Search Results (2,991)

Rhodotorula spp. are ubiquitous red-pigmented yeasts increasingly reported as opportunistic animal pathogens. Recognition matters because underdiagnosis can misguide therapy, especially in companion-animal otitis externa. This review supports laboratory and clinical decisions by summarising taxonomy and ecology, host risk factors, diagnostics, virulence factors, antifungal susceptibility, and veterinary cases. This review addresses: (1) taxonomy and ecology; (2) clinical epidemiology and predisposing factors (immunomodulation, prior antibacterial therapy, chronic inflammation); (3) diagnostics—cytology, organism burden, repeat or pure culture, MALDI-TOF MS, ITS sequencing—with a brief comparison of feasibility in veterinary practice; (4) virulence factors—adhesion and biofilm on abiotic surfaces, hydrolytic enzymes, capsule in some strains, haemolysins, urease, and carotenoids that protect against oxidative stress; (5) antifungal susceptibility and therapy—intrinsic resistance to echinocandins, often high azole MICs, and the most consistent in vitro activity of amphotericin B ± flucytosine; and (6) a synthesis of veterinary case reports. Rhodotorula spp. should not be dismissed as contaminants when clinical signs match laboratory evidence; distinguishing infection from colonisation requires clinicomicrobiological correlation. This review highlights the need for standardised susceptibility testing and veterinary breakpoints, prospective data on burden and outcomes, better data on biofilm behaviour on clinical materials, environmental surveillance, and practical diagnostic and treatment guidance. Full article

Cloud contamination, especially thick cloud cover, severely limits the usability of optical remote sensing imagery by obscuring surface information. Due to the strong penetrability of microwave signals, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has emerged as an effective source for thick cloud removal. While SAR-assisted deep learning methods, such as CNNs and GANs, have made notable progress, the quality of generated imagery still requires improvement. Diffusion models, which offer strong potential for enhancing generation fidelity, could address this limitation but suffer from slow sampling speeds that constrain practical use and underscore the need for greater efficiency. To simultaneously enhance both reconstruction quality and sampling efficiency, this paper proposes a fast-sampling SAR-conditioned consistency model based on consistency distillation, named CM-CR, which adopts a teacher–student architecture to divide the reconstruction process into a rapid coarse prediction stage and a detailed refinement stage, significantly reducing per-scene processing time while maintaining high reconstruction fidelity. Specifically, a SAR-Conditioned Score-Based Diffusion Model (SCSBD) is first developed as the teacher network for learning a SAR-conditioned optical image generation model. Consistency distillation is then used to derive the student network SAR-conditioned consistency model (SCCM), which enables a rapid coarse prediction through single-step sampling. Finally, a Progressive Denoising via Multistep Resampling (PDMSR) strategy is introduced to iteratively refine the single-step output, producing fine-grained reconstructions. Comparative experiments conducted on the widely used cloud removal benchmark dataset SEN12MS-CR demonstrate that the proposed CM-CR method achieves state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance across all image quality metrics. Notably, although its design uses approximately 80 times more parameters compared with a standard Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Model (DDPM), it delivers up to a 40-fold acceleration at inference. Full article

Oncogenic viruses are well-established contributors to cancer development in both humans and animals. While many animal oncogenic viruses exhibit strong host specificity, concerns remain about their potential to cross species barriers and impact human health. This article examines the classification and molecular mechanisms of oncogenic viruses, including retroviruses, papillomaviruses, herpesviruses, and hepadnaviruses, in animals. It explores historical cases of cross-species transmission, such as the contamination of early polio vaccines with simian virus 40 (SV40), which resulted from the use of rhesus monkey kidney cells and insufficient screening for latent simian viruses, and the hypothesised association between bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) and human breast cancer. To provide a broader comparative perspective, the discussion also includes examples of viruses with a lower economic impact, illustrating that zoonotic and oncogenic potential is not limited to commercially significant species. Biological barriers—including receptor specificity and immune defences—generally limit transmission; however, frequent human–animal interactions, consumption of contaminated food, and viral mutations may increase zoonotic risk. Advances in molecular diagnostics, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and serological testing, play a critical role in identifying emerging threats. Prevention strategies, including veterinary vaccination programs, biosafety protocols, and the One Health approach integrating human and veterinary medicine, are essential for mitigating risks. While current evidence indicates that oncogenic animal viruses do not significantly contribute to human cancers, ongoing surveillance and research remain crucial to detect emerging threats. Understanding viral oncogenesis in animals continues to provide valuable insights into cancer prevention and therapy in humans. Full article

