Search

Arsenic (As) is a toxic non-essential metal. Its accumulation in rice has not only seriously affected the growth of rice, but also poses a significant threat to human health. Many reports have been published to decrease the arsenic accumulation in the rice plant by various additives such as chemicals, fertilizers, adsorbents, microorganisms and analyzing the mechanism. Nanobubble is a new technology widely used in agriculture because of its long existence time and high mass transfer efficiency. However, a few studies have investigated the effect of nanobubbles on arsenic uptake in rice. This study investigated the effect of oxygen nanobubbles on the growth and uptake of As in rice. The oxygen nanobubbles could rupture the salinity of nutrients and produce the hydroxyl radical. The hydroxyl radical caused the oxidation of arsenic As(III) to As (V) and the oxidation of ferrous ions. At the same time, the oxidized iron adsorbing As (V) created the iron plaque on the rice roots to stop arsenic introduction into the rice plant. The results indicated that the treatment of oxygen nanobubbles increased rice biomass under As stress, while they increased the chlorophyll content and promoted plant photosynthesis. Oxygen nanobubbles reduced the As content in rice roots to 12.5% and shoots to 46.4%. In other words, it significantly decreased As accumulation in rice. Overall, oxygen nanobubbles mitigated the toxic effects of arsenic on rice and had the potential to reduce the accumulation of arsenic in rice.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a crucial regulatory role in human diseases. However, the roles of circRNAs in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are barely known. In this study, the functions of circ_0018168 in AS were investigated. Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot assay were used for circ_0018168, microRNA-330-3p (miR-330-3p), dickkopf-1 (DKK1), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) levels. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and 5′-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay were conducted to analyze cell proliferation ability. Flow cytometry analysis was manipulated for cell cycle process. ALP activity was examined with a commercial kit. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, RNA pull-down assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to analyze the relationships of circ_0018168, miR-330-3p and DKK1. Results: Circ_0018168 and DKK1 levels were lowly expressed in AS hip capsule specimens. Circ_0018168 overexpression repressed cell proliferation, cell cycle process as well as reduced ALP activity and ALP, OCN and Runx2 protein levels in AS fibroblasts. DKK1 silencing ameliorated the impact of circ_0018168 on AS progression. In addition, circ_0018168 served as the sponge for miR-330-3p, which could target DKK1. MiR-330-3p inhibition suppressed the proliferation, cell cycle and osteogenic differentiation in AS fibroblasts, but DKK1 silencing reversed the impacts. Besides, the effect of circ_0018168 on AS development was abolished by miR-330-3p upregulation. Conclusion: Circ_0018168 overexpression restrained fibroblast proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in AS by elevating DKK1 through adsorbing miR-330-3p.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of ACE I/D gene polymorphisms on diabetic kidney disease (DKD) risk. Methods: All eligible investigations were identified, the number of various genotype in the case and control group were reviewed. The pooled analysis was performed using Stata software. Results: In overall subjects, 24,321 participants with 12,961 cases and 11,360 controls were included. the pooled analysis showed a significant link between D allele, DD or II genotype and DKD risk (D versus I: OR = 1.316, 95% CI: 1.213–1.427, P = 0.000; DD versus ID + II: OR = 1.414, 95% CI: 1.253–1.595, P = 0.000; II versus DD + ID: OR = 0.750, 95% CI: 0.647–0.869, P = 0.000). The subgroup pooled analysis showed that ACE I/D gene polymorphism was correlated with DKD both in Asian and in Chinese population. In addition, ACE I/D gene polymorphism was correlated with type 2 DKD (D versus I: OR = 1.361, 95% CI: 1.243–1.490, P = 0.000; DD versus ID + II: OR = 1.503, 95% CI: 1.310–1.726, P = 0.000; II versus DD + ID: OR = 0.738, 95% CI: 0.626 –0.870, P = 0.000). However, there was no obvious correlation in Caucasian subjects and type 1 diabetic patients. Conclusion: ACE I/D polymorphisms were correlated with DKD in Asian and type 2 diabetic populations. ACE D allele/DD genotype might be a risk factor, while ACE II genotype might be a protective factor for DKD. Resumen: Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la influencia de los polimorfismos del gen I/D de la ECA en el riesgo de enfermedad renal diabética (ERD). Métodos: Se identificaron todas las investigaciones elegibles, se revisó el número de varios genotipos en el grupo de casos y controles. El análisis combinado se realizó con el software Stata. Resultados: En el conjunto de los sujetos, se incluyeron 24.321 participantes con 12.961 casos y 11.360 controles. El análisis combinado mostró una relación significativa entre el alelo D, el genotipo DD o II y el riesgo de DKD (D frente a I: OR = 1,316, IC del 95%: 1,213–1,427, P = 0,000; DD frente a ID + II: OR = 1,414, IC del 95%: 1,253-1,595, P = 0,000; II frente a DD + ID: OR = 0,750, 95% CI: 0,647-0,869, P = 0,000). El análisis de subgrupos mostró que el polimorfismo del gen I/D de la ECA se correlacionaba con la DMD tanto en la población asiática como en la china. Además, el polimorfismo del gen I/D de la ECA se correlacionó con la DKD de tipo 2 (D frente a I: OR = 1,361, IC del 95%: 1,243-1,490, P = 0,000; DD frente a ID + II: OR = 1,503, IC del 95%: 1,310-1,726, P = 0,000; II frente a DD + ID: OR = 0,738, 95% CI: 0,626 -0,870, P = 0,000). Sin embargo, no hubo una correlación evidente en los sujetos caucásicos y en los pacientes diabéticos de tipo 1. Conclusión: Los polimorfismos I/D de la ECA se correlacionaron con la DKD en poblaciones asiáticas y diabéticas de tipo 2. El alelo D de la ECA/genotipo DD podría ser un factor de riesgo, mientras que el genotipo II de la ECA podría ser un factor de protección para la DKD.

