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This study investigated the safety characteristics and potential probiotic properties of Enterococcus faecium by using whole genome analysis, and then explored the effect of this strain on the virulence of Listeria monocytogenes in vitro and during the storage of fermented sausages. Results showed that E. faecium B1 presented enterocin A, B, and P, enterolysin A, and UviB, and the exotoxin related genes and exoenzyme related genes were not detected in the genome of E. faecium B1. However, the adherence genes including acm and scm were present in this strain, which also positively correlated with characteristics related to probiotic potential. In addition, E. faecium could adapt to the condition of fermented sausages, and decrease the survival of L. monocytogenes in vitro and in vivo. The expression of the virulence genes (prfA, hly, inlA, and inlB) and sigB-related genes (prli42, rsbT, rsbU, rsbV, rsbW, and sigB) were all inhibited by E. faecium B1 to different extents during the storage of fermented sausages at 4 °C. Moreover, compared with the E. faecium B1 group, the expression level of entA, entB, and entP genes of E. faecium B1 in the co-culture of fermented sausages was increased during the storage, which may be the inhibition mechanism of E. faecium B1 on L. monocytogenes. These results demonstrated that E. faecium B1 could potentially be used as bio-protection to control L. monocytogenes in meat products.

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Listeria monocytogenes exhibits varying levels of pathogenicity when entering the host through contaminated food. However, little is known regarding the stress response and environmental tolerance mechanism of different virulence strains to host gastrointestinal (GI) stimuli. This study analyzed the differences in the survival and genes of stress responses among two strains of L. monocytogenes 10403S (serotype 1/2a, highly virulent strain) and M7 (serotype 4a, low-virulence strain) during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The results indicated that L. monocytogenes 10403S showed greater acid and bile salt tolerance than L. monocytogenes M7, with higher survival rates and less cell deformation and cell membrane permeability during the in vitro digestion. KEGG analysis of the transcriptomes indicated that L. monocytogenes 10403S displayed significant activity in amino acid metabolism, such as glutamate and arginine, associated with acid tolerance. Additionally, L. monocytogenes 10403S demonstrated a higher efficacy in promoting activities that preserve bacterial cell membrane integrity and facilitate flagellar protein synthesis. These findings will contribute valuable practical insights into the tolerance distinctions among different virulence strains of L. monocytogenes in the GI environment.

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Disruption of thyroid homeostasis has been indicated in human studies on the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). However, limited research exists on this topic within the general Chinese population. Based on a substantial and representative sample of the Chinese adult population, our study provides insight into how PFASs specifically affect thyroid homeostasis. The study included 10 853 participants, aged 18 years and above, sampled from nationally representative data provided by the China National Human Biomonitoring (CNHBM). Weighted multiple linear regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to explore the associations between eight individual PFAS concentrations and total thyroxine (T4), total triiodothyronine (T3), and the T4/T3 ratio. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile-based g-computation (qgcomp) were employed to explore the joint and independent effects of PFASs on thyroid homeostasis. Both individual PFASs and PFAS mixtures exhibited a significant inverse association with serum T3 and T4 levels, and displayed a positive association with the T4/T3 ratio. Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) [-0.07 (95 % confidence interval (CI): -0.08, -0.05)] exhibited the largest change in T3 level. PFUnDA also exhibited a higher weight compared to other PFAS compounds in qgcomp models. Additionally, a critical exposure threshold for each PFAS was identified based on nonlinear dose-response associations; beyond these thresholds, the decreases in T3 and T4 levels plateaued. Specifically, for perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid (PFHpS) and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA), an initial decline in hormone levels was observed, followed by a slight increase when concentrations surpassed 0.7 ng/mL and 2.5 ng/mL, respectively. Sex-specific effects were more pronounced in females, and significant associations were observed predominantly in younger age groups. These insights contribute to our understanding of how PFAS compounds impact thyroid health and emphasize the need for further research and environmental management measures to address these complexities.

