Lanthanum chloride exerts therapeutic potential for chronic kidney disease by suppressing nanohydroxyapatite-induced mitophagy and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of lanthanum chloride on kidney injury in chronic kidney disease and its mechanism. METHODS: 1. Patients with CKD stage 2-5 were selected to analyze the effect of lanthanum-containing preparations on CKD. 2. Sixty healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, lanthanum chloride groups (0.03 ng/kg, 0.1 ng/kg, 0.3 ng/kg, q.3d., i.v.), and lanthanum carbonate group (0.3 g/kg, q.d., p.o.). The model group was given 2 % adenine suspension (200 mg/kg, q.d., p.o.) for the first two weeks, followed by adenine (200 mg/kg, b.i.d., p.o.) for 2 weeks, and all animals were sacrificed after eight weeks of administration. 3. The serum and kidneys of rats in each group were collected to detect the oxidative stress indicators and the expressions of LC3B-Ⅱ/Ⅰ, p62, Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3 and Cleaved Caspase-3. 4. Human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) were divided into control group, model group, lanthanum chloride group, pyrophosphate (PPI) group, chloroquine (CQ) group, rapamycin group, doxorubicin (DOX) group and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) group. The mitochondrial status, mitophagy and apoptosis levels were detected. RESULTS: 1.Lanthanum-containing preparations can significantly reduce the biochemical indexes of kidney injury in patients with CKD. 2. In the model group, the glomerular and renal tubular edema, the mitochondria were short and round, and the expression of LC3B-Ⅱ/Ⅰ and Bax increased, while the expression of P62, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 decreased, and there was a significant improvement in the administration group, especially the 0.1 ng/kg group and lanthanum carbonate group. 3. In the HK-2 cell model group, mitochondrial membrane potential decreased, morphology changed and the results were reversed by lanthanum chloride. CONCLUSION: Lanthanum chloride may alter the morphology of nano-hydroxyapatite, thereby inhibiting its induced mitophagy and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, and ultimately improve CKD renal injury effectively.

ChatGPT-based meta-analysis for evaluating the temporal and spatial characteristics of deoxynivalenol contamination in Chinese wheat.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a major source of mycotoxins in wheat. However, there is a lack of systematic reporting of the overall contamination status in China, hindering comprehensive assessments. In this study, we utilized a meta-analysis approach based on ChatGPT to systematically analyze DON contamination in wheat-growing regions in China, as reported in the literature from 2010 to 2021. By optimizing the query processes and refining the methodology keywords using ChatGPT, efficient screening, data identification, and literature extraction were achieved for the first time during the meta-analysis data acquisition phase. The matching rates for the screening and extraction of 1091 articles were 100 % and 95.4 %, respectively, resulting in a 20.5-fold work efficiency increase compared to that by manual operations. Meta-subgroup analysis by province and year revealed significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity in DON contamination in the wheat-growing regions of China. Furthermore, the relationship between climate factors and DON levels in wheat was investigated to illustrate the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of DON in Chinese wheat. The results showed that DON concentrations were mainly influenced by relative humidity and precipitation during the wheat-growing season. This novel ChatGPT-assisted meta-analysis approach provides valuable insights and offers a promising method for efficient meta-analyses in other fields.

Deep radiomics-based prognostic prediction of oral cancer using optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the integration of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and peripheral blood immune indicators for predicting oral cancer prognosis by artificial intelligence. METHODS: In this study, we examined patients undergoing radical oral cancer resection and explored inherent relationships among clinical data, OCT images, and peripheral immune indicators for oral cancer prognosis. We firstly built a peripheral blood immune indicator-guided deep learning feature representation method for OCT images, and further integrated a multi-view prognostic radiomics model incorporating feature selection and logistic modeling. Thus, we can assess the prognostic impact of each indicator on oral cancer by quantifying OCT features. RESULTS: We collected 289 oral mucosal samples from 68 patients, yielding 1,445 OCT images. Using our deep radiomics-based prognosis model, it achieved excellent discrimination for oral cancer prognosis with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.886, identifying systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) as the most informative feature for prognosis prediction. Additionally, the deep learning model also performed excellent results with 85.26% accuracy and 0.86 AUC in classifying the SII risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our study effectively merged OCT imaging with peripheral blood immune indicators to create a deep learning-based model for inflammatory risk prediction in oral cancer. Additionally, we constructed a comprehensive multi-view radiomics model that utilizes deep learning features for accurate prognosis prediction. The study highlighted the significance of the SII as a crucial indicator for evaluating patient outcomes, corroborating our clinical statistical analyses. This integration underscores the potential of combining imaging and blood indicators in clinical decision-making. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The clinical trial associated with this study was prospectively registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry with the trial registration number (TRN) ChiCTR2200064861. The registration was completed on 2021.

