In this study, a high throughput approach to rotating-disk sorptive extraction (RDSE) using laminar cork as extraction phase is demonstrated for the first time in the determination of 20 multiclass ...organic micro-pollutants including pesticides, PAHs and UV filters compounds from aqueous samples with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The influencing parameters (desorption solvent, volume and time, extraction time and sample pH and ionic strength) were carefully optimized using multivariate designs. The optimal conditions were 10 min for extraction using 35 mL of water samples and a liquid desorption using 1 mL of MeOH:AcOEt (50:50% v/v) for 20 min. A low-cost apparatus that allows six extractions simultaneously, providing a high throughput of 5 min per sample turnaround times, considering the sample preparation step was used for the first time in this modified RDSE methodology. Satisfactory analytical performance was achieved with limits of detection (LOD) between 0.08 and 1.5 μg L−1 and limits of quantification (LOQ) between 0.3 and 4.8 μg L−1. The relative recoveries for the analytes were determined using river and lake water samples spiked at different concentrations and ranging from 80% to 119% for all analytes, with relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 20%. The extraction efficiency obtained for the proposed configuration with laminar cork was significantly superior to powdered cork, demonstrating an interesting new configuration for new applications.
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•A simple method was developed for multiclass organic micro-pollutants determination.•Laminar cork as extraction phase was used for RDSE.•The new configuration was reduced in size by approximately 15% compared to traditional RDSE.•Lower amounts of desorption solvents and larger amounts of extractive phase was used.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Antiamyloid antibodies have been used to reduce cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) load in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. We applied focused ultrasound with each of six monthly aducanumab infusions to ...temporarily open the blood–brain barrier with the goal of enhancing amyloid removal in selected brain regions in three participants over a period of 6 months. The reduction in the level of Aβ was numerically greater in regions treated with focused ultrasound than in the homologous regions in the contralateral hemisphere that were not treated with focused ultrasound, as measured by fluorine-18 florbetaben positron-emission tomography. Cognitive tests and safety evaluations were conducted over a period of 30 to 180 days after treatment. (Funded by the Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. Foundation and the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.)
In three patients with Alzheimer’s disease, focused ultrasound was applied with aducanumab therapy. Reduction in amyloid was greater in treated regions than in matched contralateral regions over 6 months.
This study investigates how volunteer tourism's critical events can elicit reflections about participant's careers and lead to personal/professional. Content analysis of qualitative data obtained ...from semistructured interviews with 20 Brazilian volunteers suggests that adverse conditions of the destination, unusual situations faced during the program, and culture shock experienced at the host community, triggered transformative learning processes involving changes in social‐linguistic, psychological, and moral‐ethical perspectives, often interwoven. Research also suggests that volunteer tourism contributes to the practitioner's career sustainability and employability, as well as to careers re‐evaluations resulting from new behaviors and worldviews developed during their experience.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The fungal metabolite 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) was used as a redox mediatorwith the aim of increasing dye degradation by Fenton oxidative processes (Fe
/H
O
, Fe
/H
O
). ItsFe
-reducing ...activity can enhance the generation of reactive oxygen species as HO
radicals.Initially, the influence of 3-HAA on decolorization kinetics of five dyes (methylene blue,chromotrope 2R, methyl orange, phenol red, and safranin T) was investigated using decolorizationdata from a previous work conducted by the present research group. Fe
-containing reaction datawere well fitted with first-order and mainly second-order kinetic models, whereas the BMG(Behnajady, Modirshahla and Ghanbary) model obtained optimal fit to Fe
. Improvements inkinetic parameters (i.e., apparent rate constants and maximum oxidation capacity) were observedwith the addition of 3-HAA. In another set of experiments, a decrease in apparent activation energywas observed due to introducing 3-HAA into reactions containing either Fe
or Fe
in order todecolorize phenol red at different temperatures. This indicates that the redox mediator decreasesthe energy barrier so as to allow reactions to occur. Thus, based on recent experiments and thereaction kinetics models evaluated herein, pro-oxidant properties have been observed for 3-HAAin Fenton processes.