Anthropogenic activity has disturbed the natural distribution and circulation of trace elements in the environment. This has led to increased background levels of numerous elements, causing global pollution. In this context, seabirds are relevant bioindicators of environmental contamination. This study focuses on the ecological factors that influence the concentrations of 14 trace elements in the blood of the chicks of three sympatric gull species from the French coast of the English Channel. Between 2015 and 2017, 174 birds were sampled in the industrialised Seine Estuary (in the city of Le Havre and on Ratier Island) and in the remote Chausey Islands, 200 km to the west. We also considered the Se:Hg molar ratio using Hg concentrations in those birds. Ag and V concentrations were below the quantification limit in all cases, while the fraction of non-quantified samples was higher than 30 % for Cd, Cr and Ni. Among the elements quantified in the samples, the lowest concentrations were noted for Co and the highest for Fe, building the following order: Co < Cd < Ni < Mn ≤ Pb < Cr < Hg < Cu < Se < As < Zn < Fe. No unanimous scheme of concentrations among elements, species and sites existed. Similarly, different models were fitted and different factors were significant for different species and elements. We observed the biomagnification of As and the biodilution of Pb. Pb concentrations were also highest in the industrial site in the city of Le Havre. Despite the high proportion of non-quantified samples for Cd, Cr and Ni, we continued to notice higher concentrations in the marine environment of the Chausey Islands. Concentrations of some elements clearly revealed habitat dependence. In some cases the Se:Hg molar ratio was lower than 4, a threshold for diminishing Hg toxicity by Se., 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.)

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a malignancy that evolves through a multi-step process. Alternative splicing of several genes has been linked to the progression of the disease, but involvement of alternations in splicing profiles has not been reported. RNA-seq of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples characterized the differentially expressed and spliced transcripts in five CML chronic phase (CP) and five blast phase (BP) patients, and five healthy controls. Global splicing alteration analysis detected 6474 altered splicing events altered between CML and healthy samples, including many of the previously reported splicing variants and showing a more profound altered splicing deregulation in BP samples. Functional clustering of differentially spliced genes in CP revealed a preferred enrichment relating to cell signaling, while the spliceosome pathway was most overrepresented in BP samples. One differentially spliced spliceosome gene hnRNPA1 showed two splice isoforms; the longer isoform contained exon 8 was preferentially expressed in the BP patients, and the short one excluding exon 8 was specific to healthy controls. Our findings suggested that alternative splicing deregulation played a central role during the progression of CML from CP to BP, and the longer isoform of hnRNPA1 might represent a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for CML.

The existing work deals with the structural analysis and detecting basement depth of G. Shilman area, South Eastern Desert (SED), Egypt. This work includes interpreting aeromagnetic data to map out structures within the study area and determine the depth of the magnetic basement which can be an aide to advance exploratory study. The first vertical derivative (1st VD) enhanced the short-wavelength and high-frequency features of the data. The analytic signal (AS) and horizontal gradient magnitude (HGM) maps well the structures of G. Shilman area. Statistical analysis of the delineated structures indicated that the NW, N_S, NNE and NE are the main structural trends controlling the study area. This suggests that the area was dominated by various stress regimes. The source parameter imaging (SPI) method which acts strongly at all magnetic latitudes was applied to the data to map the basement topography of G. Shilman area. The basement depths vary from about 0.1 km to about 1.5 km at the deepest part of the study area. The depth examination indicates that the recent deposits are not thick and reflect the shallow nature of the basement in G. Shilman area. The results of our study gives more accurate interpretation for the structural regime of the study area and can be applied for alike areas.

Arsenic has been an element of great interest among scientists for many years as it is a widespread metalloid in our ecosystem. Arsenic is mostly recognized with negative connotations due to its toxicity. Surely, most of us know that a long time ago, arsenic trioxide was used in medicine to treat, mainly, skin diseases. However, not everyone knows about its very wide and promising use in the treatment of cancer. Initially, in the seventies, it was used to treat leukemia, but new technological possibilities and the development of nanotechnology have made it possible to use arsenic trioxide for the treatment of solid tumours. The most toxic arsenic compound - arsenic trioxide - as the basis of anticancer drugs in which they function as a component of nanoparticles is used in the fight against various types of cancer. This review aims to present the current solutions in various cancer treatment using arsenic compounds with different binding motifs and methods of preparation to create targeted nanoparticles, nanodiamonds, nanohybrids, nanodrugs, or nanovehicles., 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.)

Heavy metal contamination is a severe problem with serious ecological and human health effects due to its toxic effect and tendency to accumulate throughout the food chain. Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the simultaneous removal of arsenic, iron and manganese ions from aqueous solutions using Nanocarbon hybrid (NCH). Nanocarbon hybrid (NCH) of carbon xerogel decorated with 1wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes was prepared by carbonization at 850 °C for 2 h. The TEM, SEM, EDX, FTIR, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements were used to characterize the prepared NCH. NCH is enriched with surface oxygen functional groups and micropores as well as it have total surface area of 162 m2/g and total pore volume of 0.129 cm3/g. The adsorption of metal ions onto NCH, which confirmed by EDX, happened quickly, with 30%, 97%, and 41% of As, Fe, and Mn adsorbed in less than 10 min, however the equilibrium time was achieved in less than 30 min. The maximum adsorption capacities for As, Fe, and Mn ions onto NCH were 20, 48, and 21 mg/g, respectively. The experimental adsorption results of the three metal ions showed linearly fitting with Freundlich isotherms. In addition, the computed adsorption energies for Fe, Mn, and As ions were 4.08, 1.95, and 2.42 kJ/mol, indicating physical adsorption. NCH are easily regenerated and reusable sorbent owing to the adsorption–desorption studies. Conclusively, NCH is promising material for removing mixture of metal ions from aqueous media.

While antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) co-contamination in subsurface soil systems due to the legacy of Sb smelting wastes has been documented, the role of inherent heterogeneity on pollutant migration is largely overlooked. Herein this study investigated Sb and As migration in a slag impacted, vertically stratified subsurface at an abandoned Sb smelter. A 2-dimensional flume was assembled as a lab-scale analogue of the site and subject to rainfall and stop-rain events. Reactive transport modeling was then performed by matching the experimental observations to verify the key factors and processes controlling pollutant migration. Results showed that rainfall caused Sb and As release from the shallow slag layer and promoted their downward movement. Nevertheless, the less permeable deeper layers limited physical flow and transport, which led to Sb and As accumulation at the interface. The re-adsorption of Sb and As onto iron oxides in the deeper, more acidic layers further retarded their migration. Because of the large difference between Sb and As concentrations, Sb re-adsorption was much less effective, which led to higher mobility. Our findings overall highlight the necessity of understanding the degree and impacts of physicochemical heterogeneity for risk exposure assessment and remediation of abandoned Sb smelting sites., 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.)