Equines play a crucial role in global food security, economic development, and recreation, particularly in regions such as Central Asia, parts of Africa, and South America. However, parasitic infections significantly impact their health, productivity, and reproductive performance, leading to economic losses and reduced animal welfare. This review synthesizes the effects of parasitic infections, including protozoan, helminthic, and ectoparasitic species, on equines. These infections cause hematological alterations like anemia, leukocytosis, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia, compromising overall health and resilience. Protozoan parasites, such as Trypanosoma spp., Theileria equi, and Babesia caballi, directly affect semen quality and fertility by causing testicular lesions, orchitis, and hormonal disruptions. Helminths like Cyathostomins and Strongyles reduce nutrient absorption, impairing productivity, while some protozoan species can cause abortion through transplacental transmission. Zoonotic parasites, including Sarcocystis spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, pose a human health risk through contaminated meat and milk consumption. Despite the effectiveness of conventional anthelmintics, emerging biological control methods like Duddingtonia flagrans (BioWorma^® and Bioverm^®) show promise. However, the development of standardized herbal anthelmintics and vaccines is hindered by limited efficacy validation, complex parasite biology, and inadequate funding. The need for better diagnostic tools and sustainable treatments remains critical for the long-term sustainability of the equine industry. Full article

The genus Aeromonas is widely distributed in aquatic environments, where it is a frequent fish pathogen. It has also been described in association with human infections, with most cases caused by A. caviae, A. veronii biovar sobria, and A. hydrophila. More recently, A. dhakensis has emerged as an increasingly important human pathogen. Transmission occurs primarily through ingestion or contacts with aquatic sources, or by consuming contaminated food, particularly from aquatic origins. Growing resistance in Aeromonas has been reported for penicillins (including their combinations with classical β-lactamase inhibitors), cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Among the β-lactam antibiotics, only fourth-generation cephalosporins remain almost uniformly active. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of resistance genes for third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems within the same isolates is increasing. Recently, the presence of mobile genes conferring colistin resistance has also been documented, with resistance rates sometimes exceeding 30%. This evolution of colistin resistance is likely linked to its use in aquaculture, and together with the rise in β-lactam resistance, may be transforming Aeromonas into a significant reservoir of resistance genes that could potentially be transferred to species more commonly associated with human infections, such as the Enterobacterales. Full article

Pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, and caffeine are commonly found in wastewater due to incomplete removal in conventional treatment systems. This study evaluated three vertical constructed wetland (V-CW) configurations: V1 (gravel–sand with vegetation), V2 (biochar–zeolite with vegetation), and V3 (biochar–zeolite without vegetation). All systems achieved high removal efficiencies for organic matter (Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): 89.4–91.7%, Biochemical Oxygen Demand over 5 days (BOD₅): 93.3–93.8%, Total Suspended Solids (TSS): 94.5–96.6%) and pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen: 81.8–91.5%, paracetamol: 90.0–94.3%, caffeine: 93.1–97.2%). Statistical analysis showed that substrate type significantly influenced ibuprofen (p = 0.0035) and caffeine (p = 0.0436) removal, while vegetation had no significant effect (p > 0.266). The enhanced performance of biochar and zeolite can be attributed to their high adsorption capacity and microbial support, with adsorption and biodegradation identified as dominant removal mechanisms, as reported in previous research. These findings highlight the importance of engineered substrates in optimizing constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment to improve the removal of emerging contaminants. Future research should focus on long-term substrate performance, cost-effectiveness, and field-scale validation, particularly in regions with vulnerable groundwater systems such as the Yucatán Peninsula. Full article