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BACKGROUND: The associations of legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with lipid metabolism are controversial, and there is little information about the impact of emerging PFAS (6:2 Cl-PFESA) on lipid metabolism in China. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the associations of legacy and emerging PFAS with lipid profiles and dyslipidemia in Chinese adults. METHODS: We included 10,855 Chinese participants aged 18 years and above in the China National Human Biomonitoring. The associations of 8 PFAS with 5 lipid profiles and 4 dyslipidemia were investigated using weighted multiple linear regression or weighted logistic regression, and the dose-response associations were investigated using restricted cubic spline model. RESULTS: Among the 8 PFAS, the concentration of PFOS was the highest, with a geometric mean of 5.15 ng/mL, followed by PFOA and 6:2 Cl-PFESA, which were 4.26 and 1.63 ng/mL, respectively. Legacy (PFOA, PFOS, PFUnDA) or emerging (6:2 Cl-PFESA) PFAS were associated with lipid profiles (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, non HDL-C) and dyslipidemia (high LDL-C, high TC, low HDL-C), and their effects on TC were most obvious. TC concentration increased by 0.595 mmol/L in the highest quartile (Q4) of PFOS when compared with the lowest quartile (Q1), (95 % CI:0.396, 0.794). Restricted cubic spline models showed that PFAS are nonlinearly associated with TC, non HDL-C, LDL-C and HDL-C, and that the lipid concentrations tend to be stable when PFOS and PFOA were > 20 ng/mL well as when the 6:2 Cl-PFESA level was > 10 ng/mL. The positive associations between PFAS mixtures and lipid profiles were also significant. CONCLUSIONS: Single and mixed exposure to PFAS were positively associated with lipid profiles, and China's unique legacy PFAS substitutes (6:2 Cl-PFESA) contributed less to lipid profiles than legacy PFAS. In the future, cohort studies will be needed to confirm our findings.

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Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been omnipresent in the environment and marine organisms. However, little is known about these compounds and their associations with hematological parameters in dogs. In this research, we investigated the concentrations and distributions of PFASs in the blood of dogs and explored the associations between PFASs concentrations in blood and hematological parameters. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) was found to be the dominant PFAS in the blood (54.23%), followed by perfluorobutyric acid (PFBA) (16.05%) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) (12.05%). On average, PFASs concentration in dogs was 3.553 ng/mL (SD: 2.146). Moreover, age is a key factor influencing the levels of PFBA, PFOA, and PFBS in males, as well as seven PFASs (6:2 Cl-PFESA, PFBA, PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFDA, and PFNA) in female dogs' blood. The results revealed that PFHxS in dietary food accounted for most of the total daily PFASs consumption. We also discovered that greater PFASs exposure (including PFOA and PFOS) could significantly increase amylase (AMY) and decrease cholesterol (CHOL) levels. Furthermore, there are linear relationships between PFDA, PFNA and many biochemical parameters (AMY, CHOL, albumin/globulin (A/G), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine (CREA)). Thus, PFAS accumulation has a certain influence on dogs' health, and we must pay attention to the potential threat posed by these elements to dogs.

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We examine the time-frequency dynamics of spillovers between oil price shocks and economic performance globally. We use both time and frequency domains simultaneously to find the response of macroeconomic performance to changes in oil prices during the global financial and pandemic crises. Using Wavelet analysis, this seminal study explores the connectedness between oil price shocks and economic activities during COVID-19 and the financial crises of 2008. This study finds that both economic activities and oil prices have shown high power during the period of global financial crises. The recently COVID-19 outbreak indicates significant volatility in economic activities and oil prices during the period of crisis. Moreover, we observe a strong interconnectedness between oil prices and economic activities during global financial crises and COVID-19 crises. We argue that a shock to oil prices in global financial crises and the COVID-19 outbreak has serious repercussions for economic activities. The highest total connectedness between oil prices and economic activities is observed during the COVID-19 outbreak, which advocates that the speed of information transmission amid oil prices and economic activities is greater in the era of the COVID-19 outbreak as compared to other global financial crises. The results of this study have significant implications for policymakers.

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A water-compatible dummy molecularly imprinted resin (MIR) was synthesized in water using melamine, urea, and formaldehyde as hydrophilic monomers of co-polycondensation. A triblock copolymer (PEO-PPO-PEO, P123) was used as porogen to dredge the network structure of MIR, and N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine dihydrochloride, which has similar shape and size to the target analytes, was the dummy template of molecular imprinting. The obtained MIR was used as the adsorbent in a green miniaturized solid-phase extraction (MIR⬜mini-SPE) of plant growth regulators, and there was no organic solvent used in the entire MIR⬜mini-SPE procedure. The calibration linearity of MIR⬜mini-SPE⬜HPLC method was obtained in a range 5⬜250ngmL(↙1) for IAA, IPA, IBA, and NAA with correlation coefficient (r) Ⱕ0.9998. Recoveries at three spike levels are in the range of 87.6⬜100.0% for coconut juice with relative standard deviations Ⱔ8.1%. The MIR⬜mini-SPE method possesses the advantages of environmental friendliness, simple operation, and high efficiency, so it is potential to apply the green pretreatment strategy to extraction of trace analytes in aqueous samples.

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