Changes of Gene Expression Patterns from Aquatic Organisms Exposed to Metal Nanoparticles

Work experience of breastfeeding nurses returning to work after maternity leave in Liaoning Province of China: A qualitative study

AIM

With the implementation of China's three-child policy in 2021, the nurse population faces an increase in the number of breastfeeding nurses returning to work after maternity leave. This study aims to describe the work experience of breastfeeding nurses returning to work after maternity leave.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive design.

METHODS

The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight nurses and analysed through Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three themes and nine sub-themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: changes in nurses (emotional changes, physical changes and changes in work); needs for an improving work environment (needs for a supportive workplace and nurse shortage); support for breastfeeding nurses (support from coworkers, support from the manager, support from the organisation and own need for work).

PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

This study highlighted that breastfeeding nurses need an adjustment period when they return to work after maternity leave. Successful breastfeeding requires support from coworkers, managers and the organisation. In addition, workplace support for breastfeeding and management for nurses needs to be improved.

Metabolic alterations in alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exposed to nTiO2 materials

Nano-sized titanium dioxide (nTiO₂) is one of the most commonly used materials, however the knowledge about the molecular basis for metabolic and physiological changes in phytoplankton is yet to be explored. In the present study we use a combination of targeted metabolomics, transcriptomics and physiological response studies to decipher the metabolic perturbation in green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exposed for 72 h to increasing concentrations (2, 20, 100 and 200 mg L⁻¹) of nTiO₂ with primary sizes of 5, 15 and 20 nm. Results show that the exposure to all three nTiO₂ materials induced perturbation of the metabolism of amino acids, nucleotides, fatty acids, tricarboxylic acids, antioxidants but not in the photosynthesis. The alterations of the most responsive metabolites were concentration and primary size-dependent despite the significant formation of micrometer-size aggregates and their sedimentation. The metabolic perturbations corroborate the observed physiological responses and transcriptomic results and confirmed the importance of oxidative stress as a major toxicity mechanism for nTiO₂. Transcriptomics revealed also an important influence of nTiO₂ treatments on the transport, adenosine triphosphate binding cassette transporters, and metal transporters, suggesting a perturbation in a global nutrition of the microalgal cell, which was most pronounced for exposure to 5 nm nTiO₂. The present study provides for the first-time evidence for the main metabolic perturbations in green alga C. reinhardtii exposed to nTiO₂ and helps to improve biological understanding of the molecular basis of these perturbations.

Combination of transcriptomics, metabolomics and physiology studies highlighted the nanoparticle size- and concentration-dependent disturbance in algal metabolism induced by nTiO₂.