The carbon emissions of writing and illustrating are lower for AI than for humans.

As AI systems proliferate, their greenhouse gas emissions are an increasingly important concern for human societies. In this article, we present a comparative analysis of the carbon emissions associated with AI systems (ChatGPT, BLOOM, DALL-E2, Midjourney) and human individuals performing equivalent writing and illustrating tasks. Our findings reveal that AI systems emit between 130 and 1500 times less CO2e per page of text generated compared to human writers, while AI illustration systems emit between 310 and 2900 times less CO2e per image than their human counterparts.

University Students' Mindset and Effort Regulation Across the Domains of Nursing and English.

In this study, we examined and compared the beliefs of undergraduate nursing students at a healthcare-focused university in central Japan regarding their abilities to learn English and nursing and sustain effort in their studies. Specifically, the purposes of this research were to learn how Japanese nursing students' mindsets and effort regulation differed across the domains of English and nursing and to determine the extent to which mindsets can predict students' effort regulation in these domains. Data were collected through an online questionnaire ( = 132).

A Pilot Study Evaluating Organochlorine and Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure in Children and Adolescents of Mexican Descent Residing in Hidalgo County, Texas.

Children and adolescents of Mexican descent residing in Hidalgo County (TX) were evaluated for exposure to organochlorine (OC) and organophosphate (OP) pesticides. A convenience sample of 60 participants enrolled in our pilot study. The lipid-adjusted serum concentrations of nine OC metabolites and creatinine-adjusted urinary concentrations of six OP metabolites were measured and compared with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Fourth Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.

Environmental Exposure to Dioxins, Dibenzofurans, Bisphenol A, and Phthalates in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder Living near the Gulf of Mexico.

Environmental exposure to organic endocrine disrupting chemicals, including dioxins, dibenzofurans, bisphenol A (BPA), and phthalates has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We conducted a pilot monitoring study of 30 ASD cases and 10 typically developing (TD) controls ages 2-8 years from communities along the Gulf of Mexico near Alabama, which houses 14 Superfund sites, to assess the concentrations of dioxins and dibenzofurans in serum, and BPA and phthalate ester metabolites in urine. Based on General Linear Models, the lipid- or creatinine-adjusted geometric mean concentrations of the aforementioned chemicals did not differ between the ASD case and TD control groups (all ≥ 0.

Carryover Effects of Acute DEHP Exposure on Ovarian Function and Oocyte Developmental Competence in Lactating Cows.

We examined acute exposure of Holstein cows to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and its carryover effects on ovarian function and oocyte developmental competence. Synchronized cows were tube-fed with water or 100 mg/kg DEHP per day for 3 days. Blood, urine and milk samples were collected before, during and after DEHP exposure to examine its clearance pattern.

Prepubertal Serum Concentrations of Organochlorine Pesticides and Age at Sexual Maturity in Russian Boys.

Background: Few human studies have evaluated the impact of childhood exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCP) on pubertal development.

Objective: We evaluated associations of serum OCP concentrations [hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (βHCH), and p,p-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE)] with age at attainment of sexual maturity among boys.

Methods: From 2003 through 2005, 350 8- to 9-year-old boys from Chapaevsk, Russia, with measured OCPs were enrolled and followed annually for 8 years.

Can polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) signatures and enantiomer fractions be used for source identification and to age date occupational exposure?

Detailed polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) signatures and chiral Enantiomer Fractions (EFs) of CB-95, CB-136 and CB-149 were measured for 30 workers at a transformer dismantling plant. This was undertaken to identify sources of exposure and investigate changes to the PCB signature and EFs over different exposure periods. Approximately 1.

Development of urine standard reference materials for metabolites of organic chemicals including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, phenols, parabens, and volatile organic compounds.

