The Delaware Basin, Texas is currently a hot‐spot of induced seismicity and ground deformation due to fluid extraction and injection associated with horizontal drilling techniques; however, the driving mechanism behind the seismicity and deformation remains under debate. Using vertical and east‐west horizontal surface deformation measurements derived from Sentinel‐1 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), we show that the subsurface responds differently to oil and gas activity in the northern and southeastern portions of the basin. In the north, where there is little seismicity, deformation patterns display long‐wavelengths and equidimensional patterns. In contrast, the southeast region hosts most of the seismicity and displays spatial deformation patterns with narrow linear features that strike parallel to the maximum principal horizontal stress and to trends in seismicity, suggesting movement along normal faults. We model a linear deformation feature using edge dislocations and show that the InSAR observations can be reproduced by slip on normal faults contained within the Delaware Mountain Group (DMG), the formation that hosts local wastewater injection and the majority of earthquakes. Our model consists of three parallel, high‐angle normal faults, with two dipping toward one another in a graben structure. Slip magnitudes reach up to 25 cm and are spatially correlated with injection wells. Measured seismicity can only explain ∼2% of the fault motion predicted by our fault model, suggesting that slip leading to the deformation is predominantly aseismic. We conclude that seismic and aseismic fault motion in the southeastern Delaware Basin is likely driven by wastewater injection near critically‐stressed normal faults within the DMG.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to describe the anatomical characteristics of the nasolacrimal duct of Persian cats as observed by computed tomographic dacryocystography. ANIMAL STUDIED: Ten cats weighing 3–6 kg (three live cats and seven cadaveric specimens). PROCEDURES: The animals were submitted to bilateral computed tomographic dacryocystography, totaling 20 nasolacrimal ducts. Dorsal, sagittal, and transverse planes were studied. Two additional skulls were also dissected following latex injection into the nasolacrimal duct. The length and width of the nasolacrimal duct and lacrimal canaliculi, and the distance between the nasolacrimal duct and the root of the upper canine tooth at the point of closest proximity were measured. RESULTS: The nasolacrimal duct followed a convoluted course, particularly in the middle and rostral portions. Duct stenosis (width reduction equal to or >75%) and dilations (width increase equal to or >50%) were also detected, particularly in the rostral portion. Nasolacrimal duct length and width ranged from 1.3 to 1.5 cm and 1.5 to 2.3 mm, respectively. Mean lacrimal canaliculus length and width corresponded to 3.1 mm and 0.4 mm, respectively. Mean distance from the nasolacrimal duct to the canine tooth was 2.4 mm. The root of this tooth interfered with the course of the nasolacrimal duct. CONCLUSION: This study provided anatomical information for clinical assessment of the nasolacrimal drainage system in Persian cats.

