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The silver deposits located in the upper basin of the Felent Stream are currently the largest producing mine in the Türkiye. It is also significantly impacted by industrial, agricultural, and thermal spring-related waste in Kütahya Province. The main objectives of this study were to examine the spatiotemporal variations of 12 dissolved potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the surface water of Felent Stream, to identify their possible sources, and to assess their probable risks. As a result of this study, among investigated PTEs, the highest mean concentrations of 3592–14,388 µg/L for Mg and the lowest of 0.15–0.19 µg/L for Cd were noted in Felent Stream water. The average concentrations of PTEs were found in the order of Mg > Ca > Na > As > Mn > B > Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb > Cr > Cd. Remarkably, during the dry season, there was a conspicuous escalation in the average PTEs contents of water, with an approximately multifold amplification. PTEs in stream water were evaluated for their potential ecotoxicological risks and possible sources. Based on ecological risk assessment indices, the stream exhibited low pollution levels during the wet season but displayed elevated pollution levels during the dry season, indicating a general shift towards heightened pollution conditions. The hazard index (HI) data for As exhibited significant potential noncarcinogenic risks across all monitoring stations. Conversely, the carcinogenic risk (CR) data underscored the imperative nature of addressing the health risks associated with As in the waters of the studied region. Mining activities were identified as the primary origin of PTEs based on principal component analysis (PCA). Moreover, upstream regions, proximal to the mining site, emerged as the most heavily contaminated areas according to cluster analysis (CA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs), especially arsenic in drinking water, pose significant global health risks, including cancer. This study evaluates the groundwater quality in Giresun province on the Black Sea coast of Türkiye by analyzing twelve groundwater resources. The mean concentrations of macronutrients (mg/L) were: Ca (10.53 ± 6.63), Na (6.81 ± 3.47), Mg (3.39 ± 2.27), and K (2.05 ± 1.10). The mean levels of PTEs (µg/L) were: Al (40.02 ± 15.45), Fe (17.65 ± 14.35), Zn (5.63 ± 2.59), V (4.74 ± 5.85), Cu (1.57 ± 0.81), Mn (1.02 ± 0.76), As (0.93 ± 0.73), Cr (0.75 ± 0.57), Ni (0.41 ± 0.18), Pb (0.36 ± 0.23), and Cd (0.10 ± 0.05). All PTE levels complied with WHO drinking water safety guidelines, and overall water quality was excellent. The heavy metal evaluation index (HEI < 10) and heavy metal pollution index (HPI < 45) indicate low pollution levels across all stations. Irrigation water quality was largely adequate, as shown by the magnesium hazard (MH), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Na%, and Kelly's ratio (KR). The total hazard index (THI) values consistently remained below 1, indicating no non-carcinogenic health risks. However, at station 10 (city center), the cancer risk (CR) for adults due to arsenic was slightly above the threshold (1.44E-04). Using principal component analysis (PCA), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and geographic information system (GIS) mapping, the study determined that most PTEs originated from natural geological formations or a combination of natural and human sources, with minimal impact from human activities. These findings highlight the safety and reliability of the groundwater sources studied, emphasizing their potential as a long-term, safe water supply for nearby populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is a growing concern due to rapid urbanization and population growth. This study assesses spring water quality at 20 stations in Giresun province, Türkiye, focusing on potentially toxic elements and physicochemical parameters. The Water Quality Index rated most samples as "excellent" during the rainy season and "good" during the dry season, except at stations 4 (40° 35′ 12″ North/38° 26′ 34″ East) and 19 (40° 44′ 28″ North/38° 06′ 53″ West), indicating "poor" quality. Mean macro-element concentrations (mg/L) were: Ca (34.27), Na (10.36), Mg (8.26), and K (1.48). Mean trace element values (μg/L) were: Al (1093), Zn (110.54), Fe (67.45), Mn (23.03), Cu (9.79), As (3.75), Ni (3.00), Cr (2.84), Pb (2.70), Co (1.93), and Cd (0.76). Health risk assessments showed minimal non-carcinogenic risks, while carcinogenic risk from arsenic slightly exceeded safe limits (CR = 1.75E−04). Higher arsenic concentrations during the rainy season were due to increased recharge, arsenic-laden surface runoff, and human activities. Statistical analyses (PCA, PCC, HCA) suggested that metals and physico-chemical parameters originated from lithogenic, anthropogenic, or mixed sources. Regular monitoring of spring water is recommended to mitigate potential public health risks from waterborne contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Security Sciences / Güvenlik Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Gendarmerie & Coast Guard Academy Institute of Security Sciences 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.)

