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Cadmium (Cd) is a pervasive environmental contaminant and a significant risk factor for liver injury. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the involvement of ferroptosis and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in Cd‐induced liver injury in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and to explore its underlying mechanism. Cd‐induced liver injury was associated with increased total iron, malondialdehyde (MDA), and Acyl‐CoA synthetase long‐chain family member 4 (ACSL4), together with reduced levels of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase‐4a (Gpx4a), and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), which are all hallmarks of ferroptosis. Moreover, liver hyperemia, neutrophil infiltration, increased inflammatory factors and myeloperoxidase, as well as elevated serum DNA content in Cd‐stimulated Nile tilapia suggested that a considerable number of neutrophils were recruited to the liver. Furtherly, in vitro experiments demonstrated that Cd induced the formation of NETs, and the possible mechanism was related to the generation of reactive oxygen species and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, along with the P38 and extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) signaling pathways. We concluded that ferroptosis and NETs are the critical mechanisms contributing to Cd‐induced liver injury in Nile tilapia. These findings will contribute to Cd toxicological studies in aquatic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a hereditary connective tissue disorder involving multiple systems, including ophthalmologic abnormalities. Most cases are due to heterozygous mutations in the fibrillin‐1 gene (FBN1). Other associated genes include LTBP2, MYH11, MYLK, and SLC2A10. There is significant clinical overlap between MFS and other Marfan‐like disorders. Purpose: To expand the mutation spectrum of FBN1 gene and validate the pathogenicity of Marfan‐related genes in patients with MFS and ocular manifestations. Methods: We recruited 318 participants (195 cases, 123 controls), including 59 sporadic cases and 88 families. All patients had comprehensive ophthalmic examinations showing ocular features of MFS and met Ghent criteria. Additionally, 754 cases with other eye diseases were recruited. Panel‐based next‐generation sequencing (NGS) screened mutations in 792 genes related to inherited eye diseases. Results: We detected 181 mutations with an 84.7% detection rate in sporadic cases and 87.5% in familial cases. The overall detection rate was 86.4%, with FBN1 accounting for 74.8%. In cases without FBN1 mutations, 23 mutations from seven Marfan‐related genes were identified, including four pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations in LTBP2. The 181 mutations included 165 missenses, 10 splicings, three frameshifts, and three nonsenses. FBN1 accounted for 53.0% of mutations. The most prevalent pathogenic mutation was FBN1 c.4096G>A. Additionally, 94 novel mutations were detected, with 13 de novo mutations in 14 families. Conclusion: We expanded the mutation spectrum of the FBN1 gene and provided evidence for the pathogenicity of other Marfan‐related genes. Variants in LTBP2 may contribute to the ocular manifestations in MFS, underscoring its role in phenotypic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of undrained cyclic shear tests was carried out on saturated coral sands, with different initial physical states, as they were subjected to rotations of 90° in the paths of cyclic stress with various initial orientations under isotropic conditions. An important finding is that the cumulative dissipated energy required for liquefaction (Ws) was significantly affected by their fines content (FC), relative density (Dr), and effective stress of consolidation ( p ′ 0 ), but was independent of the conditions of cyclic loading. Ws increased significantly with the increase in p ′ 0. When FC was less than the threshold fines content, Ws increased with FC and decreased with an increase in Dr. The equivalent intergranular void ratio (e*) was introduced to reflect the effects of FC, physical states of the particles, and inter-particle contact on the physical properties of coral sand. The results revealed a unique relationship between e* and Ws at p ′ 0 = 100 kPa. Furthermore, the unified model of the relation between the normalized cumulative dissipated energy and the ratio of excess pore water pressure (EPWP) followed an arc-tangent function. This model can be used to characterize the generation of EPWP with the cumulative dissipated energy of fine-grained sand under isotropic consolidation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]