Two new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs), SRM 3672 Organic Contaminants in Smokers' Urine (Frozen) and SRM 3673 Organic Contaminants in Non-Smokers' Urine (Frozen), have been developed in support of studies for assessment of human exposure to select organic environmental contaminants. Collaborations among three organizations resulted in certified values for 11 hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) and reference values for 11 phthalate metabolites, 8 environmental phenols and parabens, and 24 volatile organic compound (VOC) metabolites. Reference values are also available for creatinine and the free forms of caffeine, theobromine, ibuprofen, nicotine, cotinine, and 3-hydroxycotinine.

Prepubertal organochlorine pesticide concentrations and age of pubertal onset among Russian boys.

Background: In animal studies, organochlorine pesticide (OCP) exposure alters pubertal development; however, epidemiological data are limited and inconsistent.

Objective: To evaluate the associations of serum OCP concentrations [hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE)] with male pubertal onset.

Methods: In Chapaevsk, Russia, a town environmentally contaminated with OCPs, 350 8-9 year old boys with measured OCPs were enrolled during 2003-2005 and were followed annually for eight years.

Serum concentrations of TCDD and other dioxin-like compounds in US Air Force veterans of Operation Ranch Hand.

We measured serum concentrations of seven dibenzo-p-dioxin congeners (PCDDs), ten dibenzofurans (PCDFs), four non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (noPCBs) and six mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (moPCBs) in 1950 veterans of the Vietnam War. The veterans were participants in the Air Force Health Study (AFHS) who attended the final medical examination in 2002. Blood samples were collected from 777 Ranch Hands involved in the aerial spraying of herbicides in Vietnam and a comparison group of 1173 veterans ("Comparisons") who served in Southeast Asia during the same time period.

Fingerprinting polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental samples using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A GC × GC-TOFMS installed with a Rtx-PCB (60 m × 0.18 mm × 0.18 μm) in the first dimension and Rxi- 17 (1.

Predictors of serum chlorinated pesticide concentrations among prepubertal Russian boys.

Background: Few studies have evaluated predictors of childhood exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), a class of lipophilic persistent chemicals.

Objectives: Our goal was to identify predictors of serum OCP concentrations-hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), and p,p-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE)-among boys in Chapaevsk, Russia.

Methods: Between 2003 and 2005, 499 boys 8-9 years of age were recruited in a prospective cohort.

Elucidating the structural properties that influence the persistence of PCBs in humans using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset.

In human exposure studies involving Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), it is useful to establish when an individual was potentially exposed. Age dating PCB exposure is complex but assessments can be made because different PCB congeners have different residence times in the human body. The less chlorinated congeners generally tend to have shorter residence times because they are biotransformed and eliminated faster than more chlorinated congeners.

Genetic susceptibility to dioxin-like chemicals' induction of cytochrome P4501A2 in the human adult linked to specific AhRR polymorphism.

Background: Dioxin-like chemicals are known to exert their effect by binding to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), forming complexes with aryl hydrocarbon nuclear translocator (ARNT), and binding to dioxin responsive elements (DREs) in promoter region to regulate the transcription of specific genes. In a previous study of the Yucheng cohort of humans who were exposed to high toxic levels of dioxin-like chemicals (PCDFs and PCBs), we reported marked induction of cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) activity and this induction was an excellent biomarker of the exposure and adverse human health effects seen in the Yucheng cohort.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between inducibility of CYP1A2 and genetic polymorphisms of AhR, ARNT, and AhRR in human.

Milk and serum standard reference materials for monitoring organic contaminants in human samples.

Four new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) have been developed to assist in the quality assurance of chemical contaminant measurements required for human biomonitoring studies, SRM 1953 Organic Contaminants in Non-Fortified Human Milk, SRM 1954 Organic Contaminants in Fortified Human Milk, SRM 1957 Organic Contaminants in Non-Fortified Human Serum, and SRM 1958 Organic Contaminants in Fortified Human Serum. These materials were developed as part of a collaboration between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with both agencies contributing data used in the certification of mass fraction values for a wide range of organic contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, chlorinated pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners. The certified mass fractions of the organic contaminants in unfortified samples, SRM 1953 and SRM 1957, ranged from 12 ng/kg to 2200 ng/kg with the exception of 4,4'-DDE in SRM 1953 at 7400 ng/kg with expanded uncertainties generally <14 %.