A new energetic co-crystal of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and pyrene (PYRN) with a 1:1 molar ratio was prepared by a slow solvent evaporation technique. Co-crystal physicochemical properties have also been examined using optical microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results of single-crystal X-ray diffraction and non-covalent interaction calculations showed that non-covalent interactions (donor–acceptor π-π interaction) govern the structures of the TNT:PYRN co-crystal. The experimental and theoretical outcomes supported each other in the study. Thermal stability, impact sensitivity, and detonation performance of the co-crystal were investigated. DSC measurement indicates that the co-crystal has a melting point of 167 °C and a decomposition temperature of 293 °C, indicating outstanding thermal stability. The co-crystal was found to be less impact-sensitive than TNT using the BAM fall hammer instrument. Furthermore, the calculated detonation velocity and detonation pressure of the co-crystal are 5.29 km·s−1 and 8.48 G Pa, respectively. As an outcome, the TNT:PYRN co-crystal may be a promising intermediate energy explosive with low sensitivity and, as such, may be a desirable explosive alternative in the future instead of TNT for low-vulnerability formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of firearm discharge residue (FDR) as a piece of evidence plays an essential role in interpreting the forensic cases involving the use of firearms, such as robberies, murders, suicides, and serious attacks. In the last decade, modern or non-toxic primers have emerged due to environmental issues. Forensic examination of gunshot residue (GSR) has become challenging as primer compositions now vary greatly. The goal of this paper is to provide the elemental profiling of both toxic and lead-free cartridge primers available in the Turkish ammunition market. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used in this investigation. Multivariate statistical methodologies such as principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC) analysis were used to interpret the elemental profile data determined in the residue generated after ignition of the cartridge primers. Three components were observed: Ba-Sb-Pb-Cu-Gd, Ti-Sr-Zn, and Al-Ca-Ga, which is also consistent with the PCC analysis. SEM-EDS was employed to confirm the existence of GSR particles. The binding energies, determined using XPS, indicated the chemical state assignments in samples such as Pb(NO3)2, Sb2S3, Ba(NO3)2, CuO, ZnO and MoS2. This research will improve the robustness of the interpretation of GSR-related evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potentially hazardous elements (PHEs) are non-biodegradable and accumulate in places like water, soil, and plants where they endanger environmental health. There are a considerable number of wetlands having both national and worldwide importance in Türkiye. Regarding PHE accumulation, sediments and Ceratophyllum demersum were examined in the Miliç Wetland (MW), situated in a basin with intense hazelnut and rice farming, which is next to the international highway on the Central Black Sea Coast of Türkiye. The quantification of PHEs in the study subjects was undertaken using a validated inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method, and mean concentrations (mg/kg) of PHEs in the sediments were in the order of Al (13,133) > Fe (10,790) > Mn (205.84) > Cu (17.95) > Cr (16.40) > Zn (15.55) > Ni (11.74) > Pb (9.17) > Co (6.30) > As (2.07) > Cd (0.19). The ecotoxicological risk was assessed using sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and certain geological indices, indicating mostly low ecological risk, low pollution, and no hazardous risk. Based on the modified hazard quotient (mHQ) classification of values, Ni showed low contamination, while Cd, Pb, As, and Cu displayed very low contamination, and Zn presented minor contamination. The findings of total lifetime cancer risk (LCR), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) identified that exposure of adults or children to sediments containing PHEs would not represent a major health risk. As a recommendation, it is necessary to avoid the direct entrance of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers to enhance the sediment quality of the MW. Since the highway was constructed close to MW, this is considered a significant source of human-caused pollution. Consequently, all PHEs analyzed, except for Cd, displayed a bioconcentration factor (BCF) value of more than 1000, indicating that Ceratophyllum demersum is a promising plant for phytoremediation in PHE-polluted ecological systems involving wetlands, and it can efficiently be