Size-dependent internalization of gold nanoparticles in individual Tetrahymena thermophila characterized by single-cell mass cytometry.

Aquatic organisms are inevitably exposed to metallic nanoparticles (NPs) in natural environments, leading to potential harm, ecological disruption, and environmental pollution concerns. Importantly, the size of NPs plays a critical role in influencing their uptake by these organisms. Utilizing mass cytometry, we investigated the internalization characteristics of different-sized gold NPs (AuNPs) in an unicellular ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, under a low exposure concentration of 1 ngmL.

From High Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry to Pollutant Toxicity AI-Based Prediction: A Case Study of 7 Endocrine Disruptors Endpoints.

Based on high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), nontarget analysis (NTA) can rapidly identify and characterize numerous hazardous substances in complex environmental samples. However, the intricate identification process often results in the underutilization of many mass spectrometry features. Even when chemical structures are identified, their toxicological effects and health outcomes may remain unknown.

Associations of urinary essential metals and their mixture with metabolic syndrome and its components among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

Background: Little is known regarding the joint effect of multiple essential metals (EMs) on metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aimed to investigate individual and overall correlations of EMs with MetS and its components among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: Six urine EMs, including molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), selenium (Se), calcium (Ca), cobalt (Co), and magnesium (Mg), were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in 2222 older adults.

Suspect and Nontarget Analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Groundwater Underlying Different Land-Use Areas.

Groundwater can be contaminated by PFAS emissions, yet research on the presence and associated risks of PFAS in groundwater underlying different land-use areas remains limited. Herein, high-resolution mass spectrometry-based suspect and nontarget analyses were performed to determine PFAS occurrence in groundwater samples obtained from a rural area, a planting region, and the vicinities of a pharmaceutical park, an airport, and an industrial park in Datong City, China. A total of 31 PFAS (16 emerging and 15 legacy PFAS) were identified, and the ΣPFAS concentrations ranged from 0.

Exploring factors influencing the spatial distribution and seasonal changes of BPA, TBBPA, and 20 analogs in China's marginal seas.

As emerging pollutants, bisphenol A (BPA), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and its analogs have become widespread in the coastal environment of China. To investigate the occurrence of these novel contaminants in Chinese marginal sea, 176 seawater and 88 sediment samples were collected from the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. In seawater and sediment, the detection rates of TBBPA are 83.

Arginine Metabolism Reprogramming in Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)-Induced Liver Injury.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a persistent pollutant that has gained worldwide attention, owing to its widespread presence in the environment. Previous studies have reported that PFOA upregulates lipid metabolism and is associated with liver injury in humans. However, when the fatty acid degradation pathway is activated, lipid accumulation still occurs, suggesting the presence of unknown pathways and mechanisms that remain to be elucidated.

Airborne Exposure Induces Depression-like Behaviors in Mice Abnormal Neural Oscillation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Airborne exists widely in the natural environment and is closely related to human health. Growing evidence indicates that environmental air pollution elevates the risk of depressive disorders. However, the potential role of airborne in the development of depression remains unclear.

First Evidence of Novel Organothiophosphate Esters as Prevalent New Pollutants in Dust from Automotive Repair Shops Discovered by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

The occurrence of organophosphorus compounds has garnered global concern due to their widespread production and potential environmental risks. Limited structural information has hindered a comprehensive understanding of their composition. By characteristic fragmentation-based nontarget analysis, the occurrence and composition of organothiophosphate esters (OTPEs), which are antiwear additives in lubricant oils that have received little attention previously, were investigated in dust from automotive repair shops and surrounding buildings.

Biotransformation of Tetrabromobisphenol A and Its Analogs by Selected Gut Bacteria Strains: Implications for Human Health.

Knowledge of the biotransformation of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and its related contaminants by human gut microbiota (GM) remains unexplored. Here, TBBPA and its four analogs were incubated with mixed GM strains, and nine rhamnosylated or debrominated transformation products (TPs) were discovered. Remarkably, rhamnosylation was identified as a common and unique microbial transformation pathway for these contaminants, and six of the seven rhamnosylated TPs were reported for the first time.

Lung megakaryocytes engulf inhaled airborne particles to promote intrapulmonary inflammation and extrapulmonary distribution.

Many lung immune cells are known to respond to inhaled particulate matter. However, current known responses cannot explain how particles induce thrombosis in the lung and how they translocate to distant organs. Here, we demonstrate that lung megakaryocytes (MKs) in the alveolar and interstitial regions display location-determined characteristics and act as crucial responders to inhaled particles.

RNA-Activated CRISPR/Cas12a Nanorobots Operating in Living Cells.

Active clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas12a) systems possess both -cleavage (targeted) and -cleavage (collateral) activities, which are useful for genome engineering and diagnostic applications. Both single- and double-stranded DNA can activate crRNA-Cas12a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) to achieve - and -cleavage enzymatic activities. However, it is not clear whether RNA can activate the CRISPR/Cas12a system and what is critical to the -cleavage activity.

Associations of toxic metals and their mixture with hyperuricemia in Chinese rural older adults.

Previous studies have related single toxic metals (TMs) to hyperuricemia (HUA) among the general population, however, the association of the TM mixture with HUA, especially in older adults, remains poorly understood. We aimed to examine the relationships between individual TMs and their mixture and HUA in Chinese rural older adults. This study consisted of 2075 rural older adults aged 60 years or over.

