Review
Environmental Sciences
R. G. I. Sumudumali, J. M. C. K. Jayawardana
Summary: Biological monitoring evaluates environmental changes through biological responses, with bioindicators able to monitor ecosystem changes and distinguish human impact from natural variability. Among aquatic taxa, macroinvertebrates play a crucial role in transferring energy through aquatic food chains and have varying sensitivity to environmental changes. Assessing freshwater ecosystems health using macroinvertebrates involves different approaches such as diversity indices, biotic indices, multimetric approaches, and trait-based approaches like the SPEcies At Risk of pesticides (SPEAR) index.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giacomo Trapasso, Stefania Chiesa, Rosa Freitas, Eduarda Pereira
Summary: Gadolinium, a rare earth element widely used in medical imaging, has concentrations and effects in marine and freshwater environments that warrant further study. Research is primarily focused on freshwater environments, with higher concentrations of Gadolinium found near industrialized areas.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felipe Alvarez-Vergara, Juan C. Sanchez-Hernandez, Pablo Sabat
Summary: Salinization and pollution are two main environmental stressors that lead to deterioration of water quality and degradation of aquatic ecosystems. This study found that amphibians exposed to salinization and pesticide experienced compromised physiological functions, including decreased standard metabolic rate, reduced ability to concentrate plasma, increased liver citrate synthase activity, decreased liver acetylcholinesterase activity, and increased oxidative stress.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Re, Ana Teresa Rocha, Isabel Campos, Sergio M. Marques, Jan Jacob Keizer, Fernando J. M. Goncalves, Joana Luisa Pereira, Nelson Abrantes
Summary: Wildfires can lead to environmental issues such as loss of forest area and biodiversity, as well as contamination of freshwater systems by metals. In this study, fish exposed in burnt areas exhibited higher metal levels and oxidative stress responses, indicating potential ecological harm. The frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities was also higher in sites affected by wildfires, highlighting the importance of using sensitive biomarkers for early detection of harmful effects on ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuhei Tazunoki, Makoto Tokuda, Ayumi Sakuma, Kou Nishimuta, Yutaro Oba, Kiwao Kadokami, Takashi Miyawaki, Makihiko Ikegami, Daisuke Ueno
Summary: The negative impact of agrochemicals, particularly insecticides, on biodiversity, especially on dragonfly populations, is a significant ecological concern. The study revealed significant negative relationships between certain insecticides and the abundance of lentic Epiprocta and benthic Odonates, while herbicides had a lesser impact on aquatic vegetation. Further assessments are needed to evaluate the influence of non-neonicotinoid insecticides on aquatic organisms.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
R. Chow, L. Curchod, E. Davies, A. F. Veludo, C. Oltramare, M. A. Dalvie, C. Stamm, M. Roeoesli, S. Fuhrimann
Summary: The Western Cape in South Africa has a Mediterranean climate, supporting diverse agricultural industries. However, limited data exists on pesticide pollution in surface water in low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluated seasonal drivers of aquatic pesticide pollution in three river catchments using passive samplers. High concentrations of pesticides were detected, and their occurrence correlated with application and rainfall events. Mitigation measures should be based on comprehensive pesticide data and targeted studies identifying sources and transport processes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Enrica Bianchi, Angela Stermer, Timothy Nolan, Hui Li, Susan Hall, Kim Boekelheide, Mark Sigman, Kathleen Hwang
Summary: Assessing male reproductive toxicity of environmental and therapeutic agents requires the histopathology of the testis and epididymis, but current methods are not strong indicators of sperm health. The study analyzed mRNA sequences in mouse, rat, and human sperm samples to identify biomarkers for male reproductive toxicity. While the sperm transcriptome is species-dependent, there are key similarities among transcripts essential for fertility, suggesting potential for developing sperm mRNA biomarkers for monitoring male reproductive toxicity.