employed as an indicator species in biological screening investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper was to stress the possible potential toxic element (PTE) accumulation in the surface sediments of the Çavuşlu Stream (ÇS), as well as examining the source identification of whether or not any association between garbage disposal facility (GDF) and ecotoxicity or human health risk in Giresun, Turkey. The sediment specimens were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) followed by microwave digestion. The descending order of metals (mg/kg) in sediments were as follows: Fe (38,791 ± 3269) > Al (27,753 ± 4051) > Mn (730.90 ± 114.60) > Cr (233.39 ± 53.32) > V (176.40 ± 19.66) > Cu (85.22 ± 6.06) > Ni (72.87 ± 11.50) > Zn (46.45 ± 3.68) > Co (21.96 ± 3.33) > Pb (12.17 ± 1.97) > As (3.12 ± 1.45) > Sb (0.22 ± 0.06) > Cd (0.17 ± 0.02) > Hg (0.04 ± 0.01). Among these elements, certain metals (V, Cr, Cu, and Ni) in the sediments were above the average shale. Cr and Ni levels were above their corresponding threshold effect level (TEL) and probable effect level (PEL) values while Cu concentration exceeding its TEL, indicating that benthic organisms in the sediment of ÇS have likely toxic responses. Based on the results from contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), and geo-accumulation factor (Igeo) values of PTEs, the sediment was frequently classified into moderate contamination, moderate enrichment, and unpolluted to moderately polluted group. Pollution load index (PLI), integrated pollution index (IPI), and ecological risk index (Eri) indicated low pollution or low potential ecological risk. Toxicity risk index (TRI) and toxic unit analysis (TUs) suggested moderate toxicity. The outcomes of hazard quotient (HQ), total hazard index (THI), and lifetime cancer risk (LCR) stressed out that PTEs would not pose a significant health risk when adults are exposed to sediments in ÇS. However, a non-cancerogenic health risk for children was considered as the collective effect of 14 PTE (THI = 1.47 > 1). Multivariate statistical analysis (principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA)) outlined that the metallic accumulation in the sediments of ÇS was related to lithological, geological, and anthropogenic impacts. Therefore, the GDF is likely a major reason in terms of anthropogenic pollution in the sediments of the ÇS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chocolate, a widely consumed product across diverse age groups, underwent elemental analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following microwave-assisted acid digestion. The study focused on white, milky, and dark samples from the top 6 best-selling chocolate brands in Turkish markets. Although numerous studies in the literature have explored the benefits of chocolate, there is a scarcity of research on its potential health hazards. Results were employed to ascertain recommended daily allowances (RDA) and assess health risk levels. According to the results obtained from white, milky and dark chocolates, the mean values of the elements are as follows, respectively: Na: 1848-1564-273; Mg: 350-829-2344; P: 3471-3998-4562; K: 5728-8095-17138; Ca: 4334-3752-1438; Mn:0.48- 5.99-25.95; Fe: 8.24-71.95-345.34; Cu: 0.50-5.21-19.71; Zn: 14.27-16.86-34.32 µg g-1. The mean elemental levels in white, milky and dark chocolates demonstrated a cocoa-content-dependent increase particularly for Mg, P, K, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn and dark chocolate was found to be rich in these elements. However, an escalation in cocoa content corresponded to heightened health risks, with mean values for potentially toxic elements increasing in the same order as follows: Cr: 0.06-0.69-3.10; Ni:0.21-1.34-4.96; Cd: 0.16-0.14-0.21; and Pb: 0.079-0.096-0.141 µg g-1 . Arsenic was not detected in any samples. Although the target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) remained below 1 for all samples (based on a 5-gram daily consumption), the carcinogenic risk (CR) for Ni, and Cr raised concerns. The carcinogenic risk values for Pb are 1.72x10-8 -3.06x10-8; 1.36x10-6 -2.02x10-6 for Cd; 9.03x10-6 -2.15x10-4 for Ni; and for Cr it is in the range of 7.55x10-7 -3.93x10-5. Notably, Ni and Cr presented moderate risks, escalating linearly from white to dark chocolate. Thus, it becomes crucial for consumers to balance the nutritional benefits with the potential health risks when consuming different varieties of chocolate. [1-4] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Bulletin of Hygiene & Experimental Biology / Türk Hijyen ve Deneysel Biyoloji is the property of Refik Saydam National Public Health Agency 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.)