The extensive utilization of mulch films in agricultural settings, coupled with the persistence of microplastic remnants in soil following the natural degradation of plastics, has given rise to detrimental microplastic impacts on crops. Arsenic (As) contamination in the environment is known to accumulate in crops through aquatic pathways or soil. Garlic (Allium sativum L.), a globally popular crop and seasoning, contains alliin, a precursor of its flavor compounds with medicinal properties. While alliin exhibits antimicrobial and antioxidant effects in garlic, its response to microplastics and arsenic has not been thoroughly investigated, specifically in terms of microplastic or As uptake. This study aimed to explore the impact of varied stress concentrations of microplastics on the toxicity, migration, and accumulation of As compounds. Results demonstrated that polystyrene (PS) fluorescent microspheres, with an 80 nm diameter, could permeate garlic bulbs through the root system, accumulating within vascular tissues and intercellular layers. Low concentrations of PS (10 and 20 mg L -1 ) and As (2 mg L -1 ) mitigated the production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant enzymes in garlic. Conversely, garlic exhibited reduced root vigor, substance uptake, and translocation when treated with elevated As concentrations (4 mg L -1 ) in conjunction with PS concentrations of 40 and 80 mg L -1 . An escalation in PS concentration facilitated As transport into bulbs but led to diminished As accumulation and biomass in the root system. Notably, heightened stress levels weakened garlic's antioxidant defense system, encompassing sulfur allicin and phytochelatin metabolism, crucial for combating the phytotoxicity of PS and As. In summary, PS exerted a detrimental influence on garlic, exacerbating As toxicity. The findings from this study offer insights for subsequent investigations involving Liliaceae plants., 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.)

Alternative splicing (AS), found in approximately 95 % of human genes, significantly amplifies protein diversity and is implicated in disease pathogenesis when dysregulated. However, the precise involvement of AS in the toxic mechanisms induced by TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) remains incompletely elucidated. This study conducted a thorough global AS analysis in six human cell lines following TCDD exposure. Our findings revealed that environmentally relevant concentration (0.1 nM) of TCDD significantly suppressed AS events in all cell types, notably inhibiting diverse splicing events and reducing transcript diversity, potentially attributed to modifications in the splicing patterns of the inhibitory factor family, particularly hnRNP. And we identified 151 genes with substantial AS alterations shared among these cell types, particularly enriched in immune and metabolic pathways. Moreover, TCDD induced cell-specific changes in splicing patterns and transcript levels, with increased sensitivity notably in THP-1 monocyte, potentially linked to aberrant expression of pivotal genes within the spliceosome pathway (DDX5, EFTUD2, PUF60, RBM25, SRSF1, and CRNKL1). This study extends our understanding of disrupted alternative splicing and its relation to the multisystem toxicity of TCDD. It sheds light on how environmental toxins affect post-transcriptional regulatory processes, offering a fresh perspective for toxicology and disease etiology investigations., 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.)

The influence of iron (oxyhydr)oxides on the transformation and migration of arsenic(As) has garnered significant attention. Previous work has largely focused on the transformation of iron oxides related to As fate at molecular and mechanistic levels. However, studies examining the interplay between As concentration and iron oxides transformation within complex soil system are sparse. This study investigates the transformation of iron oxides in soils with varying As concentration during microbial dissimilatory iron reduction (DIR), employing humic acid (HA) as electron shuttle and assesses the impact on As speciation transformation. Comparative analyses indicate that in soils with high As concentration (>1000 mg/kg), the secondary transformation of iron (oxyhydr)oxides to other forms, such as the conversion of ferrihydrite to goethite and lepidocrocite, or schwertmannite to goethite, is impeded. Consequently, the formation of goethite and lepidocrocite, which would typically re-stabilize As, is inhibited, leading to elevated release of As(III). On the other hand, an increase in magnetite formation in soils with low As concentration (<100 mg/kg) appears to re-stabilize As effectively. Furthermore, the formation of new secondary iron (oxyhydr)oxides in soils with As concentration <200 mg/kg enhances fraction F5, which subsequently contributes to the re-immobilization of As, sequestering it within the soil matrix. This process results in a lower release of As(III) from soils with As concentration below 200 mg/kg. These findings enhance the understanding of the interdependent relationship between the transformation of iron oxides and the fate of As in complex soil systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) exist widespread in daily life, and they are common harmful substances in the environment. As and Pb pollute the environment more often in combination than in isolation. The TM4 Sertoli cell line is one of the most common normal mouse testicular Sertoli cell lines. In vitro, we found that the type of combined action of As and Pb on TM4 Sertoli cells was additive action by using the isobologram analysis. To further investigate the combined toxicity of As and Pb, we performed mRNA and miRNA sequencing on TM4 Sertoli cells exposed to As alone (4 μM NaAsO 2 ) and AsPb combined (4 μM NaAsO 2 and 150 μM PbAc), respectively. Compared with the control group, 1391 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 6 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified in the As group. Compared with the control group, 2384 DEGs and 44 DEMs were identified in the AsPb group. Compared with the As group, 387 DEGs and 4 DEMs were identified in the AsPb group. Through data analysis, we discovered for the first time that As caused the dysfunction of cholesterol synthesis and energy metabolism, and disrupted cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway and wingless/integrated (Wnt) signaling pathway in TM4 Sertoli cells. In addition to affecting cholesterol synthesis and energy metabolism, AsPb combined exposure also up-regulated the antioxidant reaction level of TM4 Sertoli cells. Meanwhile, the Wnt signaling pathway of TM4 Sertoli cells was relatively normal when exposed to AsPb. In conclusion, at the transcription level, the combined action of AsPb is not merely additive effect, but involves synergistic and antagonistic effects. The new discovery of the joint toxic mechanism of As and Pb breaks the stereotype of the combined action and provides a good theoretical basis and research clue for future study of the combined-exposure of harmful materials., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), common toxic elements in farmland soil, are easily absorbed by rice and accumulate in grains. Combined amendment is likely to ameliorate Cd-As-contaminated soil; however, studies on