ABSTRACT
Ecosystem engineering is increasingly recognized as a relevant ecological driver of diversity and community composition. Although engineering impacts on the biota can vary from negative to ...positive, and from trivial to enormous, patterns and causes of variation in the magnitude of engineering effects across ecosystems and engineer types remain largely unknown. To elucidate the above patterns, we conducted a meta‐analysis of 122 studies which explored effects of animal ecosystem engineers on species richness of other organisms in the community. The analysis revealed that the overall effect of ecosystem engineers on diversity is positive and corresponds to a 25% increase in species richness, indicating that ecosystem engineering is a facilitative process globally. Engineering effects were stronger in the tropics than at higher latitudes, likely because new or modified habitats provided by engineers in the tropics may help minimize competition and predation pressures on resident species. Within aquatic environments, engineering impacts were stronger in marine ecosystems (rocky shores) than in streams. In terrestrial ecosystems, engineers displayed stronger positive effects in arid environments (e.g. deserts). Ecosystem engineers that create new habitats or microhabitats had stronger effects than those that modify habitats or cause bioturbation. Invertebrate engineers and those with lower engineering persistence (<1 year) affected species richness more than vertebrate engineers which persisted for >1 year. Invertebrate species richness was particularly responsive to engineering impacts. This study is the first attempt to build an integrative framework of engineering effects on species diversity; it highlights the importance of considering latitude, habitat, engineering functional group, taxon and persistence of their effects in future theoretical and empirical studies.
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This paper presents the Outer Plug Standardization – OPS, a novel technique as an alternative for the classic internal standardization using multiple injection in capillary zone electrophoresis is ...proposed herein. This technique was applied in a new method for the determination of chloride, nitrate and sulfate in rainwater samples. After the injection accuracy was tested and proved to be a minor error source (average 1.26% RSD), the OPS was applied and it improved the intra-day and inter-day precision of the analytical method by 32.5% and 24.7%, respectively. Using a capillary with effective length of 23.5 cm the electrophoretic separation of the three inorganic anions could be achieved in <1 min, with detection limits of 0.05, 0.09 and 0.11 mg L−1 for chloride, nitrate and sulfate, respectively. Also, the statistical t-test was applied to the results obtained for 82 rainwater samples that were collected and analyzed applying both the method developed in this study and the official APHA 4140 method where no statistical difference was noted within a 95% confidence level.
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•The analyte itself is used in the place of an internal standard.•Precision was improved in 24.6%–32.5% with the new internal calibration strategy.•Cl−, NO3− and SO42− were determined in less than 1 min.•The developed method showed good validation results.•Simple BGE with only 2 components.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract
Aging is associated with functional and metabolic decline and is a risk factor for all noncommunicable diseases. Even though mice are routinely used for modeling human aging and ...aging-related conditions, no comprehensive assessment to date has been conducted on normative mouse aging. To address this gap, the Study of Longitudinal Aging in Mice (SLAM) was designed and implemented by the National Institute on Aging (NIA/NIH) as the mouse counterpart to the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). In this manuscript, we describe the premise, study design, methodologies, and technologies currently employed in SLAM. We also discuss current and future study directions. In this large population mouse study, inbred C57BL/6J and outbred UM-HET3 mice of both sexes are longitudinally evaluated for functional, phenotypic, and biological health, and collection of biospecimens is conducted throughout their life span. Within the longitudinal cohorts, a cross-sectional arm of the study has also been implemented for the well-controlled collection of tissues to generate a biorepository. SLAM and studies stemming from SLAM seek to identify and characterize phenotypic and biological predictors of mouse aging and age-associated conditions, examine the degrees of functional and biomolecular variability that occur within inbred and genetically heterogeneous mouse populations with age, and assess whether these changes are consistent with alterations observed in human aging in BLSA. The findings from these studies will be critical for evaluating the utility of mouse models for studying different aspects of aging, both in terms of interpreting prior findings and designing and implementing future studies.