Bacterioplankton are essential components of riverine ecosystems. However, the mechanisms (deterministic or stochastic processes) and co-occurrence networks by which these communities respond to anthropogenic disturbances are not well understood. Here, we integrated niche-neutrality dynamic balancing and co-occurrence network analysis to investigate the dispersal dynamics of bacterioplankton communities along human activity intensity gradients. Results showed that the lower reaches (where intensity of human activity is high) had an increased composition of bacterioplankton communities which induced strong increases in bacterioplankton diversity. Human activity intensity changes influenced bacterioplankton community assembly via regulation of the deterministic-stochastic balance, with deterministic processes more important as human activity increases. Bacterioplankton molecular ecological network stability and robustness were higher on average in the upper reaches (where there is lower intensity of human activity), but a human activity intensity increase of about 10%/10% can reduce co-occurrence network stability of bacterioplankton communities by an average of 0.62%/0.42% in the dry and wet season, respectively. In addition, water chemistry (especially NO3–-N and Cl–) contributed more to explaining community assembly (especially the composition) than geographic distance and land use in the dry season, while the bacterioplankton community (especially the bacterioplankton network) was more influenced by distance (especially the length of rivers and dendritic streams) and land use (especially forest regions) in the wet season. Our research provides a new perspective of community assembly in rivers and important insights into future research on environmental monitoring and classified management of aquatic ecosystems under the influence of human activity.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) was applied to evaluate seasonal variations of the consumption of pharmaceuticals (i.e. antibiotics, NSAIDs, antiepileptics, antihypertensives and others), caffeine, alcohol and nicotine in Latvia throughout 2021. In addition, weekly variation of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol consumption was investigated. Pronounced seasonality was observed in the consumption of antibiotics and decongestants, as well as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Correlation with COVID-19 statistics was observed in the case of macrolide antibiotics and antiasthmatic salbutamol. Comparison of the estimated consumption values obtained using the WBE approach and the statistics revealed that the majority of compounds data are in good agreement except angiotensin II receptor blocker group antihypertensives where the most overestimated consumption values were observed.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, with several conditions being affected by oxidative stress. Ferroptosis, recently identified programmed cell death mechanism, is relies on oxidative stress. This study aimed to determine the expressions of the genes involved in the molecular pathways of oxidative stress and ferroptosis and the association of these genes with CAD risk factors in CAD and non-CAD individuals. METHODS AND RESULTS: The blood samples of individuals who underwent coronary angiography were collected and divided according to CAD status. Total RNA isolation was performed using the PAXgene RNA isolation kit from the whole blood samples. The mRNA expression levels of RTN3, GPX4, CAT, HMOX1, ELOVL5, SLC25A1, SLC7A11, and ACSL4 genes were determined using Real-Time PCR. Biochemical analyses were done before coronary angiography, and the results were evaluated statistically. The expression levels of the CAT gene are significantly lower in the CAD group when compared to non-CAD. HMOX1 expression levels are positively correlated with stenosis percentage, Gensini, and SYNTAX scores in the CAD group. RTN3, SLC25A1, and GPX4 mRNA expressions are correlated with HDL-C levels. Moreover, HbA1c levels and BMI, correlate negatively with ACSL4 expression in non-CAD controls. Also, ELOVL5 expression is negatively correlated with total bilirubin and direct bilirubin levels in the CAD group. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the genes related to oxidative stress and ferroptosis were found associated with biochemical parameters associated with CAD risk. These preliminary results may provide a new perspective to further studies investigating the reasons behind the identified associations.

IntroductionIncreasing evidence supports the role of gut microbiota in many aspects of human health, including immune, metabolic and neurobehavioral traits. Several studies have focused on how different components of the diet, such as polyphenols, can modulate the composition and function of the gut microbiota leading to health benefits.MethodsThe effects on the resistance against thermally induced oxidative stress of C. elegans grown in the presence of flavonoids (quercetin or epicatechin) and fed different probiotic strains, namely Lactobacillus plantarum CLC17, Bifidobacterium longum NCIMB 8809 and Enterococcus faecium CECT 410, were explored.ResultsFeeding C. elegans with the assayed bacteria in the absence of flavonoids did not significantly affect body size and fertility of the worms neither improve their resistance against oxidative stress compared to E. coli controls. However, increased resistance to stress was found when C. elegans was cultivated in the presence of both L. plantarum and flavonoids, but not with B. longum or E. faecium. An exploratory study revealed the presence of glycosylated and sulfated metabolites together with the aglycone in worms treated with quercetin and fed any of the different assayed LAB strains. However, in the assays with epicatechin a differential metabolite, tentatively identified as 5-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone 3′-O-glucoside, was detected in the worms fed L. plantarum but not with the other bacteria.ConclusionThe obtained results indicated that the interactions bacteria/polyphenol play a key role in the effects produced in C. elegans regarding resistance against oxidative stress, although those effects cannot be only explained by the ability of bacteria to metabolize polyphenols, but other mechanisms should also be involved.

The biological effect of soilborne nanoparticles (NPs) is a manifestation of soil-NMs-bio interactions. Soil factors are known to restructure NPs surfaces and thus influence the nanotoxicity. However, the mechanisms by which environmental factors affecting nano-bio interactions to aggravate or alleviate nanotoxicities are poorly understood. Herein, we compared the toxicity of TiO₂ NPs (nTiO₂) in five soils using the model nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans), and investigated the variation of nano-bio interactions under different conditions. A correlation analysis showed that pH and dissolved organic matter (DOM) were dominant regulators of nTiO₂ toxicity. At the nano-bio interface, low pH (5.0) led to nTiO₂ adhesion to micron-sized furrows and aggravated dermal wrinkling, while humid acid (HA) alleviated these impacts. Mechanically, low pH increased nTiO₂ adhesion through enhanced electrostatic attraction and subsequent stimulation of mucin and collagen synthesis, resulting in a positive feed cycle of pH-dependent contact nanotoxicity. HA not only prevented nTiO₂ adhesion onto the epidermis due to its negative charge, but also relieved the overstimulation of stress response pathways, thereby alleviating nanotoxicity. These findings broaden our knowledge of how NPs induce contact toxicity in soil invertebrates through specific biointerfacial interactions, and highlight the important role of DOM in alleviating the combined hazards of NPs and soil acidification.

