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Water quality, Endocrine disruptors, Marine pollution, and Sewage disposal plants

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) can be found in domestic sewage, wastewater treatment plant effluents, natural water, rivers, lakes and in the marine environment. Jurujuba Sound, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, receives untreated sewage into its waters, one the main sources of aquatic contamination in this area. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the estrogenic potential of water sampled from different depths and from areas with differential contamination levels throughout Jurujuba Sound. Water quality was evaluated and acute toxicity assays using Allviibrio fischeri were conducted, while estrogenic activity of the water samples was determined by a Yeast Estrogen Screening assay (YES). Water quality was mostly within the limits established for marine waters by the Brazilian legislation, with only DOC and ammoniacal nitrogen levels above the maximum permissible limits. No acute toxicity effects were observed in the Allivibrio fisheri assay. The YES assay detected moderate estrogenic activity in bottom water samples from 3 sampling stations, ranging from 0.5 to 3.2 ng L −1 , as well as in one surface water sample. Estrogenic activity was most frequently observed in samples from the bottom of the water column, indicating adsorption of estrogenic compounds to the sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollination, Agricultural productivity, Crop yields, Sustainable agriculture, Pollinators, Apple orchards, Factorial experiment designs, and Orchards

The alarming loss of pollinator diversity world‐wide can reduce the productivity of pollinator‐dependent crops, which could have economic impacts. However, it is unclear to what extent the loss of a key native pollinator species affects crop production and farmer's profits.By experimentally manipulating the presence of colonies of a native bumblebee species Bombus pauloensis in eight apple orchards in South Argentina, we evaluated the impact of losing natural populations of a key native pollinator group on (a) crop yield, (b) pollination quality, and (c) farmer's profit. To do so, we performed a factorial experiment of pollinator exclusion (yes/no) and hand pollination (yes/no).Our results showed that biotic pollination increased ripe fruit set by 13% when compared to non‐biotic pollination. Additionally, fruit set and the number of fruits per apple tree was reduced by less than a half in those orchards where bumblebees were absent, even when honeybees were present at high densities. Consequently, farmer's profit was 2.4‐fold lower in farms lacking bumblebees than in farms hosting both pollinator species. The pollination experiment further suggested that the benefits of bumblebees could be mediated by improved pollen quality rather than quantity.Synthesis and applications. This study highlights the pervasive consequences of losing key pollinator functional groups, such as bumblebees, for apple production and local economies. Adopting pollinator‐friendly practices such as minimizing the use of synthetic inputs or restoring/maintaining semi‐natural habitats at farm and landscape scales, will have the double advantage of promoting biodiversity conservation, and increasing crop productivity and profitability for local farmers. Yet because the implementation of these practices can take time to deliver results, the management of native pollinator species can be a provisional complementary strategy to increase economic profitability of apple growers in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water treatment plants, Ozonization, Estrogen, Hydrological research, and Yeast

