Association of Occupational Noise Exposure and Extended High-Frequency Hearing Loss in Young Workers With Normal Hearing.

Objectives: Studies on the relationship between occupational noise exposure and extended high-frequency (EHF) hearing loss are limited. This study investigated the relationship between occupational noise exposure and EHF hearing loss in workers exposed to noise as measured by sound pressure level, exposure duration, and kurtosis to help provide a basis for early detection and prevention of hearing loss in noise-exposed workers.

Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 602 participants with 472 noise-exposed workers and 130 non-noise-exposed controls.

Associations Between Noise Exposure Level, Noise Kurtosis, and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions in Young Workers With Normal Hearing.

Objectives: Growing evidence has suggested that, in addition to noise exposure level, noise temporal structure (i.e., kurtosis) plays an important role in the development of noise-induced hearing loss, while most of the relevant research has been on the results of pure-tone audiometry.

Development and application of UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS methods for the determination of eight metabolites of p-chloronitrobenzene in human urine.

Accurate, reliable, and sensitive methods for the determination of eight metabolites of p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) were developed based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography - quadrupole - orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS). The free and conjugated forms of metabolites were determined before and after urine samples were hydrolyzed with acid. Subsequently, three solid phase extraction steps were used for concentration and purification.

Levels, sources, variations, and human health risk assessment of Sr and Cs in water and food around Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant (China) from 2011 to 2020.

Objectives: Radioactivity monitoring around nuclear facilities is crucial to provide important baseline data for effective detection of radioactive leakage to the environment. We aim to establish a baseline study for monitoring radioactive levels of Sr and Cs around Sammen Nuclear Power Plant (SNPP) and to assess their associated health impact on surrounding residents.

Methods: In this study, we collected water and food samples around the SNPP from 2011 to 2020 and determined for Sr and Cs activity concentrations.

Exposure characteristics and risk assessment of air particles in a Chinese hotel kitchen.

Background: The hazards of kitchen particles have attracted social attention, but their distribution characteristics and risk assessment are rarely reported.

Objective: To explore the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of kitchen particles, analyze the variations in characteristics of number concentration (NC), mass concentration (MC), surface area concentration (SAC), and particle size distribution, provide reference indexes for evaluating worker exposure, evaluate the risk of kitchen particles, as well as suggest improvements and control measures.

Patients And Methods: Different cooking posts in a Chinese hotel kitchen were selected to monitor exposure to particles, explore the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of NC, MC, and SAC of particles in the cooking post, analyze changes in the particle size, compare the individual exposure of particles between the cooking and steaming posts, and analyze the correlation between NC, MC, and SAC.

Regulation of Chirality in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Based on Achiral Precursors through Substituent Modification.

The generation and regulation of chirality are closely related to the origin of life. Using achiral precursors to spontaneously build chiral MOFs remains a major challenge. Here, a method to synthesize chiral MOFs from achiral precursors by utilizing chiral fragments was achieved.

Developing a guideline for measuring workplace non-Gaussian noise exposure based on kurtosis adjustment of noise level in China.

Objective: There is no unified standard for measuring workplace non-Gaussian noise (known as complex noise) exposure. This study aimed to develop a draft guideline for measuring workplace non-Gaussian complex noise exposure based on noise temporal structure adjustment.

Methods: Noise exposure level, e.

Assessment of Occupational Hearing Loss Associated With Non-Gaussian Noise Using the Kurtosis-Adjusted Cumulative Noise Exposure Metric: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Objective: There is little literature on the validity of kurtosis-adjusted noise energy metrics in human studies. Therefore, this study aimed to validate the application of cumulative noise exposure (CNE) adjusted by kurtosis in evaluating occupational hearing loss associated with non-Gaussian noise among manufacturing workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1,558 manufacturing workers exposed to noise from five industries to collect noise exposure and hearing loss data.

Estimation of Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Using Kurtosis-Adjusted Noise Exposure Levels.