Nail salon dust reveals alarmingly high photoinitiator levels: Assessing occupational risks.

Photoinitiators (PIs) are chemical additives that generate active substances, such as free radicals to initiate photopolymerization. Traditionally, polymerization has been considered a green technique that seldomly generates contaminants. However, many researches have confirmed toxicity effects of PIs, such as carcinogenicity, cytotoxicity, endocrine disrupting effects.

High-Efficiency Effect-Directed Analysis Leveraging Five High Level Advancements: A Critical Review.

Organic contaminants are ubiquitous in the environment, with mounting evidence unequivocally connecting them to aquatic toxicity, illness, and increased mortality, underscoring their substantial impacts on ecological security and environmental health. The intricate composition of sample mixtures and uncertain physicochemical features of potential toxic substances pose challenges to identify key toxicants in environmental samples. Effect-directed analysis (EDA), establishing a connection between key toxicants found in environmental samples and associated hazards, enables the identification of toxicants that can streamline research efforts and inform management action.

Determining toxicity of europium oxide nanoparticles in immune cell components and hematopoiesis in dominant organs in mice: Role of lysosomal fluid interaction.

Extensive application of rare earth element oxide nanoparticles (REE NPs) has raised a concern over the possible toxic health effects after human exposure. Once entering the body, REE NPs are primarily processed by phagocytes in particular macrophages and undergo biotic phosphate complexation in lysosomal compartment. Such biotransformation affects the target organs and in vivo fate of REE NPs after escaping the lysosomes.

Occurrence and Prioritization of Human Androgen Receptor Disruptors in Sewage Sludges Across China.

The global practice of reusing sewage sludge in agriculture and its landfill disposal reintroduces environmental contaminants, posing risks to human and ecological health. This study screened sewage sludge from 30 Chinese cities for androgen receptor (AR) disruptors, utilizing a disruptor list from the Toxicology in the 21st Century program (Tox21), and identified 25 agonists and 33 antagonists across diverse use categories. Predominantly, natural products 5α-dihydrotestosterone and thymidine emerged as agonists, whereas the industrial intermediate caprolactam was the principal antagonist.

Zinc-associated phospholipid metabolic alterations and their impacts on ALT levels in workers.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element that is required for various biological functions, but excessive exposure to Zn is associated with many disorders and even diseases. However, the health effects and underlying mechanisms of long-term and high concentration exposure of Zn remain to be unclear. In the present study, we investigated the association between occupational exposure to Zn and liver function indicators (like alanine aminotransferase (ALT)) in workers.

Effect-directed analysis of androgenic compounds from sewage sludges in China.

The safety of municipal sewage sludge has raised great concerns because of the accumulation of large-scale endocrine disrupting chemicals in the sludge during wastewater treatment. The presence of contaminants in sludge can cause secondary pollution owing to inappropriate disposal mechanisms, posing potential risks to the environment and human health. Effect-directed analysis (EDA), involving an androgen receptor (AR) reporter gene bioassay, fractionation, and suspect and nontarget chemical analysis, were applied to identify causal AR agonists in sludge; 20 of the 30 sludge extracts exhibited significant androgenic activity.

Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Academic Performance Among Children and Adolescents: A Global Meta-Analysis.

This study was conducted to quantify the association of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the academic performance of children and adolescents. The literature was systematically searched in six electronic databases, and a meta-analysis was conducted. Twenty studies with a total of 1,196,631 children and adolescents from five countries were included.

Phthalate acid esters: A review of aquatic environmental occurrence and their interactions with plants.

The increasing use of phthalate acid esters (PAEs) in various applications has inevitably led to their widespread presence in the aquatic environment. This presents a considerable threat to plants. However, the interactions between PAEs and plants in the aquatic environment have not yet been comprehensively reviewed.

The hidden diet: Synthetic antioxidants in packaged food and their impact on human exposure and health.

Synthetic antioxidants (AOs) are commonly used in everyday items and industrial products to inhibit oxidative deterioration. However, the presence of AOs in food packaging and packaged foods has not been thoroughly documented. Moreover, studies on human exposure to AOs through skin contact with packaging or ingesting packaged foods are limited.

Toxicity of substituted p-phenylenediamine antioxidants and their derived novel quinones on aquatic bacterium: Acute effects and mechanistic insights.

Substituted para-phenylenediamines (PPDs) are synthetic chemicals used globally for rubber antioxidation, with their quinone derivatives (PPD-Qs) raising particular environmental concerns due to their severe toxicity to aquatic organisms. Emerging research has identified a variety of novel PPD-Qs ubiquitously detected in the environment, yet experimental proof for the toxicity of PPD-Qs has not been forthcoming due to the unavailability of bulk standards, leaving substantial gaps in the prioritization and mechanistic investigation of such novel pollutants. Here, we use synthesized chemical standards to study the acute toxicity and underlying mechanism of 18 PPD-Qs and PPDs to the aquatic bacterium V.

Correlation between double-stranded DNA and acute urticaria.

Background: Acute urticaria is a prevalent inflammatory dermatosis characterized by fulminant wheals, often accompanied by severe pruritis. It may also cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Numerous studies have substantiated the pivotal involvement of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in autoimmunity.