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Benzene, a common industrial solvent, poses significant health risks including poisoning and hematopoietic diseases. However, its precise toxicity mechanisms remain unclear. To assess the health impact of prolonged benzene exposure through metabolomic analyses of exposed workers and benzene-poisoned mice, aiming to identify biomarkers and minimize occupational hazards. This study compared 18 benzene-exposed workers with 18 non-exposed workers, matching for age, lifestyle, and BMI. The metabolites in the workers’ samples were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. A larger study included 118 exposed and 158 non-exposed workers, incorporating surveys and routine blood and urine tests with differential metabolites targeted via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The animal studies consisted of two 15- and 60-day benzene staining and control experiments on 28 C57BL/6J mice, followed by sample collection and organ analysis. The data analysis employed eXtensible Computational Mass Spectrometry (XCMS), Python, MetaboAnalyst 6.0, and SPSS24.0. The exposed workers exhibited altered metabolites indicating external benzene exposure, lower glucose levels, and changes in white blood cell counts and urinary ketone bodies. The plasma metabolomics revealed disturbances in energy and lipid metabolism. The benzene-exposed mice displayed reduced weight gain, behavioral changes, and organ damage. Oxidative stress and abnormal purine and lipid metabolism were observed in both the long-term benzene-exposed workers and benzene-exposed mice. Metabolic markers for the early detection of benzene exposure hazards were identified, underscoring the need to mitigate occupational risks.

Patients with low-grade glioma (LGG) may survive for long time periods, but their tumors often progress to higher-grade lesions. Currently, no cure for LGG is available. A-to-I RNA editing accounts for nearly 90% of all RNA editing events in humans and plays a role in tumorigenesis in various cancers. However, little is known regarding its prognostic role in LGG. On the basis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, we used LASSO and univariate Cox regression to construct an RNA editing site signature. The results derived from the TCGA dataset were further validated with Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) datasets. Five machine learning algorithms (Decision Trees C5.0, XGboost, GBDT, Lightgbm, and Catboost) were used to confirm the prognosis associated with the RNA editing site signature. Finally, we explored immune function, immunotherapy, and potential therapeutic agents in the high- and low-risk groups by using multiple biological prediction websites. A total of 22,739 RNA editing sites were identified, and a signature model consisting of four RNA editing sites (PRKCSH|chr19:11561032, DSEL|chr18:65174489, UGGT1|chr2:128952084, and SOD2|chr6:160101723) was established. Cox regression analysis indicated that the RNA editing signature was an independent prognostic factor, according to the ROC curve (AUC = 0.823), and the nomogram model had good predictive power (C-index = 0.824). In addition, the predictive ability of the RNA editing signature was confirmed with the machine learning model. The sensitivity of PCI-34051 and Elephantin was significantly higher in the high-risk group than the low-risk group, thus potentially providing a marker to predict the effects of lung cancer drug treatment. RNA editing may serve as a novel survival prediction tool, thus offering hope for developing editing-based therapeutic strategies to combat LGG progression. In addition, this tool may help optimize survival risk assessment and individualized care for patients with low-grade gliomas.

Plasmodiophora brassicae (Wor.) is an obligate plant pathogen affecting Brassicae worldwide. To date, there is very little information available on the biology and molecular basis of P. brassicae primary and secondary zoospore infections. To examine their roles, we used microscope to systematically investigate the infection differences of P. brassicae between samples inoculated separately with resting spores and secondary zoospores. The obvious development of P. brassicae asynchrony that is characterized by secondary plasmodium, resting sporangial plasmodium, and resting spores was observed at 12 days in Brassica rapa inoculated with resting spores but not when inoculated with secondary zoospores at the same time. Inoculation with resting spores resulted in much more development of zoosporangia clusters than inoculation with secondary zoospores in non-host Spinacia oleracea. The results indicated that primary zoospore infection played an important role in the subsequent development. To improve our understanding of the infection mechanisms, RNA-seq analysis was performed. Among 18 effectors identified in P. brassicae, 13 effectors were induced in B. rapa seedlings inoculated with resting spores, which suggested that the pathogen and host first contacted, and more effectors were needed. Corresponding to those in B. rapa, the expression levels of most genes involved in the calcium-mediated signaling pathway and PTI pathway were higher in plants inoculated with resting spores than in those inoculated with secondary zoospores. The ETI pathway was suppressed after inoculation with secondary zoospores. The genes induced after inoculation with resting spores were suppressed in B. rapa seedlings inoculated with secondary zoospores, which might be important to allow a fully compatible interaction and contribute to a susceptible reaction in the host at the subsequent infection stage. The primary zoospores undertook an more important interaction with plants.