Identification of bile acids in snake bile by hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and quantitative structure-retention relationship analysis.

Natural bile acids, a class of steroids with a valeric acid side chain at the C-17 position, present significant challenges in separation and analysis due to structural similarities, isomerism, and large polarity differences. Therefore, advanced analytical methods are essential for the accurate identification and quantification of bile acids. This study conducted a comprehensive qualitative analysis of bile acids by integrating liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), hydrogen-deuterium exchange tandem mass spectrometry (HDX-MS/MS), and quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) methods. Firstly, LC-MS/MS conditions were optimized to enhance chromatographic separation and improve the reliability of characteristic fragment ions. MS/MS fragmentation rules for bile acids were derived from the mass spectral data of bile acid standards and validated through HDX-MS/MS experiments. Secondly, potential bile acids in snake bile were identified based on these validated fragmentation rules, and a QSRR model was established to predict the retention times of the proposed structures. Thirdly, HDX-MS/MS was applied to assist in identifying bile acid isomers. Finally, a total of 150 bile acids, including 11 free bile acids (free BA), 5 glyco-bile acids (GBA) and 134 tauro-bile acids (TBA), were detected in snake bile. Thirteen bile acids were accurately characterized by comparing their retention time and MS/MS spectra with standards. Forty-nine bile acids were reasonably annotated using the QSRR model and HDX-MS/MS. This study is notable for being the first to utilize the QSRR and HDX-MS/MS techniques for the annotation of bile acids in snake bile, providing a robust framework for the structural elucidation of these compounds.

Exploring the causal association between epigenetic clocks and menopause age: insights from a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Evidence suggests a connection between DNA methylation (DNAm) aging and reproductive aging. However, the causal relationship between DNAm and age at menopause remains uncertain. Methods: Employing established DNAm epigenetic clocks, such as DNAm Hannum age acceleration (Hannum), Intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (IEAA), DNAm-estimated granulocyte proportions (Gran), DNAm GrimAge acceleration (GrimAgeAccel), DNAm PhenoAge acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel), and DNAm-estimated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels (DNAmPAIadjAge), a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study was carried out to explore the potential causality between DNAm and menopausal age. The primary analytical method used was the inverse variance weighted (IVW) estimation model, supplemented by various other estimation techniques. Results: DNAm aging acceleration or deceleration, as indicated by Hannum, IEAA, Gran, GrimAgeAccel, PhenoAgeAccel, and DNAmPAIadjAge, did not exhibit a statistically significant causal effect on menopausal age according to forward MR analysis. However, there was a suggestive positive causal association between age at menopause and Gran (Beta = 0.0010; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.0004, 0.0020) in reverse MR analysis. Conclusion: The observed increase in granulocyte DNAm levels in relation to menopausal age could potentially serve as a valuable indicator for evaluating the physiological status at the onset of menopause.

High-risk factors for massive haemorrhage in medical abortion patients with missed miscarriage.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the incidence of missed miscarriage has gradually increased, and medical abortion is a common method to terminate a pregnancy. In the process of medical abortion, massive vaginal bleeding takes place, leading to emergency surgical haemostasis. Emergency surgery may produce infection and organ damage. Our study aimed to investigate the high-risk factors for massive haemorrhage during a medical abortion. METHODS: A total of 1062 missed miscarriage patients who underwent medical abortion participated in this retrospective study. According to the amount of bleeding, the patients were divided into a massive haemorrhage group and a control group. By comparing the general conditions of the two groups, such as fertility history, uterine surgery history, uterine fibroids, etc., the high-risk factors for massive haemorrhage during medical abortion were identified. RESULTS: Relative to the control group, the massive haemorrhage group exhibited a higher proportion of patients with a previous artificial abortion (51.9% vs. 38.1%, P = 0.001). Additionally, the massive haemorrhage group had a lower percentage of first-time pregnant women (32.1% vs. 40.4%) and a higher proportion of women with shorter pregnancy intervals (44.9% vs. 33.1%, P = 0.03). Furthermore, there were notable differences between the two groups regarding maximum fibroid size, the duration of amenorrhea, and gestational week (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, we determined that a history of artificial abortion and an amenorrhea duration of > 11 weeks represented high-risk factors for massive vaginal bleeding during medical abortion in missed miscarriage patients.