Copyright of Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Forensic Medicine & Forensic Sciences / Türkiye Klinikleri Adli Tıp ve Adli Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Turkiye Klinikleri 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.)

Phytoremediation is an efficient and promising cleanup technology to extract or inactivate heavy metals and several organic and inorganic pollutants from soil and water. In this study, different Brassica nigra L. ecotypes, including Diyarbakır, collected from mining areas were exposed to different concentrations of copper and harvested after 72 h of Cu stress for the assessment of phytoremediation capacity. The Diyarbakır ecotype was called as "metallophyte" because of surviving at 500 μM Cu. To better understand Cu stress mechanism, ArabidopsisATH1 genome array was used to compare the gene expression in root and shoot tissues of B. nigra under 25 μM Cu. The response to Cu was much stronger in roots (88 genes showing increased or decreased mRNA levels) than in leaf tissues (24 responding genes). These genes were classified into the metal transport and accumulation-related genes, signal transduction and metabolism-related genes, and transport facilitation genes. Glutathione pathway-related genes (γ-ECS, PC, etc.) mRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in root and shoot tissues. QRT-PCR validation experiments showed that γ-ECS and PC expression was upregulated in the shoot and leaf tissues of the 100 μM Cu-subjected B. nigra-tolerant ecotype. This is the first study showing global expression profiles in response to Cu stress in B. nigra by Arabidopsis genome array. This work presented herein provides a well-illustrated insight into the global gene expression to Cu stress response in plants, and identified genes from microarray data will serve as molecular tools for the phytoremediation applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of plants for the improvement of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons has been a primary research focus in phytoremediation studies. Obtaining insights regarding genes that are differentially induced by petroleum hydrocarbon stress and understanding plant response mechanisms against petroleum hydrocarbons at molecular level is essential for developing better phytoremediation strategies to remove these hazardous contaminants. The purpose of this study was to analyze the transcriptomal profile changes under hydrocarbon stress in maize plants and identify the genes associated with the phytoremediative capacity. Zea mays GeneChips were used to analyze the global transcriptome profiles of maize treated with different concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons. In total, 883, 1281, and 2162 genes were differentially induced or suppressed in the comparisons of 0 (control) vs. 1% crude petroleum, 1 vs. 5% crude petroleum, and 0 vs. 5% crude petroleum, respectively. The differentially expressed genes were functionally associated with the osmotic stress response mechanism, likely preventing the uptake of water from the roots, and the phytoremediative capacity of plants, e.g., secretory pathway genes. The results presented here show the regulatory mechanisms in the response to petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in soil. Our study provides global gene expression data of Z. mays in response to petroleum hydrocarbon stress that could be useful for further studies investigating the biodegradation mechanism in maize and other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a simple and reliable GC-FID method for quantitative determination of cocaine in illicit drug samples. Chromatographic conditions and detection parameters were optimized. Separation was performed on a HP-5 column (30 m-0.32 nm ID-0.25 μm) using an internal standard of n-tetracosan at the concentration of 0.25 mg/mL in methanol/chloroform (1:1) mixture. Validation of the method was performed by means of specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, range, quantitation limit and detection limit. Method showed linearity with excellent correlation coefficients (r2=0.9992) for cocaine. