Trophic transfer induced gut inflammation, dysbiosis, and inflammatory pathways in zebrafish via Artemia franciscana: A differential analysis of nanoplastic toxicity.

Rising glbal population and plastic consumption have caused a dramatic increase in plastic waste, leading to micro- and nanoplastic ingestion by aquatic organisms and subsequent bioaccumulation in their tissues. This transfer to higher trophic levels raises nanoplastic concentrations and bioavailability, potentially harming organisms' health and development. This poses a risk to human health via seafood. To address these issues, this study assesses the toxicological impacts of nanoplastics (NPs) on brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) and their trophic transfer to zebrafish. The research unveiled concentration-dependent bioaccumulation of NPs in zebrafish and Artemia franciscana (A. franciscana). Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) exhibited higher accumulation in A. franciscana whereas PP-NPs showed greater accumulation in zebrafish gut. Histopathological analysis under PS-NPs exposure revealed significant tissue alterations, indicative of inflammatory responses and impaired mucosal barrier integrity. Gene expression analyses confirmed these findings, showing activation of the P38-MAPK pathway by PS-NPs, which correlated with increased inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, PE-NPs activated the JNK-MAPK pathway, while PP-NPs exposure triggered the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Moreover, the composition of gut microbiota shifted to a dysbiotic state, characterized by an increase in pathogenic bacteria in the PS-NPs and PP-NPs groups, elevating the risk of developing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). PS-NPs were regarded as the most toxic due to their lower stability and higher aggregation tendencies, followed by PP-NPs and PE-NPs. Taken together, the overall study highlighted the complex interactions between NPs, gut microbiota, and host health, emphasizing the importance of thoroughly assessing the ecological and physiological impacts of nanoplastic pollution.

Sultan M ，Cai ZX ，Bao L ，Duan JJ ，Liu YY ，Yang G ，Pei DS ... -  《-》

Single-use polyethylene terephthalate bottle-derived nanoplastics propagate antibiotic resistance in bacteria via transformation and outer membrane vesicle secretion.

Sharma P ，Kishore A ，Singh M 《-》

Combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastic and benzophenone-4 on the bioaccumulation, feeding, growth, and reproduction of Daphniamagna.

The potential toxicity of microplastics (MPs) and UV filter Benzophenone-4 (BP4) to aquatic organisms has caused widespread concern among the public. However, the combined effects of MPs and BP4 on aquatic organisms are not well understood. This study sought to examine the combined impacts of 10 μg/L BP4, 1 mg/L Polystyrene (PS, 10 μm), and a mixture of both on the feeding, behavior, growth, and reproduction of Daphnia magna (D. magna) over a period of 21 days. The results showed that the combined exposure led to a reciprocal facilitation of bioaccumulation, along with a decrease in the second antenna beats frequency in D. magna. While the co-exposure did not change the body size or growth rate of D. magna, it did affect their feeding efficiency, leading to a decrease in Chlorella ingestion within a 24-h period. Furthermore, there was a high occurrence of malformations in two generations of D. magna exposed to BP4 and PS. The combined exposure also negatively affected reproductive parameters, such as the cumulative number of neonates and the days of first brood, suggesting a decline in overall reproductive success possibly due to feeding inhibition, with available energy potentially being redistributed between reproduction and growth in the daphnids. Co-exposure to BP4 and PS also led to elevated levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), Malonydialdehyde (MDA), and Glutathione (GSH) levels, as well as mRNA levels related to reproduction, growth, and detoxification in D. magna. Overall, this study delved into the consequences of BP4 and PS on bioaccumulation, feeding, behavior, growth, and reproduction, demonstrating that simultaneous exposure to BP4 and PS could pose a synergistic ecological hazard, potentially threatening aquatic organisms. These findings are critical and should be taken into account for accurate environmental risk assessments.

Tao J ，Yang Q ，Long L ，Tian L ，Tian T ，Shang X ，Sun L ，Zheng X ，Wang W ，Chen F ，Hou K ，Chen X ... -  《-》

Qualitative evidence synthesis informing our understanding of people's perceptions and experiences of targeted digital communication.