Acoustic Controllable Spatiotemporal Cell Micro-oscillation for Noninvasive Intracellular Drug Delivery.

Intracellular cargo delivery is crucial for drug evaluation, nanomedicine development, and gene therapy, in which high efficiency while maintaining cell viability is needed for downstream analysis. Here, an acoustic-mediated precise drug delivering mechanism is proposed by directly modulating cell micro-oscillation mode and membrane permeability. Through phase shifting keying-based spatiotemporal acoustic tweezers, controllable oscillating cell arrays can be achieved in shaking potentials. At the same time, continually oscillating radiation force and fluid shear stress exerted on cells effectively disturbs cellular membrane mobility and enhances permeability, thereby facilitating nanodrug entrance. In experiments, cell oscillation is tunable in frequency (10-2 to 102 Hz), shaking direction, amplitude (0 to quarter acoustic wavelength), and speed. Doxorubicin is actively delivered across cellular membranes and accumulates in inner cells, with a concentration more than 8 times that of the control group. Moreover, there is no obvious compromise in cell activity during oscillation, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility. This "dancing acoustic waves" scheme introduces a new dimension of cell manipulation in both space and time domains and an effective drug delivering strategy, offering advantages of flexibility, gentleness, and high throughput. It may advance related fields like nanobiological research, drug and nanomedicine development, and medical treatment.

Oat anthranilamides regulates high-fat diet-induced intestinal inflammation by the TLR4/NF-κb signalling pathway and gut microbiota.

Oat anthranilamides have demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; however, the precise mechanism of action remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of oat anthranilamide B (AVN B) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced intestinal inflammation in mice and its underlying mechanisms. The results indicated that AVN B supplementation mitigated weight gain and reduced inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in serum, liver, and intestines. It improved intestinal barrier dysfunction by upregulating the expression levels of Occludin and MUC2 while simultaneously reducing intestinal inflammation by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signalling pathway. Additionally, AVN B treatment improved gut microbiota composition. It increased the abundance of beneficial flora and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially propionate and butyrate, associated with reduced production of pro-inflammatory factors and enhanced intestinal protection. The findings provide scientific evidence for the potential of AVN B as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Oat AVN B reduces body weight gain and inflammation levels in HFD-fed miceAVN B protects the intestinal barrier and inhibits intestinal inflammationAVN B inhibits TLR4/NF-κB signalling pathway in the ileum of HFD-induced miceAVN B improves gut microbial imbalance in HFD-induced miceAVN B increases butyrate and propionic acid by promoting SCFA-producing bacteria.

ARHGAP26 deficiency drives the oocyte aneuploidy and early embryonic development failure.

Aneuploidy, the presence of a chromosomal anomaly, is a major cause of spontaneous abortions and recurrent pregnancy loss in humans. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain poorly understood. Here, we report that ARHGAP26, a putative tumor suppressor gene, is a newly identified regulator of oocyte quality to maintain mitochondrial integrity and chromosome euploidy, thus ensuring normal embryonic development and fertility. Taking advantage of knockout mouse model, we revealed that genetic ablation of Arhgap26 caused the oocyte death at GV stage due to the mitochondrial dysfunction-induced ROS accumulation. Lack of Arhgap26 also impaired both in vitro and in vivo maturation of survived oocytes which results in maturation arrest and aneuploidy, and consequently leading to early embryonic development defects and subfertility. These observations were further verified by transcriptome analysis. Mechanistically, we discovered that Arhgap26 interacted with Cofilin1 to maintain the mitochondrial integrity by regulating Drp1 dynamics, and restoration of Arhgap26 protein level recovered the quality of Arhgap26-null oocytes. Importantly, we found an ARHGAP26 mutation in a patient with history of recurrent miscarriage by chromosomal microarray analysis. Altogether, our findings uncover a novel function of ARHGAP26 in the oocyte quality control and prevention of aneuploidy and provide a potential treatment strategy for infertile women caused by ARHGAP26 mutation.