Benzene is a common industrial chemical and environmental pollutant. However, the mechanism of hematotoxicity caused by exposure to low doses of benzene is unknown. Let-7e-5p pathway regulatory networks were constructed by bioinformatics analysis using a benzene-induced aplastic anemia (BIAA) mouse model. The MTT assay, EdU staining, flow cytometric analysis, dual luciferase reporter gene assay, and RIP assay were utilized to evaluate the effects of benzoquinone (1,4-BQ) on let-7e-5p pathway. This study consisted of 159 workers with a history of low-level benzene exposure and 159 workers with no history of benzene exposure. After the confounding factors were identified, the associations between let-7e-5p expression and hematotoxicity were assessed by multiple linear regression. Furthermore, we used four machine learning algorithms (decision trees, neural network, Bayesian network, and support vector machines) to construct a predictive model for detecting benzene-causing hematotoxicity in workers. In this study, compared with respective controls, let-7e-5p expression was decreased in BIAA mice and benzene-exposed workers. After 1,4-BQ exposure, let-7e-5p overexpression negatively regulated caspase-3 and p21 expression, protected cells from apoptosis, and facilitated cell proliferation. RIP assays, and dual luciferase reporter gene assays confirmed that let-7e-5p could target p21 and caspase-3 and regulate the cell cycle and apoptosis. The support vector machines classifier achieved the best prediction of benzene-induced hematotoxicity (prediction accuracy = 88.27, AUC = 0.83) by statistically characterizing the internal dose of benzene exposure and the oxidative stress index, as well as the expression levels of let-7e-5p pathway-related genes in benzene-exposed workers. Let-7e-5p may be a potential therapeutic target of benzene-induced hematotoxicity, provide a basis for evaluating the health hazards of long-term and low-dose benzene exposure in workers, and supply a reference for revising occupational health standards.

Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), a typical alkyl organophosphate ester is widely used as an emerging flame retardant for polybrominated diphenyl ethers alternatives, but the potential toxicity and mechanism are unclear. In this study, the reproductive toxicity of TnBP and its related mechanisms were explored using the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model. After TnBP (100–1000 μg/L) exposure, brood size and the number of fertilized eggs in the uterus in C. elegans were significantly reduced, the relative area of gonad arm and the number of total germline cells in C. elegans were significantly reduced, germ cell apoptosis and germ cell DNA damage in C. elegans were significantly increased, the level of ROS in C. elegans was significantly increased. Furthermore, TnBP exposure caused abnormal gene expressions of cell apoptosis (ced-9, ced-4 and ced-3), DNA damage (hus-1, clk-2, cep-1 and egl-1) and oxidative stress (mev-1 and gas-1). TnBP exposure can lead to reproductive ability decreased and gonad development impaired in C. elegans, the mechanism of TnBP reduced reproductive ability may be related to germ cell apoptosis, germ cell DNA damage and oxidative stress. Environmental exposure to TnBP may have potential reproductive toxicity.

Xylanase treatment can be an environmentally friendly way to improve the formability and drainability of chemi-mechanical pulp (CMP). Improvements in xylanase treatment efficiency are possible with application of an ultrasonic wave via the cavitation effect. Results showed that the specific surface area (SSA) of the combined treated pulp increased by 14.6% at an ultrasonic treatment of 30 min and xylanase dosage of 10 U/g, in comparison to xylanase treatment alone. Also, the drainability of xylanase-treated pulp increased from 450 to 500 mL, and it further increased to 775 mL with ultrasonic-assisted xylanase treatment. Morphological characterization of pulps showed an enhanced fibrillation for the combined treatment, as shown by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. In addition, the dimensions of treated fibers were negligibly affected.

The adhesion behavior between particles in the pulp will seriously affect the index of concentrate. In this paper, the effect of citric acid on chlorite in hematite reverse flotation system was studied. The flotation test and settlement test of artificial mixed ore showed that a lower dosage of citric acid could significantly improve the removal rate of chlorite. The mineral contact angle measurement and zeta potential analysis, combined with the extended DLVO theory showed that chlorite is easily adsorbed on the surface of hematite, results in a lower removal rate, and the phenomenon was analyzed by a laser particle size analyzer and optical microscope. The results showed that citric acid can reduce the apparent grain size of artificial mixed ore and improve the dispersion degree of pulp by changing the wettability and surface potential of the minerals, thus increased the removal rate of chlorite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]