Health communication is an area where changing technologies, particularly digital technologies, have a growing role to play in delivering and exchanging health information between individuals, communities, health systems, and governments.[1] Such innovation has the potential to strengthen health systems and services, with substantial investments in digital health already taking place, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Communication using mobile phones is an important way of contacting individual people and the public more generally to deliver and exchange health information. Such technologies are used increasingly in this capacity, but poor planning and short‐term projects may be limiting their potential for health improvement. The assumption that mobile devices will solve problems that other forms of communication have not is also prevalent. In this context, understanding people's views and experiences may lead to firmer knowledge on which to build better programs. A qualitative evidence synthesis by Heather Ames and colleagues on clients' perceptions and experiences of targeted digital communication focuses on a particular type of messaging – targeted messages from health services delivered to particular group(s) via mobile devices, in this case looking at communicating with pregnant women and parents of young children, and with adults and teenagers about sexual health and family planning.[2] These areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) are where important gains have been made worldwide, but there remains room for improvement. Ames and colleagues sought to examine and understand people's perceptions and experiences of using digital targeted client communication. This might include communication in different formats and with a range of purposes related to RMNCAH – for example, receiving text message reminders to take medicines (e.g. HIV medicines) or go to appointments (such as childhood vaccination appointments), or phone calls offering information or education (such as about breastfeeding or childhood illnesses), support (e.g. providing encouragement to change behaviours) or advice (such as advising about local healthcare services). These communication strategies have the potential to improve health outcomes by communicating with people or by supporting behaviour change. However, changing people's health behaviours to a significant and meaningful degree is notoriously challenging and seldom very effective across the board. There are a multitude of systematic reviews of interventions aiming to change behaviours of both patients and providers, with the overall objective of improving health outcomes – many of which show little or no average effects across groups of people.[3] This evidence synthesis is therefore important as it may help to understand why communicating with people around their health might (or might not) change behaviours and improve consequent health outcomes. By examining the experiences and perspectives of those receiving the interventions, this qualitative evidence synthesis allows us to better understand the interventions' acceptability and usefulness, barriers to their uptake, and factors to be considered when planning implementation. The synthesis looked at 35 studies from countries around the world, focussing on communication related to RMNCAH. Of the 35 studies, 16 were from high‐income countries, mainly the United States, and 19 were from low‐ or middle‐income countries, mainly African countries. Many of the studies presented hypothetical scenarios. The findings from the synthesis are mixed and give us a more nuanced picture of the role of targeted digital communication. People receiving targeted digital communications from health services often liked and valued these contacts, feeling supported and connected by them. However, some also reported problems with the use of these technologies, which may represent barriers to their use. These included practical or technical barriers like poor network or Internet access, as well as cost, language, technical literacy, reading or issues around confidentiality, especially where personal health conditions were involved. Access to mobile phones may also be a barrier, particularly for women and adolescents who may have to share or borrow a phone or who have access controlled by others. In such situations it may be difficult to receive communications or to maintain privacy of content. The synthesis also shows that people's experiences of these interventions are influenced by factors such as the timing of messages, their frequency and content, and their trust in the sender. Identifying key features of such communications by the people who use them might therefore help to inform future choices about how and when such messaging is used. The authors used their knowledge from 25 separate findings to list ten implications for practice. This section of the review is hugely valuable, making a practical contribution to assist governments and public health agencies wishing to develop or improve their delivery of digital health. The implications serve as a list of points to consider, including issues of access (seven different aspects are considered), privacy and confidentiality, reliability, credibility and trust, and responsiveness to the needs and preferences of users. In this way, qualitative evidence is building a picture of how to better communicate with people about health. For example, an earlier 2017 Cochrane qualitative evidence synthesis by Ames, Glenton and Lewin on parents' and informal caregivers' views and experiences of communication about routine childhood vaccination provides ample evidence that may help program managers to deliver or plan communication interventions in ways that are responsive to and acceptable to parents.[4] The qualitative synthesis method, therefore, puts a spotlight on how people's experiences of health and health care in the context of their lives may lead to the design of better interventions, as well as to experimental studies which take more account of the diversity that exists in people's attitudes and decision‐making experiences.[5] In the case of this qualitative evidence synthesis by Ames and colleagues, the method pulled together a substantial body of research (35 data‐rich studies were sampled from 48 studies identified, with the high‐to‐moderate confidence in the evidence for 13 of the synthesized findings). The evidence from this review can inform the development of interventions, and the design of trials and their implementation. While waiting for such new trials or trial evidence on effects to emerge, decision‐makers can build their programs on the highly informative base developed by this review. This qualitative evidence synthesis, alongside other reviews, has informed development by the World Health Organization of its first guideline for using digital technologies for health systems strengthening,[1, 6] part of a comprehensive program of work to better understand and support implementation of such new technologies.

Ryan R ，Hill S 《Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews》

Uptake, removal and trophic transfer of fluorescent polyethylene microplastics by freshwater model organisms: the impact of particle size and food availability.

As an emerging contaminant, microplastics (MPs) are widely distributed in freshwater ecosystems and pose potential threats to aquatic organisms, attracting significant attention from both the scientific community and the general public. However, there is still uncertainty regarding the mechanisms of MPs transfer within aquatic biota and how particle size and food availability influence their transport patterns. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were selected as a model organism to investigate the uptake and elimination of fluorescent polyethylene (PE) MPs under different exposure scenarios (waterborne or trophic transfer, with or without food) and varying particle sizes (ranging from 10-300 μm at concentrations of 0.1, 2, and 300 mg/L). Additionally, water fleas (Daphnia magna) were provided as prey for the fish. The dynamic accumulation of PE-MPs sized between 10-20 μm at a concentration of 25 mg/L by daphnia was also determined along with its impact on animal feeding behavior. The results demonstrated that both organisms were capable of ingesting PE-MPs during exposures lasting up to 24 hours for daphnia and up to 72 hours for zebrafish. Furthermore, rapid elimination rates were observed within just 30 minutes for daphnia and between 6-12 hours for zebrafish. The presence of food reduced MPs uptake and removal by daphnia but significantly increased MP elimination by fish. Zebrafish showed a preference for ingesting larger-sized MPs that they could easily recognize; however, trophic transfer from daphnia to fish was found to be the primary route of ingestion specifically for PE-MPs sized between 10-20 μm. The findings suggest that while fish directly ingest fewer invisible MPs from the water column, they still accumulate these particles through predation on contaminated prey organisms. Therefore, it is imperative to prioritize the ecological risks associated with the transfer of MPs from zooplankton to fish.

Gong N ，Wang Z ，Wang X ，Shao K ... -  《-》