Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, reduced hippocampal subfield volumes, and word reading.

Reading difficulties and exposure to air pollution are both disproportionately high among youth living in economically disadvantaged contexts. Critically, variance in reading skills in youth living in higher socioeconomic status (SES) contexts largely derives from genetic factors, whereas environmental factors explain more of the variance in reading skills among youth living in lower SES contexts. Although reading research has focused closely on the psychosocial environment, little focus has been paid to the effects of the chemical environment.

The role of the hippocampus in working memory and word reading: Novel neural correlates of reading among youth living in the context of economic disadvantage.

A left-lateralized cortical reading circuit underlies successful reading and fails to engage in individuals with reading problems. Studies identifying this circuit included youth from economically advantaged backgrounds and focused on cortical, not subcortical, structures. However, among youth with low scores on reading tests who are living in the context of economic disadvantage, this brain network is actively engaged during reading, despite persistent reading problems.

Isotopic analysis of Nd nanoparticles using single particle MC-ICP-MS: A comparative study with single particle-ICP-TOF-MS.

Single particle - inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) is a powerful technique for characterization of the elemental and isotopic composition of individual particles. In this work, the capabilities of the newest generation of MC-ICP-MS with acquisition rates down to 50 ms were evaluated for single particle analysis, with a focus on isotopic precision achievable on a single-particle level. Nd (NdVO) nanoparticles (∼120 nm in diameter) were used as case study and were first characterized in terms of mass (respective size) and particle number concentration by SP-ICP-TOF-MS and then by SP-MC-ICP-MS for isotopic precision.

Microextraction-Single Particle-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry for the Direct Analysis of Nanoparticles on Surfaces.

A novel employment of single particle-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) was developed, where a microextraction (ME) probe is used to sample nanoparticles from a surface and analyze them in a single analytical step. The effects of several parameters on the performance of ME-SP-ICP-MS were investigated, including the flow rate, choice of carrier solution, particle size, and the design of the microextraction probe head itself. The optimized ME-SP-ICP-MS technique was used to compare the extraction efficiency (EE, defined as the ratio of particles measured to particles deposited on the surface) of the commercial probe head to a newly designed SP polyether ether ketone (PEEK) probe head.

Prevalence of Depression in Older Adults and the Potential Protective Role of Volunteering: Findings From the LongROAD Study.

Background: As the US population continues to age, depression and other mental health issues have become a significant challenge for healthy aging. Few studies, however, have examined the prevalence of depression in community-dwelling older adults in the United States.

Methods: Baseline data from the Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers study were analyzed to examine the prevalence and correlates of depression in a multisite sample of community-dwelling adults aged 65-79 years who were enrolled and assessed between July 2015 and March 2017.