this aspect are limited. Therefore, we explored the effects of co-utilizing sepiolite and ferromanganese ore (SF) on Cd-As accumulation in rice by conducting pot experiments on Cd-As-contaminated paddy soil. The results showed that 4 g kg -1 SF (4SF) reduced Cd (55.9 %/48.5 %) and As (82.9 %/64.7 %) concentrations in grain in early and late rice. The Fe concentration in Fe-Mn plaque (IMP) (Fe IMP ) first decreased and then increased, and the Mn concentration in IMP (Mn IMP ) increased with an increase in the SF addition amount. This resulted in the 4SF treatment maximizing the Cd adsorption capacity of IMP, whereas the 2 g kg -1 SF treatment (2SF) minimized the As adsorption capacity of IMP. More importantly, when the total Cd and As were 9.7 mg kg -1 and 304.2 mg kg -1 , respectively, in the soil, 4SF application reduced CaCl 2 -extractable Cd (80.5 %/87.9 %), and 2SF reduced available As (24.0 %/20.9 %) in early and late rice. Additionally, SF decreased the Cd and As ion contents in soil pore water. Overall, SF has good immobilization and sustained effect on Cd-As and can be used as an effective material for remediation of Cd-As-contaminated soil., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Co-contamination of Cd and As in strongly acidic paddy soil has posed great challenges for remediation practice due to their distinct properties. Liming is a necessary but inadequate measure for normal growth of paddy rice and for Cd and As remediation in strongly acidic paddy soils rich in iron minerals. A greenhouse rice pot cultivation experiment was conducted to explore the efficiency and mechanisms of how foliar supply of different sulfur forms (K 2 S, K 2 SO 4 ) could further mediate the uptake, translocation and grain accumulation of Cd and As by paddy rice on basis of liming. Results showed that compared to liming alone (CK), co-application of liming and foliar supply of K 2 S (L + FK 2 S) significantly reduced contents of Cd and As in brown rice by 44.4 % and 24.7 %, respectively. Contrastingly, co-application of liming and foliar supply of K 2 SO 4 (L + FK 2 SO 4 ) decreased Cd content of brown rice by 55.5 %, but had no effect on As content. Foliar supply of K 2 S and K 2 SO 4 dramatically facilitated Cd upward transfer from roots to shoots by enhancing root Cd transfer from cell wall into trophoplast. On the other hand, both sulfur forms remarkably elevated sulfur contents in leaves and significantly inhibited Cd translocation from leaves to grain by enhancing vacuolar sequestration of Cd in leaves. Compared to CK and L + FK 2 SO 4 treatment, it was by enhancing glutathione synthesis, cell wall deposition in roots and vacuolar sequestration of As in leaves that L + FK 2 S showed greater inhibiting effects on transfer of As from roots, stems and leaves to grain. Foliar supply of either sulfate or sulfide could efficiently decrease grain Cd of paddy rice, but only foliar supply of sulfide is effective in reducing grain As., 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.)

Arsenic (As) is a toxic non-essential metal. Its accumulation in rice has not only seriously affected the growth of rice, but also poses a significant threat to human health. Many reports have been published to decrease the arsenic accumulation in the rice plant by various additives such as chemicals, fertilizers, adsorbents, microorganisms and analyzing the mechanism. Nanobubble is a new technology widely used in agriculture because of its long existence time and high mass transfer efficiency. However, a few studies have investigated the effect of nanobubbles on arsenic uptake in rice. This study investigated the effect of oxygen nanobubbles on the growth and uptake of As in rice. The oxygen nanobubbles could rupture the salinity of nutrients and produce the hydroxyl radical. The hydroxyl radical caused the oxidation of arsenic As(III) to As (V) and the oxidation of ferrous ions. At the same time, the oxidized iron adsorbing As (V) created the iron plaque on the rice roots to stop arsenic introduction into the rice plant. The results indicated that the treatment of oxygen nanobubbles increased rice biomass under As stress, while they increased the chlorophyll content and promoted plant photosynthesis. Oxygen nanobubbles reduced the As content in rice roots to 12.5% and shoots to 46.4%. In other words, it significantly decreased As accumulation in rice. Overall, oxygen nanobubbles mitigated the toxic effects of arsenic on rice and had the potential to reduce the accumulation of arsenic in rice., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic (As) is one of the most dangerous substances that can affect human health and long-term exposure to As in drinking water can even cause cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the concentrations of total As in the blood of inhabitants of a Colombian region impacted by gold mining and to evaluate its genotoxic effect through DNA damage by means of the comet assay. Additionally, the concentration of As in the water consumed by the population as well as the mutagenic activity of drinking water (n = 34) in individuals were determined by hydride generator atomic absorption spectrometry and the Ames test, respectively. In the monitoring, the study population was made up of a group of 112 people, including inhabitants of four municipalities: Guaranda, Sucre, Majagual, and San Marcos from the Mojana region as the exposed group, and Montería as a control group. The results showed DNA damage related to the presence of As in blood (p < 0.05) in the exposed population, and blood As concentrations were above the maximum allowable limit of 1 μg/L established by the ATSDR. A mutagenic activity of the drinking water was observed, and regarding the concentrations of As in water, only one sample exceeded the maximum permissible value of 10 μg/L established by the WHO. The intake of water and/or food containing As is potentially generating DNA damage in the inhabitants of the Mojana region, which requires surveillance and control by health entities to mitigate these effects., 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 Inc.)

The actions and interactions of acetochlor and As on the soil phosphatase activity were investigated after 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 30 and 60 d of exposure under control conditions. The soils were exposed to various concentrations of acetochlor and As individually and simultaneously. The results showed that acetochlor, As only, and combined pollution all clearly inhibited soil phosphatase activity. The maximum inhibition ratios of soil phosphatase activity by acetochlor, As only and combined pollution were 36.44, 74.12 and 61.29%, respectively. Two kinetic models, ν=c/(1+bi) (model 1) and ν=c(1+ai)/(l+bi) (model 2), were used to describe the relationship between the concentrations of As and acetochlor and the activity of soil phosphatase. The semi-effect dose (ED50) values induced by As and acetochlor stress based on the inhibition of soil phosphatase were 18.1 and 33.11 mg kg−1, respectively, according to calculation by model 1. The interactive effect of acetochlor with As on soil phosphatase primarily consisted of significant antagonism effects at the higher concentrations tested. The step regression results show that the toxicity order was As (III)>acetochlor>As (III)×acetochlor throughout the incubation period.

