mRNA expression of proinflammatory genes, and the neuroprotective effect of dioscin was confirmed with histopathological analysis of hippocampal region. Results: Aluminum chloride–induced neurodegeneration in rats was evident with behavioral, biochemical, molecular, and histological analyses. The results of behavioral analysis revealed that dioscin treatment increased the memory in Alzheimer's-induced rats. It also decreased the oxidative stress markers, and increased the level of norepinephrine and dopamine neurotransmitters involved in cognition. The mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines was significantly decreased in Alzheimer's-induced dioscin-treated rats. Histopathological analysis revealed that dioscin protects the hippocampus from aluminum chloride–induced neurodegeneration. Discussion: Overall our results confirmed that dioscin is a potent neuroprotectant and can be utilized to treat Alzheimer's disease in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a common form of dementia and is described by memory loss and behavioral disorder. The prevalence of AD is increasing rapidly each year worldwide. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to discover the therapeutic properties of esculetin against D-galactose (D-gal)-induced AD in an animal model. Materials and Methods: AD was initiated in rats by administering 150 mg/kg of D-gal via subcutaneous route for 6 weeks and supplemented with 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg of esculetin, respectively. Subsequently, memory and learning of the rats were investigated using the Morris water maze (MWM). The organ index of the liver, spleen, thymus, and kidneys was assessed. The enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), GSH-Px, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and the levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), 8-iso-prostaglandin F (8-iso-PGF), and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were assessed using commercially available kits. The level of acetylcholine (Ach) and the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was also assessed using kits. The brain tissue samples were assessed microscopically. Results: According to the results, esculetin significantly improved the bodyweight and organ index in AD animals. It significantly modulated the spatial learning and memory and improved the activities of CAT, SOD, GSH-Px, and HO-1. It significantly reduced the contents of AGEs, 8-iso-PGF, and 8-OHdG and inflammatory markers. Furthermore, esculetin increased the level of ACh and the reduced activity of AChE. Histological analysis of the brain tissue revealed that esculetin attenuated the D-gal-induced histological changes in the brain of AD rats. Conclusion: The findings of this study reveal that esculetin can ameliorate inflammation and oxidative damage in D-gal-induced AD rats. It can be further explored as a therapeutic agent to treat AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study evaluated Ruta graveolens Linn. extract (RGLE) for its possible role in the treatment of vascular dementia (VD) in the rat model and inhibition of autophagy in hippocampus tissues. Materials and Methods: The spatial working memory of the rats was assessed using the established Tmaze tests. A video camera was used for recording and water maze software (HVS Image 2020; HVS Image Software Ltd.) was used for analysis of the digital images to measure escape latency and swimming distances for each rat. Results: RGLE treatment of the VD rats significantly (p < 0.05) alleviated the impairment in spontaneously altered behaviors and significantly (p < 0.05) reduced escape latency. The VD-mediated decrease in distance travelled, swim time, and count of platform crossings was significantly (p < 0.02) alleviated by RGLE treatment of the rats. In RGLE-treated rats, the VD-mediated increase in Beclin-1 and Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3II (LC3II) expression in the hippocampus tissues was significantly (p < 0.05) alleviated. RGLE treatment prevented the suppression of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation in VD rat hippocampus tissues. The rapamycin-mediated suppression of p-mTOR and elevation of Beclin 1 and LC3II expression in the rat hippocampus could not be alleviated by RGLE treatment. Conclusion: In summary, RGLE effectively prevents VD-mediated cognitive impairment and neuronal damage in the rats. Moreover, autophagy was inhibited and mTOR pathway was activated in rats with VD by RGLE treatment. Therefore, RGLE may be studied further as a therapeutic agent for treatment of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photonic manipulation of large-capacity data with the advantages of high speed and low power consumption is a promising solution for explosive growth demands in the era of post-Moore. A well-developed lithium-niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) platform has been widely explored for high-performance electro-optic (EO) modulators to bridge electrical and optical signals. However, the photonic waveguides on the x-cut LNOI platform suffer serious polarization-mode conversion/coupling issues because of strong birefringence, making it hard to realize large-scale integration. Here, low-birefringence photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on lithium-tantalate-on-insulator (LTOI) are proposed and demonstrated, which enables high-performance passive photonic devices as well as EO modulators, showing great potential for large-scale photonic chips. Analysis of mode conversion and evolution behaviors with both low- and high-birefringence shows undesired mode hybridizations can be effectively suppressed. A simple and universal fabrication process is developed and various representative passive photonic devices are demonstrated with impressive performances. Finally, a wavelength-division-multiplexed optical transmitter is developed with a data rate of 1.6 Tbps by monolithically integrating 8 EO modulators and an 8-channel arrayed waveguide grating. Therefore, the demonstrated low-birefringence LTOI platform shows strong ability in both passively and actively controlling photon behaviors on a chip, indicating great potential for ultrafast processing and communicating large-capacity data., (© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: It remains unclear which category of patients with clinically lymph node negative (cN0) papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) might have higher risk of occult lateral lymph node metastasis (OLLNM) due to the conflicting results in previous studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate factors associated with OLLNM in patients with cN0 PTC., Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were comprehensively searched by two independent investigators to 15 August 2022. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the pooled analysis. This systematic review and meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022353567)., Results: Fifteen eligible studies involving 8369 patients with cN0 PTC were included in this meta-analysis. We found 7 factors significantly associated with OLLNM, including male (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.30 to 1.66; P < 0.001), age<45y (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.31 to 2.06; P < 0.001), tumor size > 10mm (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 2.04 to 4.93; P <0.001), tumor located in upper pole (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.44 to 2.27; P <0.001), bilaterality (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.37 to 2.02; P <0.001), extrathyroidal extension (ETE) (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.72 to 3.68; P <0.001) and increased number of central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) (OR, 6.84; 95% CI, 5.66 to 8.27; P <0.001). The results of sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis were similar to the pooled results. No significant publication bias was observed., Conclusions: The systematic review and meta-analysis identified 7 factors associated with OLLNM in patients with cN0 PTC. Future studies are needed to validate our results., Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42022353567., 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 © 2024 Fei, Wang, Yao and Wu.)