Ultrasound-assisted microextraction (UAME) has emerged as a powerful and sustainable technique for food chemical contaminant analysis, offering a rapid, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional extraction methods. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the application of UAME for the determination of various food chemical contaminants, including pesticide residues, potentially toxic elements, mycotoxins, veterinary drugs, and other chemical contaminants. The fundamental principles of ultrasound-assisted extraction are discussed, with an emphasis on the mechanisms of acoustic cavitation and mass transfer enhancement that enable improved analyte recovery from complex food matrices. Key factors influencing extraction efficiency (solvent selection, ultrasonic frequency and power, extraction time, and sample characteristics) were critically analyzed. Additionally, the integration of UAME with modern analytical platforms, such as LC-MS, GC-MS, and ICP-MS, was explored, highlighting its compatibility with high-throughput and multiresidue detection. Compared with traditional techniques, UAME offers significant benefits, including reduced solvent consumption, shorter extraction times, and improved analytical performance. This review also addresses current limitations and future perspectives, particularly regarding standardization, automation, and application in routine food safety monitoring. Overall, UAME represents a promising direction for more sustainable and efficient food chemical contaminant analysis, aligning with the growing demand for green analytical chemistry approaches. Full article

Over the past two decades, the meat industry has faced increasing pressure to prevent foodborne outbreaks and reduce economic losses associated with delayed detection of spoilage. This demand has accelerated the development of on-site, real-time sensing tools capable of identifying early signs of contamination. Electrospun nanofiber (NF) platforms have emerged as particularly promising due to their large surface area, tunable porosity, and versatile chemistry, which make them ideal scaffolds for immobilizing enzymes, antibodies, or aptamers while preserving bioactivity under field conditions. These NFs have been integrated into optical, electrochemical, and resistive devices, each enhancing response time and sensitivity for key targets ranging from volatile organic compounds indicating early decay to specific bacterial markers and antibiotic residues. In practical applications, NF matrices enhance signal generation (SERS hotspots), facilitate analyte diffusion through three-dimensional networks, and stabilize delicate biorecognition elements for repeated use. This review summarizes major NF fabrication strategies, representative sensor designs for meat quality monitoring, and performance considerations relevant to industrial deployment, including reproducibility, shelf life, and regulatory compliance. The integration of such platforms with data networks and Internet of Things (IoT) nodes offers a path toward continuous, automated surveillance throughout processing and cold-chain logistics. By addressing current technical and regulatory challenges, NF-based biosensors have the potential to significantly reduce waste and safeguard public health through early detection of contamination before it escalates into costly recalls. Full article

Amidrapid advances in intelligent medicine, decoding brain activity from electroencephalogram (EEG) signals has emerged as a critical technical frontier for brain–computer interfaces and medical AI systems. Given the inherent spatial resolution limitations of an EEG, researchers frequently integrate functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to enhance neural activity representation. However, fMRI acquisition is inherently complex. Consequently, efforts increasingly focus on cross-modal transformation methods that map EEG signals to fMRI data, thereby extending EEG applications in neural mechanism studies. The central challenge remains generating high-fidelity fMRI images from EEG signals. To address this, we propose a diffusion model-based framework for cross-modal EEG-to-fMRI generation. To address pronounced noise contamination in electroencephalographic (EEG) signals acquired via simultaneous recording systems and temporal misalignments between EEGs and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we first apply Fourier transforms to EEG signals and perform dimensionality expansion. This constructs a spatiotemporally aligned EEG–fMRI paired dataset. Building on this foundation, we design an EEG encoder integrating a multi-layer recursive spectral attention mechanism with a residual architecture.In response to the limited dynamic mapping capabilities and suboptimal image quality prevalent in existing cross-modal generation research, we propose a diffusion-model-driven EEG-to-fMRI generation algorithm. This framework unifies the EEG feature encoder and a cross-modal interaction module within an end-to-end denoising U-Net architecture. By leveraging the diffusion process, EEG-derived features serve as conditional priors to guide fMRI reconstruction, enabling high-fidelity cross-modal image generation. Empirical evaluations on the resting-state NODDI dataset and the task-based XP-2 dataset demonstrate that our EEG encoder significantly enhances cross-modal representational congruence, providing robust semantic features for fMRI synthesis. Furthermore, the proposed cross-modal generative model achieves marked improvements in structural similarity, the root mean square error, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio in generated fMRI images, effectively resolving the nonlinear mapping challenge inherent in EEG–fMRI data. Full article