Exploring the remarkable effects of microwave treatment on starch modification: From structural evolution to changed physicochemical and digestive properties.

As one of the crucial components of the food system, starch can be hydrolyzed into glucose after gastrointestinal digestion, so regulating its digestive properties is vital for maintaining health. Microwaves can promote the rearrangement of intramolecular structure of starch, thus improving its physicochemical properties, enhancing its slowly digestible features, and expanding its scope of application. This review zooms in describing recent research results concerning the effects of microwave treatment on the multi-scale structure and physicochemical properties of starch and summarizing the patterns of these changes. Furthermore, the changes in starch structure, resistant starch content, and glycemic index after digestion are pointed out to gain an insight into the enhancement of starch slowly digestible properties by microwave treatment. The resistance of starch to enzymatic digestion may largely hinge on the specific structures formed during microwave treatment. The multi-level structural evolutions of starch during digestion endow it with the power to resist digestion and lower the glycemic index. The properties of starch dictate its application, and these properties are highly associated with its structure. Consequently, understanding the structural changes of microwave-modified starch helps to prepare modified starch with diversified varieties and functional composites.

A Dataset of Distribution and Characterization of Underground Wastewater Treatment Plants in China.

Underground wastewater treatment plants (U-WWTPs) have emerged as a novel paradigm for urban wastewater pollutants management, offering benefits such as alleviating the Not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) effect and utilizing land resources efficiently. China stands at the forefront, witnessing swift advancements in U-WWTP technology and deployment. However, the absence of a thorough understanding of their geographical distribution and operational characteristics could lead to misaligned planning and construction, resulting in inefficient resource allocation and treatment capacities for urban wastewater treatment. This dataset provides an up-to-date overview of the spatial distribution, process selection, and discharge standards for all U-WWTPs in China (with a total number of 201) constructed since 1995. To enhance comparative analysis, the dataset has been supplemented with information on conventional aboveground wastewater treatment plants (A-WWTPs), comprising a total of 2464 records, which enriches a more comprehensive evaluation of different wastewater treatment approaches. Utilizing this dataset can provide essential data support for the strategic management of urban wastewater systems and serve as a valuable reference for the paradigmatic renovation of existing wastewater treatment plants.

Angiogenesis unveiled: Insights into its role and mechanisms in cartilage injury.

Osteoarthritis (OA) commonly results in compromised mobility and disability, thereby imposing a significant burden on healthcare systems. Cartilage injury is a prevalent pathological manifestation in OA and constitutes a central focus for the development of treatment strategies. Despite the considerable number of studies aimed at delaying this degenerative process, their outcomes remain unvalidated in preclinical settings. Recently, therapeutic strategies focused on angiogenesis have attracted the growing interest from researchers. Thus, we conducted a comprehensive literature review to elucidate the current progress in research and pinpoint research gaps in this domain. Additionally, it provides theoretical guidance for future research endeavors and the development of treatment strategies.

The therapeutic value of ipsilateral supraclavicular lymphadenectomy in locally advanced breast cancer: A review.

The treatment of isolated ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis for locally advanced breast cancer has always been a controversial issue for breast surgeons. However, with the further understanding of the metastasis and treatment of breast cancer, it is now considered to be a locally advanced disease, and there is a new debate on the treatment of isolated ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis. The author reviewed the relevant literature and briefly discussed the clinical significance of supraclavicular lymph node resection in patients with locally advanced breast cancer presenting with isolated ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastasis.

Machine learning-based analysis of heavy metal contamination in Chinese lake basin sediments: Assessing influencing factors and policy implications.