The estrogenicity of waters collected from an important hydrological system in Brazil (Paraiba do Sul and Guandu Rivers) was assessed using the yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay. Sampling was performed in rivers and at the outlets of conventional water treatment plants (WTP). The removal of estrogenic activity by ozonation and chlorination after conventional water treatment (clarification and sand filtration) was investigated employing samples of the Guandu River spiked with estrogens and bisphenol A (BPA). The results revealed a preoccupying incidence of estrogenic activity at levels higher than 1 ng L −1 along some points of the rivers. Another matter of concern was the number of samples from WTPs presenting estrogenicity surpassing 1 ng L −1 . The oxidation techniques (ozonation and chlorination) were effective for the removal of estrogenic activity and the combination of both techniques led to good results using less amounts of oxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of water sources by pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and their effect on aquatic communities and human health have become an environmental concern worldwide. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are an alternative to improve biological removal of recalcitrant organic compounds from municipal sewage. Their efficiency can be increased by using high retention membranes such as forward osmosis (FO) and membrane distillation (MD). Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the performance of an anaerobic osmotic MBR coupled with MD (OMBR-MD) in the treatment of municipal sewage containing PhACs and estrogenic activity. A submerged hybrid FO-MD module was integrated into the bioreactor. PhACs removal was higher than 96% due to biological degradation, biosorption and membrane retention. Biological removal of the PhACs was affected by the salinity build-up in the bioreactor, with reduction in biodegradation after 32 d. However, salinity increment had little or no effect on biosorption removal. The anaerobic OMBR-MD removed >99.9% of estrogenic activity, resulting in a distillate with 0.14 ng L−1 E2-eq, after 22 d, and 0.04 ng L−1 E2-eq, after 32 d. OMBR-MD treatment promoted reduction in environmental and human health risks from high to low, except for ketoprofen, which led to medium acute environmental and human health risks. Carcinogenic risks were reduced from unacceptable to negligible, regarding estrogenic activity. Thus, the hybrid anaerobic OMBR-MD demonstrated strong performance in reducing risks, even when human health is considered. [Display omitted] • Biological removal of estrogenic compounds was governed mainly by biodegradation. • Biological removal of micropollutants (MP) was affected by the salinity build-up. • MgCl 2 as draw solute reduced the negative impacts on biological removal of MP. • Ketoprofen in distillate led to medium acute environmental and human health risks. • Carcinogenic risk, regarding estrogenicity, reduced from unacceptable to negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Diversitas Journal is the property of Diversitas Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Congenital hydrocephalus (CH) comprises a heterogeneous group of birth anomalies with a wide‐ranging prevalence across geographic regions and registry type. The aim of the present study was to analyze the early neonatal case fatality rate (CFR) and total birth prevalence of newborns diagnosed with CH. Methods: Data were provided by 25 registries from four continents participating in the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research (ICBDSR) on births ascertained between 2000 and 2014. Two CH rates were calculated using a Poisson distribution: early neonatal CFR (death within 7 days) per 100 liveborn CH cases (CFR) and total birth prevalence rate (BPR) per 10,000 births (including live births and stillbirths) (BPR). Heterogeneity between registries was calculated using a meta‐analysis approach with random effects. Temporal trends in CFR and BPR within registries were evaluated through Poisson regression modeling. Results: A total of 13,112 CH cases among 19,293,280 total births were analyzed. The early neonatal CFR was 5.9 per 100 liveborn cases, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.4–6.8. The CFR among syndromic cases was 2.7 times (95% CI: 2.2–3.3) higher than among non‐syndromic cases (10.4% [95% CI: 9.3–11.7] and 4.4% [95% CI: 3.7–5.2], respectively). The total BPR was 6.8 per 10,000 births (95% CI: 6.7–6.9). Stratified by elective termination of pregnancy for fetal anomalies (ETOPFA), region and system, higher CFR were observed alongside higher BPR rates. The early neonatal CFR and total BPR did not show temporal variation, with the exception of a CFR decrease in one registry. Conclusions: Findings of early neonatal CFR and total BPR were highly heterogeneous among registries participating in ICBDSR. Most registries with higher CFR also had higher BPR. Differences were attributable to type of registry (hospital‐based vs. population‐based), ETOPFA (allowed yes or no) and geographical regions. These findings contribute to the understanding of regional differences of CH occurrence and early neonatal deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to understand the role of the transcriptional co-factor Yes-associated protein (Yap) in the molecular pathway underpinning the pathogenic transformation of synovial fibroblasts (SF) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to become invasive and cause joint destruction.Methods: Synovium from patients with RA and mice with antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) was analysed by immunostaining and qRT-PCR. SF were targeted using Pdgfrα-CreER and Gdf5-Cre mice, crossed with fluorescent reporters for cell tracing and Yap-flox mice for conditional Yap ablation. Fibroblast phenotypes were analysed by flow cytometry, and arthritis severity was assessed by histology. Yap activation was detected using Yap-Tead reporter cells and Yap-Snail interaction by proximity ligation assay. SF invasiveness was analysed using matrigel-coated transwells.Results: Yap, its binding partner Snail and downstream target connective tissue growth factor were upregulated in hyperplastic human RA and in mouse AIA synovium, with Yap detected in SF but not macrophages. Lineage tracing showed polyclonal expansion of Pdgfrα-expressing SF during AIA, with predominant expansion of the Gdf5-lineage SF subpopulation descending from the embryonic joint interzone. Gdf5-lineage SF showed increased expression of Yap and adopted an erosive phenotype (podoplanin+Thy-1 cell surface antigen-), invading cartilage and bone. Conditional ablation of Yap in Gdf5-lineage cells or Pdgfrα-expressing fibroblasts ameliorated AIA. Interleukin (IL)-6, but not tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or IL-1β, Jak-dependently activated Yap and induced Yap-Snail interaction. SF invasiveness induced by IL-6 stimulation or Snail overexpression was prevented by Yap knockdown, showing a critical role for Yap in SF transformation in RA.Conclusions: Our findings uncover the IL-6-Yap-Snail signalling axis in pathogenic SF in inflammatory arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HELP-seeking behavior, TINNITUS, and HEARING disorders