Ensuring food safety and quality has become increasingly critical due to the complexities introduced by globalization, industrialization, and extended supply chains. Traditional analytical methods for food quality control, such as chromatography and mass spectrometry, while accurate, face limitations including high costs, lengthy analysis times, and limited suitability for on-site rapid monitoring. Electrochemical sensors integrated with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as promising alternatives, combining high selectivity and sensitivity with portability and affordability. MIPs, often termed ‘plastic antibodies,’ are synthetic receptors capable of selective molecular recognition, tailored specifically for target analytes. This review comprehensively discusses recent advancements in MIP-based electrochemical sensing platforms, highlighting their applications in detecting various food quality markers. It particularly emphasizes the detection of antioxidants—both natural (e.g., vitamins, phenolics) and synthetic (e.g., BHA, TBHQ), artificial sweeteners (e.g., aspartame, acesulfame-K), colorants (e.g., azo dyes, anthocyanins), traditional contaminants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals), and toxicants such as mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxins, ochratoxins). The synthesis methods, including bulk, precipitation, surface imprinting, sol–gel polymerization, and electropolymerization (EP), are critically evaluated for their effectiveness in creating highly selective binding sites. Furthermore, the integration of advanced nanomaterials, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and metallic nanoparticles, into these platforms to enhance sensitivity, selectivity, and stability is examined. Practical challenges, including sensor reusability, regeneration strategies, and adaptability to complex food matrices, are addressed. Finally, the review provides an outlook on future developments and practical considerations necessary to transition these innovative MIP electrochemical sensors from laboratory research to widespread adoption in industry and regulatory settings, ultimately ensuring comprehensive food safety and consumer protection. Full article

Despite extensive work on FeOCl-based photocatalysts, few studies have explored rare-earth (Ce) doping to simultaneously tune bandgap, suppress charge recombination, and enhance visible light-driven persulfate (PS) activation for the degradation of emerging contaminants. This study synthesized FeOCl/Ce composite photocatalysts via a partial pyrolysis method and systematically characterized their physicochemical properties. The results show that Ce doping significantly lowers the bandgap energy of the photocatalyst, enhances its visible light absorption ability, and effectively suppresses the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, thereby markedly improving photocatalytic performance under visible light. Analyses including XRD, EDS, XPS, and FT-IR confirm that Ce is incorporated into the FeOCl matrix and modulates the radial growth behavior of FeOCl without altering its intrinsic crystal structure. Morphological observations reveal that FeOCl/Ce exhibits a uniform nanosheet layered structure, with larger particles formed by the aggregation of smaller nanosheets. The nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm of FeOCl/Ce shows characteristics of Type IV with a relatively small BET surface area. The broadened optical absorption edge of FeOCl/Ce and the results of PL spectra and I-T curves further confirm its enhanced visible light absorption capacity and reduced electron–hole recombination compared to pure FeOCl. At an initial caffeine (CAF) concentration of 10 μM, FeOCl/Ce dose of 0.5 g/L, PS concentration of 1 mM, and initial pH of 5.06, the FeOCl/Ce-catalyzed PS system under visible light irradiation can degrade 91.2% of CAF within 30 min. An acidic environment is more favorable for CAF degradation, while the presence of SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, and NO₃⁻ inhibits the process performance to varying degrees, possibly due to competitive adsorption on the photocatalyst surface or quenching of reactive species. Cyclic stability tests show that FeOCl/Ce maintains good catalytic performance over multiple runs. Mechanistic analysis indicates that ^•OH and holes are the dominant reactive species for CAF degradation, while PS mainly acts as an electron acceptor to suppress electron–hole recombination. Overall, the FeOCl/Ce photocatalytic system demonstrates high efficiency, good stability, and visible light responsiveness in CAF degradation, with potential applications for removing CAF and other emerging organic pollutants from aquatic environments. Full article