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values of GC-FID method for cocaine analysis were 1.80 μg/mL and 5.57 μg/mL, respectively while limit of linearity was 1200 μg/mL. Mean recovery value obtained from spike study was 101.20%, and relative error calculated after CRM analysis was equal to 1.0%, indicating that method was accurate. Inter-day stability of the instrument was proven by use of the control chart. The procedure described is relatively fast, simple, precise, and applicable for routine illicit drug analysis in forensic laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of exposure time and smoking habit on arsenic levels in biological samples of workers occupationally exposed to metals in comparison with non-occupational residents in Turkey. Blood, urine and hair samples were collected from 95 metal workers at Ankara Occupational Diseases Hospital, Turkey. Similarly, 94 hair samples were taken from controls. Arsenic levels in biological samples were measured using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS) equipped with Zeeman background correction and Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HGAAS). In metal workers; mean hair-arsenic levels of the smokers group (2.05 ±1.97 mg As/kg) was found to be significantly higher than the mean of the hair-arsenic levels of non-smokers group 1.80±1.79 mg As/kg (p<0.05). Mean hair-arsenic levels of exposure time group (4-10 years) was found (2.34±2.21 mg As/kg) to be significantly higher than the arithmetic mean of exposure time group (1-3 years) (1.39 ±1.25 mg As/kg, p<0.01). As for the control group, mean of hair-arsenic levels in the smokers group (0.133 ±0.012 mg As/kg) was found to be significantly higher than the mean of the hair-arsenic levels of non-smokers group (0.101±0.006 mg As/kg, p<0.05). In addition, mean hair arsenic level in metal workers (1.81 ±1.79 mg As/kg) was found significantly higher than mean hair arsenic level in control group (0.115 ±0.006 mg As/kg, p=0.00). Smoking increased the hair arsenic levels significantly both in metal workers and controls. The hair arsenic levels significantly enhanced with ascending exposure time. In addition, metal workers had significantly higher hair arsenic levels than controls. However, there was no significant effect detected in terms of urine and blood arsenic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of exposure time and smoking habit on arsenic levels in biological samples of workers occupationally exposed to metals in comparison with non-occupational residents in Turkey. Blood, urine and hair samples were collected from 95 metal workers at Ankara Occupational Diseases Hospital, Turkey. Similarly, 94 hair samples were taken from controls. Arsenic levels in biological samples were measured using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS) equipped with Zeeman background correction and Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HGAAS). In metal workers; mean hair-arsenic levels of the smokers group (2.05 ±1.97 mg As/kg) was found to be significantly higher than the mean of the hair-arsenic levels of non-smokers group 1.80±1.79 mg As/kg (p<0.05). Mean hair-arsenic levels of exposure time group (4-10 years) was found (2.34±2.21 mg As/kg) to be significantly higher than the arithmetic mean of exposure time group (1-3 years) (1.39 ±1.25 mg As/kg, p<0.01). As for the control group, mean of hair-arsenic levels in the smokers group (0.133 ±0.012 mg As/kg) was found to be significantly higher than the mean of the hair-arsenic levels of non-smokers group (0.101±0.006 mg As/kg, p<0.05). In addition, mean hair arsenic level in metal workers (1.81 ±1.79 mg As/kg) was found significantly higher than mean hair arsenic level in control group (0.115 ±0.006 mg As/kg, p=0.00). Smoking increased the hair arsenic levels significantly both in metal workers and controls. The hair arsenic levels significantly enhanced with ascending exposure time. In addition, metal workers had significantly higher hair arsenic levels than controls. However, there was no significant effect detected in terms of urine and blood arsenic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the phytoremediation capacity ofAzolla filiculoidesLam. for the water resources contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons was investigated. The plants were grown in nitrogen-free Hoagland nutrient solution containing 0.005%, 0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5% crude oil under greenhouse conditions for 15 days. Although the growth rate of the plants were not negatively influenced by the presence of crude oil in the media for the concentration of 0.005% and 0.01% v/v, a gradual impeding effect of crude oil in the growth media has been observed at concentrations 0.05–0.1%. More than 0.1% crude oil in the growth medium ostensibly retarded the growth. For example, 0.2% oil in the media reduced growth approximately 50% relative to the control, and the presence of crude oil at