Health risks caused by arsenic (As) contamination in soils and its migration in environmental media have attracted much attention. In this study, suburban farmland of KF city in the ecotone of the Yellow River and Huaihe River Basin was taken as the research area. A series of samples including topsoils (246), profile soils (280), matched wheat grains (22 groups), groundwater (26) and human hair (355) were collected. As distribution and transfer in soil-groundwater-wheat-hair (SGWH) system in typical sites were explored, and comprehensive health risk of As in SGWH system was assessed based on US EPA model and local exposure parameters. The results showed that spatial distribution of total As presented a significant high value area, and higher As contents (in the range of 0.45-29.86 mg kg -1 ) and bioavailability was mainly in topsoils, which indicated that anthropogenic sources have led to As enrichment in studied area. Also, it was found that the As contents in 95 % of wheat grain samples were higher than that in the control soils, and 9 % groundwater samples were above national Class I standards. Especially, average As content in hair in typical sites was obviously influenced by that in soil, wheat and groundwater. Moreover, As migration curve along soil → wheat (groundwater) → hair appeared an irregular 'V' shape, and transfer coefficients of T f water/soil (10 -5 ), T f wheat/soil (10 -3 ), T f hair/soil (10 -2 ), T f hair/wheat (10 1 ) and T f hair/water (10 4 ) presented an obvious increasing trend of magnitude, implying that human body has a higher As enrichment risk. Furthermore, comprehensive health risks for children and adults in typical sites were significant, while wheat is the main risk medium. In general, arsenic accumulation in human hair is good consistent with EPA health risk model, and their combination can better evaluate environmental exposure risk of As., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Despite the serious risk of microplastic pollution in the roots and leaves of crops, the phytotoxicity of microplastics (introduced via different exposure routes) in leafy vegetables remain insufficiently understood. Here, the effects of the root and foliar exposure of polymethyl methacrylate microplastic (PMMAMPs) on phytotoxicity, As accumulation, and subcellular distribution were investigated in rapeseed (Brassica campestris L). The relative chlorophyll content under PMMAMPs treatment decreased with time, and the 0.05 g L -1 root exposure decreased it significantly (by 9.97-20.48%, P < 0.05). In addition, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities in rapeseed were more sensitive to PMMAMPs introduced through root exposure than through foliar exposure. There was dose-dependent ultrastructural damage, and root exposure had a greater impact than foliar exposure on root tip cells and chloroplasts. PMMAMPs entered the shoots and roots of rapeseed through root exposure. Under foliar exposure, PMMAMPs promoted As accumulation in rapeseed by up to 75.6% in shoots and 68.2% in roots compared to that under control (CK). As content in cell wall under PMMAMP treatments was 3.6-5.3 times higher than that of CK, as indicated by subcellular component results. In general, root exposure to PMMAMPs resulted in a stronger physiological impact and foliar exposure led to increased As accumulation in rapeseed., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are nonessential toxic metal(loids) that are carcinogenic to humans. Hence, reducing the bioavailability of these metal(loids) in soils and decreasing their accumulation in rice grains is essential for agroecology, food safety, and human health. Iron (Fe)-enriched corncob biochar (FCB), Fe-enriched charred eggshell (FEB), and Fe-enriched corncob-eggshell biochar (FCEB) were prepared for soil amelioration. The amendment materials were applied at 1% and 2% application rates to observe their alleviation effects on As and Cd loads in rice paddy tissues and yield improvements using pot trials. The FCEB treatment increased paddy yields compared to those of FCB (9-12%) and FEB (3-36%); this could be because it contains more plant essential nutrients than FCB and a lower calcite content than that of FEB. In addition, FCEB significantly reduced brown rice As (As BR , 29-60%) and Cd (Cd BR , 57-81%) contents compared to those of the untreated control (CON). At a 2% application rate, FCEB reduced the average mobility of As (56%) and Cd (62%) in rhizosphere porewater and enhanced root Fe-plaque formation (76%) compared to those of CON. Moreover, the enhanced Fe-plaque sequestered a substantial amount of As (171.4%) and Cd (90.8%) in the 2% FCEB amendment compared to that of CON. Pearson correlation coefficients and regression analysis indicated that two key mechanisms likely control As BR and Cd BR accumulations. First, rhizosphere soil pH and Eh controlled As and Cd availabilities in porewaters and their speciation in the soil. Second, greater Fe-plaque formation in paddy roots grown in the amended soils provided a barrier for plant uptake of the metal(loids). These observations demonstrate that soil amendment with Fe-enriched corncob-eggshell biochar (e.g., 2% FCEB) is a prospective approach for the remediation of metal accumulation from the soil to grain system while simultaneously increasing paddy yield., 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 © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The driving process and explanatory factors regulating the transformation and migration of arsenic (As) mediated by dissimilatory iron reducing bacteria (DFeRB) and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) remain poorly understood. The novelty of this study is to explore the driving process and key environmental factors governing As mobilization mediated by DFeRB and SRB based on continuous As speciation and environmental parameter monitoring in a sediment-water system. The results illustrate the reduction process mediated by DFeRB and SRB significantly promotes the reduction of As(V) and the endogenous release of As. However, in the DFeRB and SRB mediated reductions, the main driving process and key explanatory factors that dominate the As mobility are significantly different. DFeRB has significant effects on the reductive dissolution and re-distribution of Fe(III) oxyhydroxides and As-containing Fe(III) minerals and on adsorption-desorption, which in turn influenced the transformation of iron species and the release and ecotoxicity of As. Meanwhile, the environmental factors that affect As mobility depend on Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ in DFeRB-induced reduction, presenting two main pathways: the process of As mobilization mediated by DFeRB, and the process influenced by the inorganic phosphorus involved in the competitive adsorption and anion exchange. Significantly different from DFeRB, the effects of SRB on As behavior mainly occur by influencing the adsorbed As, pyrite, and As sulfides in the sediments and through the formation of sulfides during the sulfate reduction. The main pathways of As mobilization reflect the direct effects of SRB, S 2- , and Fe 2+ . In addition, the role of NH 4 -N in the driving process of As mobility is more pronounced in SRB-induced reduction. NO + -N is an essential factor affecting As mobility, but the effects of NO 3 -N on As lead to non-significant pathways. This work provides insights into the environmental effects of DFeRB and SRB on the biogeochemical cycle of As.