Biochar has emerged as a promising adsorbent for removing organic pollutants from aqueous media, with its efficiency strongly influenced by the feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. In this study, biochar produced from fique pellets under controlled pyrolysis was evaluated using methylene blue (MB) as a model contaminant. The cation exchange capacity reached up to 17 meq g⁻¹ for biochar obtained at lower temperatures, while those produced at 700 °C showed values below the detection limit, consistent with the depletion of oxygenated functional groups observed in FTIR spectra. Batch adsorption experiments revealed removal efficiencies above 99% for biochar produced at 550 °C and 700 °C (45 min). The 700 °C biochar exhibited faster initial adsorption due to its larger surface area, whereas the 550 °C biochar achieved higher and more stable overall removal over prolonged contact times, attributed to the preservation of surface functional groups and measurable CEC. Kinetic modeling demonstrated that the adsorption process followed the Özer model, indicating heterogeneous surface interactions and diffusion-controlled steps. These results highlight the influence of pyrolysis temperature on adsorption kinetics and support the potential of biochar obtained from fique pellets as a sustainable, low-cost material for water purification and agro-industrial residue valorization. Full article

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have emerged as globally concerning environmental contaminants, posing serious threats to ecosystem health and public safety. This systematic review summarizes global research trends on ARGs across three key aspects: (i) identification and distribution in river and lake ecosystems, (ii) sources and environmental behaviors, and (iii) ecological and human health risks. Concentration data of ARGs in various rivers and lakes across China were compiled to reveal their spatial distribution patterns. The analysis of ARGs sources and environmental behaviors provides essential insights for designing effective mitigation strategies. Furthermore, this review highlights the potential ecological and human health hazards of ARGs and discusses limitations and improvement directions of current risk assessment methodologies. The main findings indicate that ARGs are widely present in rivers and lakes across China; higher abundances occur in eastern and southern regions compared with central–western and northern areas, such as 4.93 × 10²–8.10 × 10³ copies/mL in Qinghai Lake and 6.7 × 10⁷–1.76 × 10⁸ copies/mL in Taihu Lake. The environmental behaviors of ARGs are highly complex, involving multiple mechanisms and influenced by climatic conditions, nutrient levels, and additional environmental factors. Based on these findings, future efforts should prioritize long-term site-specific monitoring, evaluate their prolonged impacts on aquatic ecosystems, and develop integrated risk assessment models to support evidence-based environmental management. Full article

Assessment of the environmental behavior of environmental hormones and antibiotics along the processes in typical wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) based on bioavailable concentrations reflects the negative effects of pollutants from WWTPs on aquatic organisms more directly, as well as the potential for reusing the effluent and receiving waters for aquaculture. This study measured bioavailable concentrations in a typical WWTP and its receiving water body using the XAD-DGT samplers during dry and wet seasons. Firstly, the results confirmed the applicability of XAD-DGT in WWTP and the receiving water. Then, significant season and process-dependent variations were observed. The primary treatment occasionally led to concentration rebound due to desorption during the dry season, secondary treatment exhibited considerable variability depending on the physicochemical properties of the contaminants, and tertiary treatment consistently performed well (>80%). Based on XAD-DGT-measured bioavailable concentrations, the risks posed by environmental hormones and antibiotics in the effluent and receiving water body were determined to assess their potential for aquaculture reuse. The result indicated that the effluent water is applicable for fish aquaculture; however, further removal techniques, like adsorption or advanced oxidation, should be applied to crustacean cultivation, especially for contaminants like environmental hormones. For the water body, it was only feasible for crustacean aquaculture. Pre-treatments based on adsorption, sedimentation, or oxidation processes are necessary to remove environmental hormones and antibiotics if these areas are planned for aquaculture. This study provides an important scientific basis for a more accurate assessment of the environmental behavior of emerging contaminants, reuse directions of WWTP effluent, as well as the corresponding receiving waters. Full article

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a toxic secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium graminearum in infected cereal crops, has emerged as a major global contaminant in food and feed due to its stable physicochemical properties and resistance to degradation during conventional processing. This contamination poses a serious threat to livestock production and animal health. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of DON contamination, its transmission through the food chain, metabolic pathways in animals, and the comparative toxicity of its metabolites. Furthermore, we analyze DON-induced toxic effects, including acute toxicity, cytotoxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, and hepatotoxicity. By integrating domestic and international regulatory thresholds with current mitigation strategies, we highlight future research directions focusing on biodegradation technologies and genetic regulation approaches to alleviate DON contamination in livestock feeds. Advancing efficient DON-degradation strategies could open new avenues for sustainable feed management and mycotoxin detoxification technologies. Full article