concentrations 0.3% or more were lethal. The data about the percentage of plant growth, fresh weight increase and root growth clearly indicated that the tolerance level ofA. filiculoidesplants to crude oil ranges between 0.1% and 0.2%. In comparison to control samples, the biodegradation rate of total aliphatic and aromatic (phenathrene) hydrocarbons at 0.05–0.2% oil concentrations, was 94–73% and 81–77%, respectively. On the other hand, in case of further increases in oil concentration in media, i.e.; 0.3–0.5%, the biodegradation rate was still higher in the experimental samples, respectively 71–63% and 75–71%. The high biodegradation rates of petroleum hydrocarbons in the experimental samples suggested thatA. filiculoidesplants could be a promising candidate to be used for the phytoremediation of low crude oil contaminated precious freshwater resources. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The improvements in high throughput sequencing technologies (HTS) made clinical sequencing projects such as ClinSeq and Genomics England feasible. Although there are significant improvements in accuracy and reproducibility of HTS based analyses, the usability of these types of data for diagnostic and prognostic applications necessitates a near perfect data generation. To assess the usability of a widely used HTS platform for accurate and reproducible clinical applications in terms of robustness, we generated whole genome shotgun (WGS) sequence data from the genomes of two human individuals in two different genome sequencing centers. After analyzing the data to characterize SNPs and indels using the same tools (BWA, SAMtools, and GATK), we observed significant number of discrepancies in the call sets. As expected, the most of the disagreements between the call sets were found within genomic regions containing common repeats and segmental duplications, albeit only a small fraction of the discordant variants were within the exons and other functionally relevant regions such as promoters. We conclude that although HTS platforms are sufficiently powerful for providing data for first-pass clinical tests, the variant predictions still need to be confirmed using orthogonal methods before using in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation of freshwater contaminated with crude oil is a technology that can restore damaged freshwater areas. Lemna minor is a small vascular plant that reproduces rapidly, is sensitive to a wide variety of pollutants, and is easy to culture. This study aimed to evaluate the phytoremediation capacity of L. minor in crude oil spiked cultures. Cultivation was carried out for 7 days in a greenhouse with a natural photoperiod and in nutrient solutions containing 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3% crude oil. Extracts were analyzed using GC/MS and synchronous UV fluorescence spectroscopy. After a week of cultivation, the fresh weight of plants in the control medium increased by 117%. The presence of crude oil up to 0.5% v/v reduced growth as much as 50% relative to the control plants. C17/ Pr and C18/Ph ratios decreased especially in the presence of 0.5% to 2% v/v crude oil in the growth media. In 0.5% oil concentrations, both unplanted control samples and plant samples contained no 1-4 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. However, at oil applications of 0.5% and 1%, the plant samples contained 5 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; their intensity was approximately two times lower than that of the unplanted control samples. It can be concluded that the biodegradation potential of L. minor strongly depends on the concentration of crude oil contaminants. Finally, the phytoremediative capacity of L. minor is only suitable for cleaning of freshwater resources containing small amounts of oil contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fasciola hepatica causes chronic liver disease, fasciolosis, leading to significant losses in the livestock economy and concerns for human health in many countries. The identification of F. hepatica genes involved in the parasite's virulence through modulation of host immune system is utmost important to comprehend evasion mechanisms of the parasite and develop more effective strategies against fasciolosis. In this study, to identify the parasite's putative virulence genes which are associated with host immunomodulation, we explored whole transcriptome of an adult F. hepatica using current transcriptome profiling approaches integrated with detailed in silico analyses. In brief, the comparison of the