Objectives: Studies have shown that in addition to energy, kurtosis plays an important role in the assessment of hearing loss caused by complex noise. The objective of this study was to investigate how to use noise recordings and audiometry collected from workers in industrial environments to find an optimal kurtosis-adjusted algorithm to better evaluate hearing loss caused by both continuous noise and complex noise.

Design: In this study, the combined effects of energy and kurtosis on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) were investigated using data collected from 2601 Chinese workers exposed to various industrial noises.

Long-term investigation of environmental radioactivity levels and public health around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, China.

To evaluate the impact of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant (Qinshan NPP) in normal operation on the surrounding environment and population, the radioactivity levels of drinking water and the ambient environment, as well as the residents' cancer incidence, were continuously monitored for a period of 9 years (2012-2020). All of the gross α and β radioactivity concentrations in drinking water were less than the WHO recommended values (0.5 Bq/L for gross α and 1 Bq/L for gross β).

Long-term variation of Sr and Cs in environmental and food samples around Qinshan nuclear power plant, China.

Environmental radioactivity monitoring in the surroundings of nuclear facilities is important to provide baseline data for effective detection in case of any radioactive release in the region. In this work, we report for the first time the long-term monitoring data of Cs and Sr in environmental and food samples around Qinshan nuclear power plant in 2012-2019. The distribution levels, temporal variations and source terms of Cs and Sr in the investigated samples were discussed.

Ribosome profiling reveals translatome remodeling in cancer cells in response to zinc oxide nanoparticles.

The anticancer effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) largely relies on cellular responses such as alteration of gene expression. Although ZnO NPs have been reported to induce transcriptional changes, the potential of ZnO NPs to affect cellular translatome remains largely unknown. Using ribosome profiling, we demonstrated that the transcription of 78 genes and the translation of 1,448 genes are affected during one hour of ZnO NPs exposure in A549 human lung cancer cells.

The Role of the Kurtosis Metric in Evaluating the Risk of Occupational Hearing Loss Associated with Complex Noise - Zhejiang Province, China, 2010-2019.

What Is Already Known About This Topic?: Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has been the second most common occupational disease in China. Noise energy is the main risk factor for occupational NIHL. Evidence shows the temporal structure of noise (as indicated by kurtosis metric) contribute to the development of NIHL.

Exposure characterization and risk assessment of ultrafine particles from the blast furnace process in a steelmaking plant.

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the exposure characteristics and risks of ultrafine particles from the blast furnace process and to provide a reasonable control strategy for protecting the health of workers.

Methods: The blast furnace location of a steelmaking plant was selected as a typical investigation site. A membrane-based sampling system was used to collect ultrafine particles to analyze their morphology and elemental compositions.

Applying Kurtosis as an Indirect Metric of Noise Temporal Structure in the Assessment of Hearing Loss Associated With Occupational Complex Noise Exposure.

Objective: The association of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) with noise energy was well documented, but the relationship between occupational noise and noise temporal structure is rarely reported. The objective of this study was to investigate the principal characteristics of the relationship between occupational NIHL and the temporal structure of noise.

Methods: Audiometric and shift-long noise exposure data were collected from 3102 Chinese manufacturing workers from six typical industries through a cross-sectional survey.

Characteristics and risk assessment of occupational exposure to ultrafine particles generated from cooking in the Chinese restaurant.

Ultrafine particles have been increasingly linked to adverse health effects in restaurant workers. This study aimed to clarify the exposure characteristics and risks of ultrafine particles during the cooking process, and to provide a reasonable standard for protecting the workers in the Chinese restaurant. The temporal variations in particle concentrations (number concentration (NC), mass concentration (MC), surface area concentration (SAC), and personal NC), and size distributions by number were measured by real-time system.

A Water-Stable Tb-MOF As a Rapid, Accurate, and Highly Sensitive Ratiometric Luminescent Sensor for the Discriminative Sensing of Antibiotics and DO in HO.