- -N is an essential factor affecting As mobility, but the effects of NO 3 - -N on As lead to non-significant pathways. This work provides insights into the environmental effects of DFeRB and SRB on the biogeochemical cycle of As., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest to this work., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Straw return-to-field is a common agronomic practice that would affect the physicochemical characteristics of the paddy soil and overlying water, but few studies have focused on the possible impacts of straw return on the conversion of pollutants. In this study, the photooxidation of As(III) in aqueous solution by straw-derived dissolved organic matter (S-DOM) was investigated. The results showed that dissolved organic matter derived from wheat straw (DOMws) and rape straw (DOMrs) exhibited good spectroscopic features and could efficiently oxidize As(III) under irradiation at pH 5.0, with the k obs values of As(III) oxidation being 0.15 h -1 and 0.17 h -1 for DOMws and DOMrs, respectively. Quenching studies indicated that hydroxyl radical (OH) dominated the oxidation of As(III) for both types of dissolved organic matter (DOM), though singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) also played a role in the DOMrs system. Since acidic conditions are favorable for the formation of OH, As(III) oxidation decreased with an increase of pH value. Additionally, the oxidation efficiency of As(III) was inhibited in the presence of NO 3 - (0.2-2 mM) while enhanced in the presence of Fe(III) (5-50 μM). This study is of great significance for understanding the removal/transformation behavior of pollutants in paddy fields that receive straw return., 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 © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Different concentrations and sizes of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MP) were added to low (25.9) and high (56.8) mg kg -1 As-contaminated soil to investigate the effects of PS-MP on soil As volatilization. Either S 1 (10 μm) or S 2 (0.1-1 μm) PS-MP was added to As-contaminated soil at 0.8%, which increased As volatilization by 13.7% and 7.4% in low As-contaminated soil; and 21.8% and 16.5% in high As-contaminated soil, respectively. The addition of PS-MP reduced the water-soluble (WS) As content, increased the non-specifically-sorbed (NSS), specifically-sorbed (SS) As content, soil catalase (CAT) and urease (UE) activities. The abundance of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes showed opposite trends to As volatilization, while the abundance of Bacteroidetes and arsM gene expression exhibited similar variability to As volatilization over the 7-week experiment. Therefore, we postulate that in As-contaminated soil, As volatilization was enhanced in the presence of PS-MP due to two possible mechanisms: 1) PS-MP affects the abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and arsM gene in soil; 2) PS-MP increases As volatilization via reducing soil nutrient and increasing the content of SS As. Our results highlighted the importance of investigating impacts of microplastics on the volatility of specific contaminants to implement effective environmental remediation strategies in polluted farmlands., 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 © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Consuming arsenic (As)-contaminated vegetables is the main route of As exposure in humans. The present study focused on the alterations in antioxidant enzymatic activities and As bioaccessibility in As-contaminated radish subjected to Se. Compared to the CK group, the total As content in raw radish was reduced by 27.5 ± 1.3%, and the bioaccessibility of As was reduced by 21.9 ± 2.3% in the 6 mg Se kg -1 treatment group. The total As content in the treatment groups decreased first but then increased with increasing Se application in raw radish, gastric (G) fraction and gastrointestinal (GI) fraction, while the antioxidant activity exhibited the opposite trend. The results revealed that a low amount of Se effectively blocks the accumulation of As in radish, improves the antioxidant activity in radish and reduces the bioaccessibility of As. These findings provide new ideas for effectively alleviating the spread of As to the human body through the food chain., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Co-contamination of soils with cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) in rice growing areas is a serious threat to environment and human health. Increase in soil Cd and As levels curtail the growth and development of rice plants by causing oxidative stress and reduction in photosynthetic activity. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate and evaluate different strategies for minimizing the Cd and As uptake in rice plant. We modified biochar (BC) with goethite and assessed the effects of goethite-modified biochar (GB) application on mitigating Cd and As stress in rice plant. Although BC supply to rice plants enhanced their performance in contaminated soil but application of different GB levels i.e.1.5% GB to the soil resulted in prominent improvements in physiological and biochemical attributes of rice plants grown in Cd and As co-contaminated paddy soil. It was observed that soil amendment with GB increased the plant growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange attribute of rice plant and suppressed the oxidative stress in rice leaves and roots by increased antioxidant enzymes activities. Supplementing the soil with 1.5% GB incremented the iron plaque (Fe-plaque) formation and enhanced the Cd and As sequestration by Fe-plaque. Application of GB (1.5%) significantly improved the Fe content of Fe-plaque by 68.7%. Maximum Cd (1.57 mg kg -1 ) and As (0.85 mg kg -1 ) sequestration by Fe-plaque was observed with 1.5% GB treatment. Compared to the control, 1.5% GB treatment application prominently reduced the Cd content in the rice roots and shoots by 42.9%, and 56.7%, respectively and As content in the rice roots and shoots declined by 32.2%, 46.6%, respectively, compared to the control. These findings demonstrate that amending the soil with 1.5% GB can be a potential remediation strategy for checking Cd and As accumulation, reducing oxidative stress and increasing the growth of rice plant., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Biochar plays a significant role in soil remediation. However, the simultaneous immobilization mechanism and relationship of biochar to cations and anions have never been clear. We designed a batch incubation experiment to investigate the impact of corncob-based biochars to cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) contaminations in yellow soil and cinnamon soil, and analyze the relationships among biochars physicochemical characteristics (surface area: SA, total pore volume: TV, average pore size: AV and the C/O rate), soil properties, metals immobilization and microbial diversity indices. Results showed that the modified biochars (inorganic-modified biochar: BCTD) had a good effect on heavy metals immobilization and transformed acid extractable and reducible fraction into the residual fraction. Total nitrogen, organic