Bisphenol A is not detectable in media or selected contact materials used in IVF.

There is a lack of data regarding potential exposure of gametes to bisphenol A during IVF. Detectable concentrations of bisphenol A were not found in commonly used IVF plastic culture dishes, suction tubing or growth media under normal-use conditions.

Genetic modification of the association between peripubertal dioxin exposure and pubertal onset in a cohort of Russian boys.

Background: Exposure to dioxins has been associated with delayed pubertal onset in both epidemiologic and animal studies. Whether genetic polymorphisms may modify this association is currently unknown. Identifying such genes could provide insight into mechanistic pathways.

Design and development of a field-deployable single-molecule detector (SMD) for the analysis of molecular markers.

Single-molecule detection (SMD) has demonstrated some attractive benefits for many types of biomolecular analyses including enhanced processing speed by eliminating processing steps, elimination of ensemble averaging and single-molecule sensitivity. However, it's wide spread use has been hampered by the complex instrumentation required for its implementation when using fluorescence as the readout modality. We report herein a simple and compact fluorescence single-molecule instrument that is straightforward to operate and consisted of fiber optics directly coupled to a microfluidic device.

Serum concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and growth among Russian boys.

Background: Limited human data suggest an association of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with adverse effects on children's growth.

Objective: We evaluated the associations of OCPs with longitudinally assessed growth among peripubertal boys from a Russian cohort with high environmental OCP levels.

Methods: A cohort of 499 boys enrolled in the Russian Children's Study between 2003 and 2005 at 8-9 years of age were followed prospectively for 4 years.

Dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in mother's serum and the timing of pubertal onset in sons.

Background: Animal studies have demonstrated that timing of pubertal onset can be altered by prenatal exposure to dioxins or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), but studies of human populations have been quite limited.

Methods: We assessed the association between maternal serum concentrations of dioxins and PCBs and the sons' age of pubertal onset in a prospective cohort of 489 mother-son pairs from Chapaevsk, Russia, a town contaminated with these chemicals during past industrial activity. The boys were recruited at ages 8 to 9 years, and 4 years of annual follow-up data were included in the analysis.

Dioxin exposure and age of pubertal onset among Russian boys.

Background: Animal data demonstrate associations of dioxin, furan, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures with altered male gonadal maturation. It is unclear whether these associations apply to human populations.

Objectives: We investigated the association of dioxins, furans, PCBs, and corresponding toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations with pubertal onset among boys in a dioxin-contaminated region.

Perinatal exposure to low doses of dioxin can permanently impair human semen quality.

Background: In recent decades, young men in some industrialized areas have reportedly experienced a decrease in semen quality.

Objective: We examined effects of perinatal dioxin exposure on sperm quality and reproductive hormones.

Methods: We investigated sperm quality and hormone concentrations in 39 sons (mean age, 22.

Serum dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls are associated with growth among Russian boys.

Objective: We evaluated the associations of serum dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with longitudinally assessed growth measurements among peripubertal Russian boys.

Methods: A total of 499 boys from Chapaevsk, Russia, aged 8 to 9 years were enrolled in the study from 2003 to 2005 and were followed prospectively for 3 years. Blood samples were collected and physical examinations were conducted at entry and repeated at annual study visits.

Partition of environmental chemicals between maternal and fetal blood and tissues.

Passage of environmental chemicals across the placenta has important toxicological consequences, as well as for choosing samples for analysis and for interpreting the results. To obtain systematic data, we collected in 2000 maternal and cord blood, cord tissue, placenta, and milk in connection with births in the Faroe Islands, where exposures to marine contaminants is increased. In 15 sample sets, we measured a total of 87 environmental chemicals, almost all of which were detected both in maternal and fetal tissues.