REPRODUCTIVE TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Clemence Baudin, Marie-Odile Bernier, Dmitry Klokov, Maria Grazia Andreassi
Summary: This review focused on the genotoxicity biomarkers that are significantly elevated in health workers exposed to ionizing radiation compared to unexposed workers. The study found that chromosome aberrations (CA) and micronuclei (MN) frequencies were significantly different between the two groups, along with other endpoints like stable translocations, sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and comet assay endpoints. Further studies are needed to validate the usefulness of these biomarkers in future epidemiological studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert Stryjecki, Andrzej Zawal, Tomasz Krepski, Edyta Stepen, Edyta Buczynska, Pawel Buczynski, Stanislaw Czachorowski, Lukasz Jankowiak, Joanna Pakulnicka, Anna Sulikowska-Drozd, Vladimir Pesic, Grzegorz Michonski, Michal Grabowski, Aleksandra Jablonska, Magdalena Achrem, Tomasz Olechwir, Lech Pietrzak, Agnieszka Szlauer-Lukaszewska
Summary: This study compared the responses of different invertebrate groups to dredging intervention, showing an increase in habitat diversity and species diversity for most investigated groups after the dredging.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Wei Zhang, Liewen Lin, Ligang Xia, Wanxia Cai, Weier Dai, Chang Zou, Lianghong Yin, Donge Tang, Yong Xu, Yong Dai
Summary: This study identified three mitochondrial genes as potential prognostic biomarkers for colorectal cancer, revealing their association with poor prognosis and involvement in carcinogenesis. The integrated analyses of transcriptomic and proteomic data shed light on the down-regulation of mitochondrial genes and their potential role in CRC progression, suggesting HIGD1A, SUCLG2, and SLC25A24 as promising biomarkers for patient stratification and treatment selection.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juliette Bedrossiantz, Melissa Faria, Eva Prats, Carlos Barata, Jerome Cachot, Demetrio Raldua
Summary: The study shows that even at low concentrations, carbaryl and fenitrothion can cause increased heart rate and abnormal behavior in aquatic organisms, indicating the need to consider this concentration range in environmental risk assessment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Siqian Chen, Shuli Liu, Siyuan Mi, Wenlong Li, Shengli Zhang, Xiangdong Ding, Ying Yu
Summary: The study utilized whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to analyze sperm DNA methylation levels in three commercial pig breeds, finding varying correlations between breeds and breed-specific hypomethylated regions. Integrating public data revealed high similarity in DNA methylation patterns between human and pig sperm, with conserved regions involved in organ development and brain-related traits. These findings provide insights into male fertility mechanisms and the changes in commercial traits undergoing strong selection.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lucas Goncalves Queiroz, Caio Cesar Achiles do Prado, Eryka Costa de Almeida, Felipe Augusto Dorr, Ernani Pinto, Flavio Teixeira da Silva, Teresa Cristina Brazil de Paiva
Summary: Several studies have shown the harmful effects of high concentrations of IMI on aquatic organisms, with Chironomus sancticaroli being the most affected. However, low concentrations of IMI do not pose a risk to the survival of Danio rerio, but can affect the enzyme activities of this species in unpolluted water environments.
ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Jakub Cibik, Pavel Beracko, Ilja Krno, Tomas Lanczos, Tomas Navara, Tomas Derka
Summary: Karst springs harbor diverse and rich communities of aquatic insects, particularly Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera, with differences in taxonomical and functional richness linked to environmental factors. Environmental filtering plays a significant role in shaping the composition of EPT communities in karst springs, with characteristics such as water temperature and chemical composition influencing species diversity and functional traits.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jakob Grasmann, Frederick Almenraeder, Martin Voracek, Ulrich S. Tran
Summary: Mindfulness-based interventions have a small positive effect on biomarkers of inflammation and stress in both psychiatric and subclinical populations, according to a meta-analysis. The study analyzed pre-post changes in biomarker levels and treatment effects compared to control groups. While the effects were consistent regardless of sample type, type of intervention, biomarker, control group, or intervention duration, the low quality of studies and publication bias may have influenced the results. More large-scale and preregistered studies are needed in this field of research.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)