Sediments are important heavy metal sinks in lakes, crucial for ensuring water environment safety. Existing studies mainly focused on well-studied lakes, leaving gaps in understanding pollution patterns in specific basins and influencing factors.We compiled comprehensive sediment contamination data from literature and public datasets, including hydro-geomorphological, climatic, soil, landscape, and anthropogenic factors. Using advanced machine learning, we analyzed typical pollution factors to infer potential sources and migration pathways of pollutants and predicted pollution levels in basins with limited data availability. Our analysis of pollutant distribution data revealed that Cd had the most extensive pollution range, with the most severe pollution occurring in the Huaihe and Yangtze River basins. Furthermore, we identified distinct groups of driving factors influencing various heavy metals. Cd, Cr, and Pb were primarily influenced by human activities, while Cu and Ni were affected by both anthropogenic and natural factors, and Zn tended more towards natural sources. Our predictions indicated that, in addition to the typical highly polluted areas, the potential risk of Cd, Cu and Ni is higher in Xinjiang, and in Tibet and Qinghai, the potential risk of Cd, Cr, Cu and Ni is higher. Pb and Zn presented lower risks, except in the Huaihe and Yangtze River Basins. Temperature, wind, precipitation, precipitation rate, and the cation exchange capacity of soil significantly impacted the predictions of heavy metal pollution in sediments, suggesting that particulate migration, rainfall runoff, and soil erosion are likely the main pathways for pollutant migration into sediments. Considering the migration, pathways, and sources of pollutants, we propose strategies such as low-impact development and promoting sustainable transportation to mitigate pollution. This study provides the latest insights into heavy metal pollution in Chinese lake sediments, offering references for policy-making and water resource management.

Light-regulated soliton dynamics in liquid crystals.

Electrically powered solitons are particle-like field configurations in out-of-equilibrium nematics that have garnered significant interest. However, their random generation and lack of controllable motion have limited their application. Here, we present a reconfigurable optoelectronic approach capable of regulating the entire lifecycle of solitons by utilizing multi-strategy digital light projection to construct delicate patterning of virtual electrode. We demonstrate that optically actuated domains with diverse geometry enable the generation of multiple solitons and further allow in-situ formation of individual soliton by matching the light pattern to its dimension. Exquisitely engineered light intensity of patterns facilitates modulation of soliton velocity and transformation of propagating direction. The utilization of a light-guided channel enables the on-demand control of soliton trajectories along customized paths. Furthermore, dynamic light patterns that vary in space and time allow for collective motion such as migration, mimicking phototaxis in biological systems. This reconfigurable manipulation strategy, grounded in the photoconductive effect, proves highly versatile and effective in directing soliton dynamics, heralding the potential for their programmable control and offering a significant advantage in multitasking scenarios.

IVF laboratory management through workflow-based RFID tag witnessing and real-time information entry.

BACKGROUND: Dual-person inspection in IVF laboratories cannot fully avoid mix-ups or embryo transfer errors, and data transcription or entry is time-consuming and redundant, often leading to delays in completing medical records. METHODS: This study introduced a workflow-based RFID tag witnessing and real-time information entry platform for addressing these challenges. To assess its potential in reducing mix-ups, we conducted a simulation experiment in semen preparation to analyze its error correction rate. Additionally, we evaluated its impact on work efficiency, specifically in operation and data entry. Furthermore, we compared the cycle costs between paper labels and RFID tags. Finally, we retrospectively analyzed clinical outcomes of 20,424 oocyte retrieval cycles and 15,785 frozen embryo transfer cycles, which were divided into paper label and RFID tag groups. RESULTS: The study revealed that comparing to paper labels, RFID tag witnessing corrected 100% of tag errors, didn't affect gamete/embryo operations, and notably shorten the time of entering data, but the cycle cost of RFID tags was significantly higher. However, no significant differences were observed in fertilization, embryo quality, blastocyst rates, clinical pregnancy, and live birth rates between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: RFID tag witnessing doesn't negatively impact gamete/embryo operation, embryo quality and pregnancy outcomes, but it potentially reduces the risk of mix-ups or errors. Despite highly increased cost, integrating RFID tag witnessing with real-time information entry can remarkably decrease the data entry time, substantially improving the work efficiency. This workflow-based management platform also enhances operational safety, ensures medical informational integrity, and boosts embryologist's confidence.

Spatio-temporal characteristics and multi-scale risk identification of pollution load based on sensitivity analysis in small watersheds located in Tuojiang River Basin, China.