The design and development of self-calibrating ratiometric luminescent sensors for the fast, accurate, and sensitive discrimination and determination of pollutants in wastewater is highly desirable for public and environmental health. Herein, a 3D porous Tb(III)-based metal-organic framework (MOF), {[Tb(HL)(HO)]·(solv)} (), was facilely synthesized using a urea-functionalized tetracarboxylate ligand, 5,5'-(((1,4-phenylenebis(azanediyl))bis(carbonyl))bis(azanediyl))diisophthalic acid (HL). The activated framework showed a good water stability in both aqueous solutions at a wide pH range of 2-14 and simulated antibiotic wastewaters.

The difference in the CO adsorption capacities of different functionalized pillar-layered metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

The excessive use of fossil energy has caused the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere to increase year by year. MOFs are ideal CO2 adsorbents that can be used in CO2 capture due to their excellent characteristics. Studies of the structure-activity relationship between the small structural differences in MOFs and the CO2 adsorption capacities are helpful for the development of efficient MOF-based CO2 adsorbents.

Molecular engineering in a family of pillared-layered metal-organic frameworks for tuning gas adsorption behavior.

In this work, inspired by a water-assisted three-dimensional supramolecular structure 1, we use a mixed-ligand strategy to form a 3D pillared-layered matrix by the introduction of linear ligands to compete against the water molecules. The resulting analogue microporous MOFs of 2-H, 2-F and 2-N, decorated with different functional groups, similarly show the CO2 uptake. Thanks to the negligible N2 adsorption capacity, enhanced selective adsorption towards CO2 is achieved in compound 2-N.

Characteristics of iron status, oxidation response, and DNA methylation profile in response to occupational iron oxide nanoparticles exposure.

Although the growing development and application of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) may pose exposure risk and adverse health outcomes, biological changes due to occupational exposure remain unexplored. This cross-sectional study recruited 23 workers at a plant that manufactures IONPs and 23 age- and sex-matched controls without metal-rich occupational hazards exposure. Exposure metrics at worksites were monitored, and iron status, oxidation markers, and methylation profiles of genomic DNA in peripheral blood were measured using corresponding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively.

Improving the Stability and Visualizing the Structural Transformation of the Stimuli-Responsive Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs).

New metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on flexible tetra-carboxylate ligands and Cu(II) are designed to gain stimuli-responsive materials. Unstable MOFs can be more stable with unabated flexibility by replacing coordinated solvent molecules with auxiliary N-based ligands. Two of them are intensively studied by in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analysis and the unit cell parameters during transformations have been observed in detail.

Qualitative and quantitative differences between common control banding tools for nanomaterials in workplaces.

A number of control banding (CB) tools have been developed specifically for managing the risk of exposure to engineered nanomaterials. However, data on the methodological differences between common CB tools for nanomaterials in workplaces are rare. A comparative study with different CB tools, such as Nanosafer, Stoffenmanager-Nano, Nanotool, Precautionary Matrix, ECguidance, IVAM Guidance, ISO, and ANSES, was performed to investigate their qualitative and quantitative differences in real exposure scenarios.

Three Anionic Indium-Organic Frameworks for Highly Efficient and Selective Dye Adsorption, Lanthanide Adsorption, and Luminescence Regulation.

Through solvothermal reaction of InCl and tetracarboxylate ligands with different substituent groups on diphenyl ethers, three new anionic indium-organic frameworks have been successfully prepared. They are {[(CH)NH]In(G-1)(HO)}·9DMF (1), {[(CH)NH]In(G-2)}·15DMF (2), and {[(CH)NH]In(G-3)}·16DMF (3) {DMF = N, N'-dimethylformamide; H(G-1) = 5',5″″-oxybis(2'-methoxy[1,1':3',1″-terphenyl]-4,4″-dicarboxylic acid); H(G-2) = 5',5″″-oxybis(2'-amino[1,1':3',1″-terphenyl]-4,4″-dicarboxylic acid); H(G-3) = 5',5″″-oxybis([1,1':3',1″-terphenyl]-4,4″-dicarboxylic acid)}. Compounds 1-3 can be simplified as unimodal 4-connected frameworks with different topological types: lon, cag, and dia, respectively.