Knowledge on characteristics of people that seek help for tinnitus is scarce. The primary objective of this study was to describe differences in characteristics between people with tinnitus that seek help compared to those who do not seek help. Next, we described differences in characteristics between those with and without tinnitus. In this cross-sectional study, we sent a questionnaire on characteristics in different domains; demographic, tinnitus-specific, general- and psychological health, auditory and noise- and substance behaviour. We assessed if participants had sought help or planned to seek help for tinnitus. Tinnitus distress was defined with the Tinnitus Functional Index. Differences between groups (help seeking: yes/no, tinnitus: yes/no) were described. 932 people took part in our survey. Two hundred and sixteen participants were defined as having tinnitus (23.2%). Seventy-three of those sought or planned to seek help. A constant tinnitus pattern, a varying tinnitus loudness, and hearing loss, were described more frequently in help seekers. Help seekers reported higher TFI scores. Differences between help seekers and people not seeking help were mainly identified in tinnitus- and audiological characteristics. These outcomes might function as a foundation to explore the heterogeneity in tinnitus patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PROSTATE cancer, ANDROGEN deprivation therapy, LABORATORY mice, CANCER genes, TRANSCRIPTION factors, and DIAGNOSIS

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a rare but aggressive histologic variant of prostate cancer that responds poorly to androgen deprivation therapy. Hybrid NEPC‐adenocarcinoma (AdCa) tumors are common, often eluding accurate pathologic diagnosis and requiring ancillary markers for classification. We recently performed an outlier‐based meta‐analysis across a number of independent gene expression microarray datasets to identify novel markers that differentiate NEPC from AdCa, including up‐regulation of insulinoma‐associated protein 1 (INSM1) and loss of Yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1). Here, using diverse cancer gene expression datasets, we show that Hippo pathway‐related genes, including YAP1, are among the top down‐regulated gene sets with expression of the neuroendocrine transcription factors, including INSM1. In prostate cancer cell lines, transgenic mouse models, and human prostate tumor cohorts, we confirm that YAP1 RNA and YAP1 protein expression are silenced in NEPC and demonstrate that the inverse correlation of INSM1 and YAP1 expression helps to distinguish AdCa from NEPC. Mechanistically, we find that YAP1 loss in NEPC may help to maintain INSM1 expression in prostate cancer cell lines and we further demonstrate that YAP1 silencing likely occurs epigenetically, via CpG hypermethylation near its transcriptional start site. Taken together, these data nominate two additional markers to distinguish NEPC from AdCa and add to data from other tumor types suggesting that Hippo signaling is tightly reciprocally regulated with neuroendocrine transcription factor expression. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]