High-quality development of water resources supports high-quality socio-economic development. High-quality development connects high-quality life, and clarifying the key management contents of small watersheds plays an important role in building ecologically clean small watersheds and promoting regional production and life. Previous research on pollution loads has focused on examining the impact of various external drivers on pollution loads but still lacks research on the impact of changes in pollution sources themselves on pollution loads. In this study, sensitivity analysis was used to determine the impact of changes from different sources on the total pollution loads, which can recognize the critical pollution sources. We first employed the pollutant discharge coefficient method to quantify non-point source pollution loads in the small watershed in the upstream Tuojiang River basin from 2010 to 2021. Then, combination sensitivity analysis with Getis-Ord Gi* was used to identify the critical sources and their crucial areas at the global, districts (counties), and towns (streets) scales, respectively. The results indicate: (1) The pollution loads of COD, NH3-N, TN, and TP all show a decreasing trend, reducing by 18.3%, 16.2%, 18.6%, and 28.1% from 2010 to 2021, respectively; (2) Livestock and poultry breeding pollution source is the most critical source for majority areas across watershed; (3) High-risk areas are mainly concentrated in Jingyang district and its subordinate towns (streets). There is a trend of low-pollution risk areas transitioning to high-pollution risk areas, with high-risk areas predominantly concentrated in the southeast and exhibiting a noticeable phenomenon of pollution load spilling around. This study can promote other similar small watersheds, holding significant importance for non-point source pollution control in small watersheds.

Water quality assessment and its pollution source analysis from spatial and temporal perspectives in small watershed of Sichuan Province, China.

Rapid socio-economic development has led to many water environmental issues in small watersheds such as non-compliance with water quality standards, complex pollution sources, and difficulties in water environment management. To achieve a quantitative evaluation of water quality, identify pollution sources, and implement refined management in small watersheds, this study collected monthly seven water quality indexes of four monitoring points from 2010 to 2023, and ten water quality indexes of 23 sampling points in the Shiting River and Mianyuan River which are tributaries of the Tuojiang River Basin. Then, water quality evaluation and pollution source analysis were conducted from both temporal and spatial perspectives using the Water Quality Index (WQI) method, the Absolute Principal Component Scores/Multiple Linear Regression (APCS-MLR) method, and the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor modeling technique. The results indicated that except for total nitrogen (TN), the concentrations of other water quality indexes exhibited a decreasing trend, and all were divided into two obvious stages before and after 2016. Furthermore, the proportion of water quality grade of Good and above increased from 73.96 to 84.94% from 2010-2015 to 2016-2023, and the water quality grade of Good and above from upstream to downstream dropped from 100 to 23.33%. From the temporal scale, four and five pollution sources were identified in the first and second stages, respectively. The distinct TN pollutant is mainly affected by agricultural non-point sources (NPS), whose impact is enhanced from 17.76 to 78.31%. Total phosphorus (TP) was affected by the phosphorus chemical industry, whose contribution gradually weakened from 50.8 to 24.9%. From a spatial perspective, four and five pollution sources were identified in the upstream and downstream, respectively. Therefore, even though there are some limitations due to the data availability of water monitory and hydrology data, the proposed research framework of this study can be applied to the water environmental management of other similar watersheds.

Environmental endocrine disruptor-induced mitochondrial dysfunction: a potential mechanism underlying diabetes and its complications.

Diabetes and its complications significantly affect individuals' quality of life. The etiology of diabetes mellitus and its associated complications is complex and not yet fully understood. There is an increasing emphasis on investigating the effects of endocrine disruptors on diabetes, as these substances can impact cellular processes, energy production, and utilization, ultimately leading to disturbances in energy homeostasis. Mitochondria play a crucial role in cellular energy generation, and any impairment in these organelles can increase susceptibility to diabetes. This review examines the most recent epidemiological and pathogenic evidence concerning the link between endocrine disruptors and diabetes, including its complications. The analysis suggests that endocrine disruptor-induced mitochondrial dysfunction-characterized by disruptions in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, dysregulation of calcium ions (Ca2+), overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and initiation of signaling pathways related to mitochondrial apoptosis-may be key mechanisms connecting endocrine disruptors to the development of diabetes and its complications.