parasite transcripts with the specialised public databases containing sequence data of non-parasitic organisms (Dugesiidae species and Caenorhabditis elegans) or of numerous pathogens and investigation of the sequences in terms of nucleotide evolution (directional selection) and cytokine signaling relation were conducted. Results: NGS of the whole transcriptome resulted in 19,534,766 sequence reads, yielding a total of 40,260 transcripts (N50 = 522 bp). A number of the parasite transcripts (n = 1,671) were predicted to be virulence-related on the basis of the exclusive homology with the pathogen-associated data, positive selection or relationship with cytokine signaling. Of these, a group of the virulence-related genes (n = 62), not previously described, were found likely to be associated with immunomodulation based on in silico functional categorisation, showing significant sequence similarities with various immune receptors (i.e. MHC I class, TGF-β receptor, toll/interleukin-1 receptor, T-cell receptor, TNF receptor, and IL-18 receptor accessory protein), cytokines (i.e. TGF-β, interleukin-4/interleukin-13 and TNF-α), cluster of differentiations (e.g. CD48 and CD147) or molecules associated with other immunomodulatory mechanisms (such as regulation of macrophage activation). Some of the genes (n = 5) appeared to be under positive selection (Ka/Ks > 1), imitating proteins associated with cytokine signaling (through sequence homologies with thrombospondin type 1, toll/interleukin-1 receptor, TGF-β receptor and CD147). Conclusions: With a comparative transcriptome profiling approach, we have identified a number of potential immunomodulator genes of F. hepatica (n = 62), which are firstly described here, could be employed for the development of better strategies (including RNAi) in the battle against both zoonotically and economically important disease, fasciolosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the potential of Landoltia punctata for petroleum phytoremediation was evaluated. L. punctata was treated with different concentrations of Batman crude oil (BCO). The plants were grown in nutrient solutions containing 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3% BCO by volume in a growth chamber for 7 days. The fresh weight of the plants in the presence of BCO at a concentration of 0.5% v/v increased by 60% relative to the initial fresh weight. Furthermore, in comparison to the control, plant growth was retarded by 72% and 91% at concentrations of 2% and 3%, respectively. When plants were grown in media containing 0.5% BCO, more than 90% of C15-C25 n-alkane compounds were removed compared to the unplanted control (medium plus 0.5% BCO without plants). Pristane (Pr) and phytane (Ph) were both present in all samples, except in the experimental medium of 0.5% BCO application. On the other hand, Pr/Ph values obtained from all oil applications were not statistically different from those of the control samples. As a result, L. punctata could be used for the phytoremediation of fresh water resources contaminated with up to 1% crude oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Human de novo single-nucleotide variation (SNV) rate is estimated to range between 0.82–1.70×10–8 mutations per base per generation. However, contribution of early postzygotic mutations to the overall human de novo SNV rate is unknown. Methods We performed deep whole-genome sequencing (more than 30-fold coverage per individual) of the whole-blood-derived DNA samples of a healthy monozygotic twin pair and their parents. We examined the genotypes of each individual simultaneously for each of the SNVs and discovered de novo SNVs regarding the timing of mutagenesis. Putative de novo SNVs were validated using Sanger-based capillary sequencing. Results We conservatively characterised 23 de novo SNVs shared by the twin pair, 8 de novo SNVs specific to twin I and 1 de novo SNV specific to twin II. Based on the number of de novo SNVs validated by Sanger sequencing and the number of callable bases of each twin, we calculated the overall de novo SNV rate of 1.31×10–8 and 1.01×10–8 for twin I and twin II, respectively. Of these, rates of the early postzygotic de novo SNVs were estimated to be 0.34×10–8 for twin I and 0.04×10–8 for twin II. Conclusions Early postzygotic mutations constitute a substantial proportion of de novo mutations in humans. Therefore, genome mosaicism resulting from early mitotic events during embryogenesis is common and could substantially contribute to the development of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]