Abstract Sea level rise (SLR) and saltwater intrusion are driving inland shifts in coastal ecosystems. Here, we make high‐resolution (1 m) predictions of land conversion under future SLR scenarios in 81 watersheds surrounding Chesapeake Bay, United States, a hotspot for accelerated SLR and saltwater intrusion. We find that 1050–3748 km2 of marsh could be created by 2100, largely at the expense of forested wetlands. Predicted marsh migration exceeds total current tidal marsh area and is ~ 4× greater than historical observations. Anthropogenic land use in marsh migration areas is concentrated within a few watersheds and minimally impacts calculated metrics of marsh resilience. Despite regional marsh area maintenance, local ecosystem service replacement within vulnerable watersheds remains uncertain. However, our work suggests that topography rather than land use drives spatial variability in wetland vulnerability regionally, and that rural land conversion is needed to compensate for extensive areal losses on heavily developed coasts globally.

This study was conducted in the laboratories of the Department of Food Science / College of Agriculture/ University of Tikrit with the aim of isolating and diagnosing fungi contaminated by stored wheat grains and estimating the concentration of FB1 in it and determining its physiological effects in rats, The results of the study showed the presence of Aspergillus sp. molds by 38 in the tested samples, followed by Fusarium sp. by 28 and Alternaria alternata by 19 then the genus Penicillium sp. by 10 and Mucor sp. by 5. The presence of FB1 toxin in local and imported wheat samples was also investigated by estimating using ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immune Sorbent Assays) as its highest concentration was 2.240 mg/kg in local wheat from the A-Dour district, while the lowest concentration was 0.103 mg/kg in Australian wheat samples. The ability of F.monliforme mold isolates to produce FB1 was also studied, it was found that they were capable of producing toxin with concentrations of 4.264 mg / kg in local wheat samples taken from Al-Dour district and 3.597 mg / kg in local wheat samples taken from Baiji district. Using HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). With regard to the sensory evaluation of wheat flour used in the study, the best results for wheat flour of Australian wheat gave the highest results which reached 24 degrees while the worst results for wheat flour of Baiji which amounted to 14 degrees for the qualities studied: color, smell. With regard to the sensory evaluation of beard made from wheat samples in this study, the highest was recorded 33 degrees for Australian wheat and lowest evaluation for Dour wheat with 24 degrees with regard to the studied qualities of color, smell, taste. The effect of FB1 on the rate of weight gain in male rats has also been studied, the presence of this toxin in the rats' diet led to a significant decrease in weight after 21 days of the trial age, where the average weight in the T3 treatment was 141 g and the results showed a significant increase in the relative weight of the liver and Kidney in treatment T3 was 4.6g and 1.7g respectively.

Most flowering plants are hermaphrodites, with flowers having both male and female reproductive organs. One widespread adaptation to limit self-fertilization is self-incompatibility (SI), where self-pollen fails to fertilize ovules.1,2 In homomorphic SI, many morphologically indistinguishable mating types are found, although in heteromorphic SI, the two or three mating types are associated with different floral morphologies. 3–6 In heterostylous Primula, a hemizygous supergene determines a short-styled S-morph and a long-styled L-morph, corresponding to two different mating types, and full seed set only results from intermorph crosses.7–9 Style length is controlled by the brassinosteroid (BR)-inactivating cytochrome P450 CYP734A50,10 yet it remains unclear what defines the male and female incompatibility types. Here, we show that CYP734A50 also determines the female incompatibility type. Inactivating CYP734A50 converts short S-morph styles into long styles with the same incompatibility behavior as L-morph styles, and this effect can be mimicked by exogenous BR treatment. In vitro responses of S- and L-morph pollen grains and pollen tubes to increasing BR levels could only partly explain their different in vivo behavior, suggesting both direct and indirect effects of the different BR levels in S- versus L-morph stigmas and styles in controlling pollen performance. This BR-mediated SI provides a novel mechanism for preventing self-fertilization. The joint control of morphology and SI by CYP734A50 has important implications for the evolutionary buildup of the heterostylous syndrome and provides a straightforward explanation for why essentially all of the derived self-compatible homostylous Primula species are long homostyles.