matter and available potassium increased in both soils after biochar application. The principal component analysis presented that the smaller C/O rate was favorable to As stabilization; the SA and TV of biochar were negatively correlated with the leaching concentration of Cd. The larger surface area, higher porosity and organic matters of biochar were more beneficial to soil microbial diversity. This work not only can demonstrate remediation mechanisms of heavy metals contaminated soil by biochars, but also gain an application of biochars technology in the recycling and reutilize of agricultural waste, and provide a clear strategy for heavy metals contaminated soil, especially As and Cd., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we do not have any commercial interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted. Neither the entire paper nor any part of its content has been published or has been accepted elsewhere. All authors agree to submission., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) are usually found in contaminated soils. Their bioavailabilities are often related to pH and Eh, which indicate a generally contrasting or antagonistic effect. In this paper, the pH and Eh of soil samples were altered by adding organic fertilizer, and Tessier sequential extraction procedures were used to extract heavy metal speciation. With increasing pH and decreasing Eh, the content of the exchangeable, carbonate-bound, Fe-Mn oxide-bound, and organic-bound forms of the Cd decreased. The content of the residual form of Cd increased. The content of water-soluble Cd also increased. In terms of As, the content of the water-soluble, exchangeable, carbonate-bound, and organic-bound forms increased, and the content of the residual form decreased. Bioavailable forms contained water-soluble and exchangeable forms. With increasing pH or decreasing Eh, bioavailable Cd content linearly decreased, whereas bioavailable As content exponentially increased. The fitting curve showed that compared with 200 mV, the bioavailable Cd content decreased by 52.4%, and the bioavailable As content increased by 3.2 times at -400 mV. Finally, using the indicator of trade-off value, optimum pH = 7.31, and Eh = -130 mV, the bioavailable Cd and As contents were simultaneously maintained at a relatively low level. The novelty of this paper is studying the effects of different soil pH and Eh values changed by organic fertilizer on the speciation of Cd and As rather than the direct quantitative effects between organic fertilizer and the speciation of Cd and As, which can better explain the mechanism underlying the effect of organic fertilizer on the speciation of Cd and As., 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 © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lanthanum oxide nanoparticles (nano-La 2 O 3 ) was used to develop a novel binding gel within an in situ passive sampler based on diffusive gradients in thin-films technique (NL-DGT) for measuring As(V), Sb(V), and V(V). Performance characteristics of NL-DGT were independent of pH (pH: 3.1-7.9 for As, 3.1-8.5 for V, and 3.1-6.5 for Sb) and ionic strength (0.1-500 mmol L -1 for As and V, and 0.1-200 mmol L -1 for Sb). No obvious competition effects among As, Sb, and V with different concentration ratios were found for NL-DGT measurement. Long term storage (8-188 d) of the nano-La 2 O 3 gels in 0.01 mol L -1 NaNO 3 at 4 °C did not affect their performance. During the field deployments in Yangtze and Jiuxiang River, NL-DGT measured concentrations of As and V were similar to those measured by the grab samples, while some differences were found for Sb between DGT and grab sampling because higher pH (∼8.0) in the studied rivers caused the performance deterioration of NL-DGT. Generally, the newly developed NL-DGT is suitable for monitoring As and V in freshwater from acidic to light alkaline and Sb in acidic and neutral water., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study sought to determine the prevalence of reduced contractility and uncompensated wall stress in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) with preserved or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and their impact on survival., Background: LVEF in AS is determined not only by contractility but also by loading conditions., Methods: Patients with first diagnosis (time 0) of severe AS (aortic valve area [AVA]≤1 cm 2 ) with prior echo study (-3±1 years) were identified. Contractility was evaluated by plotting midwall fractional shortening (mFS) against circumferential end-systolic wall stress (cESS), stratified by LVEF of 60% at time 0. The temporal changes (from -3 years to time 0) and prognostic value of LVEF, contractility, and wall stress were assessed., Results: Of 445 patients, 290 (65%) had LVEF ≥60% (median: 66% [interquartile range {IQR}: 63% to 69%]) and 155 patients (35%) had LVEF <60% (median: 47% [IQR: 34% to 55%]). Median AVA was 1.27 cm 2 (IQR: 1.13 to 1.43 cm 2 ) at -3 years and 0.90 cm 2 (IQR: 0.83 to 0.96 cm 2 ) at time 0. Decreased contractility was already present at -3 years (49 [17%] vs. 59 [38%]; LVEF ≥60% vs. <60%; p < 0.001) and became more prevalent at time 0 (69 [24%] vs. 106 [68%]; p < 0.001). Overall, wall stress was well controlled in both groups at -3 years (1 [0%] vs. 12 [8%]; p < 0.001) but deteriorated over time in patients with LVEF <60% (time 0: 0 [0%] vs. 26 [17%]; p < 0.001). During a median follow-up of 3.4 years, LVEF <60%, decreased contractility and high wall stress were associated with worse survival (p < 0.01 for all). Decreased contractility remained incremental to LVEF in patients with LVEF ≥60% (p < 0.01), but less so when LVEF was <60% (p = 0.11)., Conclusions: In patients with severe AS, LVEF <60% is associated with a poor prognosis, being linked with decreased contractility and/or high wall stress. Decreased contractility is also present in a subset of patients with LVEF ≥60% and provides incremental prognostic value. These abnormalities already exist before AVA reaches 1.0 cm 2 ., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The application of analytical chemistry to the exploration of the World Cultural Heritage represents a major challenge in that most protocols and strategies are invasive and require micro-sampling. We report a novel methodology for harvesting material deposited on the surface of ancient documents while avoiding their damage or contamination. The technology here described relates to the capture of metals on these specimens. It is based on the use of plastic films (ethylene vinyl acetate, EVA) impregnated with different metal chelators (sodium 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonate, DMPS, meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid, DMSA and ethylene diamino tetra acetic acid, EDTA, as calcium salt), for harvesting from surfaces of different supports potential traces of metals therein deposited. The EVA film technology has been used to explore the pages of a manuscript written by Kepler concerning the movements of the moon and catalogued under the title "Hipparchus" at the Archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg branch). The EVA-based chelating diskettes were able to capture very significant amounts of different metals, namely: Au, Ag, Hg, As, Pb, suggesting that Kepler, well known as astronomer, astrologist, mathematician