Aging leads to profound changes in glucose homeostasis, weight, and adiposity, which are considered good predictors of health and survival in humans. Direct evidence that these age-associated ...metabolic alterations are recapitulated in animal models is lacking, impeding progress to develop and test interventions that delay the onset of metabolic dysfunction and promote healthy aging and longevity. We compared longitudinal trajectories, rates of change, and mortality risks of fasting blood glucose, body weight, and fat mass in mice, nonhuman primates, and humans throughout their lifespans and found similar trajectories of body weight and fat in the three species. In contrast, fasting blood glucose decreased late in life in mice but increased over the lifespan of nonhuman primates and humans. Higher glucose was associated with lower mortality in mice but higher mortality in nonhuman primates and humans, providing a cautionary tale for translating age-associated metabolic changes from mice to humans.
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•Age-associated fasting blood glucose trends differ between mice and monkeys/humans•Mice, monkeys, and humans have similar body weight trajectories with age•The association of glucose with survival is inverse for mice versus monkeys/humans•Mice do not fully recapitulate aging-related glucose metabolism changes of primates
Fasting blood glucose is widely used to measure metabolic health, and mice are used to model age-associated metabolic diseases in humans. Here, Palliyaguru and Shiroma et al. reveal that fasting blood glucose trajectories and mortality risk associations differ between species—a cautionary tale for using mice to model perturbations in age-associated glucoregulation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Background
There is a dearth of studies examining the associations of objectively measured dual sensory impairment (DSI) with incident mobility and activities of daily life (ADL) difficulty ...longitudinally.
Methods
Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations of DSI and single sensory impairment (hearing, vision) with incident mobility difficulty (many problems or inability to walk ¼ mile and/or climb 10 steps) and ADL difficulty up to six years of follow‐up among 2020 participants of the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study, a cohort of older adults aged 70–79 years from Pittsburgh, PA and Memphis, TN. Vision impairment (VI) was defined as impaired visual acuity (20/50 or worse on Bailey‐Lovie distance test) and contrast sensitivity (<1.3 log units on Pelli‐Robson test), and hearing impairment (HI) was defined as pure‐tone average in better‐hearing ear >25 decibels. Models were adjusted by age, race, sex, education, diabetes, depressive symptoms, hypertension, gait speed from 20‐meter walk, global cognition score, prevalent cardiovascular disease, and body mass index.
Results
There were 23% with DSI (n = 459). DSI was associated with increased risk of both incident report of mobility (hazard ratio HR = 2.25, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.47, 3.43), and ADL difficulty (HR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.50, 3.40). Neither VI nor HI alone was associated with risk of either outcome.
Conclusions
DSI is associated with increased risk of incident mobility and ADL difficulty. Rehabilitation and adaptive environmental changes for individuals living with DSI may be important to maximize mobility and daily function.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Quality reference values (QRV) for potentially toxic elements (PTE) in soils are established as a tool for prevention and monitoring of soil pollution. These values should be periodically revised in ...order to ensure soil safety for agricultural purposes. Brazil is market leader for several commodities; therefore, the safety of Brazilian soils is of worldwide strategic importance. The objective of this study was to determine the natural background concentrations and the QRV for As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn by investigating 30 representative pedotypes in the São Paulo State, one of the most important agro-industry economy at worldwide level. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied to determine the sources of PTE and their variability. The mean natural background concentrations of PTE in the soils were generally lower to those reported in literature. QRV, calculated for each element as the 75th and 90th percentiles, were lower (75th for As, Cd, Pb, and Zn), similar (75th for Ba, Cr, and Se) or above (90th for Ba, Cr, and Se and 75-90th for Ni) those previously proposed by the Brazilian environmental protection agencies. The results indicate that 75th percentile may be too restrictive. The PTE in the investigated soils appear to have comes mainly from two primary natural sources: a prevalent one of geogenic and a secondary of pedogenic origin. These results confirm the predominant natural source of selected PTE in the investigated soils, thus sustaining the possibility of using the data set to develop QRV for the State of São Paulo.
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•PTE background concentrations in natural soils of São Paulo State were generally low.•The 90th percentile may be considered as an appropriate limit for QRVs.•The PTE in the studied soils came from two main natural sources.•The geogenic source prevails in terms of underlying processes and explained variability.•The pedogenic source is pivotal in influencing some of the PTE studied.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
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