and Lutheran theologian, might have started practicing alchemy, a pseudo-chemical science he had learned from his colleague Tycho Brahe in Prague., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In patients with ankylosing spinal disease, including ankylosing spondylitis and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, even low-impact trauma can lead to complex injuries. The injuries seem to be highly unstable and associated with greater mortality rates compared with the general spine trauma population., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of a consecutive series of 41 patients (34 men, 7 women) with ankylosing spinal disease and unstable traumatic spine injuries who were admitted to our department from 2007 to 2016., Results: The mean patient age was 73.4 ± 12.7 years. Of the 41 patients, 24 (58.5%) had ankylosing spondylitis and 17 (41.5%) had diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Low-velocity accidents were documented in 38 patients (92.7%). The most frequent injuries were type B spine fractures (61.0%). Accompanying spinal epidural hematoma was detected using magnetic resonance imaging in 12 patients (29.3%) but was not found by radiography or computed tomography. Of the 41 patients, 24 (58.5%) presented with American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale (AIS) grade E, 6 (14.6%) with grade D, and 8 (19.6%) with grade C or worse. All the patients had undergone internal fixation. All but 1 (97.6%) had received posterior fixation. In 25 (61%), a combined approach was performed. Five patients died of early complications. Of the 36 discharged patients, 11 died during the follow-up period and 1 was lost to follow-up. The surviving 24 patients had a median follow-up of 733 ± 576 days; 21 had AIS grade E, 2 had AIS grade D, and 1 had AIS grade C., Conclusions: A thorough diagnostic evaluation with multislice computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can reveal injuries that would remain undetected on conventional radiographs. A combined approach or posterior-only fixation seems safe., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The authors sought to collect data on contemporary practice and outcome of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in oncology patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS)., Background: Oncology patients with severe AS are often denied valve replacement. TAVR may be an emerging treatment option., Methods: A worldwide registry was designed to collect data on patients who undergo TAVR while having active malignancy. Data from 222 cancer patients from 18 TAVR centers were compared versus 2,522 "no-cancer" patients from 5 participating centers. Propensity-score matching was performed to further adjust for bias., Results: Cancer patients' age was 78.8 ± 7.5 years, STS score 4.9 ± 3.4%, 62% men. Most frequent cancers were gastrointestinal (22%), prostate (16%), breast (15%), hematologic (15%), and lung (11%). At the time of TAVR, 40% had stage 4 cancer. Periprocedural complications were comparable between the groups. Although 30-day mortality was similar, 1-year mortality was higher in cancer patients (15% vs. 9%; p < 0.001); one-half of the deaths were due to neoplasm. Among patients who survived 1 year after the TAVR, one-third were in remission/cured from cancer. Progressive malignancy (stage III to IV) was a strong mortality predictor (hazard ratio: 2.37; 95% confidence interval: 1.74 to 3.23; p < 0.001), whereas stage I to II cancer was not associated with higher mortality compared with no-cancer patients., Conclusions: TAVR in cancer patients is associated with similar short-term but worse long-term prognosis compared with patients without cancer. Among this cohort, mortality is largely driven by cancer, and progressive malignancy is a strong mortality predictor. Importantly, 85% of the patients were alive at 1 year, one-third were in remission/cured from cancer. (Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Oncology Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis [TOP-AS]; NCT03181997)., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Gypsum is a high-volume by-product of hydrometallurgical arsenic removal using the Fe(III)-As(V) coprecipitation technique. However, the role of gypsum in As fixation during the Fe(III)-As(V) coprecipitation process and the potential risk of As-bearing gypsum are still not well known. In this study, the fixation of As by gypsum was quantitatively investigated as a function of the initial As and H 2 SO 4 concentrations, Fe/As molar ratio, pH, and neutralization mode. Column leaching tests were also performed to evaluate the potential risk of Fe(III)-As(V) coprecipitates. The results showed that the gypsum isolated from Fe(III)-As(V) coprecipitates by ascorbic acid (VC) treatment could fix up to 4.5% of the total As in the system at pH 8 in fixed-pH mode. The gypsum produced in fixed-pH mode contained a significantly higher concentration of As than that produced in acid-alkaline neutralization mode. The column leaching tests showed that a faster leaching rate could enhance the release of As from Fe(III)-As(V) coprecipitates. It seems that the presence of gypsum could prevent the release of As from Fe(III)-As(V) coprecipitates. Linear combination fits of the As and Fe K-edge XANES spectra suggested that As was likely to occur as adsorbed As and yukonite in VC-isolated gypsum., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The concentration of metals (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, Hg, Pb, U), As and Se in different ecosystem components (water, sediment, plankton, shrimp, and fish muscle) has been determined in a eutrophic reservoir in the Province of Córdoba (Argentina). Los Molinos Lake (LML) was sampled during the dry (DS) and wet seasons (WS) in order to examine the bioaccumulation and transfer of these inorganic elements through the food web. Stable nitrogen isotope (δ 15 N) was used to investigate trophic interactions. According to this, samples were divided into three categories: plankton, shrimp (Palaemonetes argentinus) and fish (Silverside, Odontesthes bonariensis). The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was calculated for the organisms, and it was determined that the elements analyzed undergo bioaccumulation, especially in organisms such as plankton. The invertebrates were characterized by the highest BAF for Cu and Zn in both seasons, As (DS), and Cd and Hg (WS). The fish muscle was characterized by the highest BAF for Se (WS), Ag and Hg (DS). On the other hand, a significant decrease in Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and U concentrations through the analyzed trophic web during both seasons was observed. Moreover, a significant increase in Hg levels was observed with increasing trophic levels in the DS, indicating its biomagnification. Despite the increasing impact of metals, As and Se pollution in the studied area due to urban growth and agricultural and livestock activities, no previous study has focused on the behavior and relationships of these pollutants with the biotic and abiotic components of this aquatic reservoir. We expect that these findings may be used for providing directions or guidance for future monitoring and environmental protection policies., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)