Identification of the associations between co-exposure to organophosphate flame retardants and thyroid dysfunction and exposure risk factors in residents of Shanghai, China.

Toxicological studies indicate that organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) may cause thyroid dysfunction. However, population epidemiologic evidence is still limited and little is known about the effects of mixed exposures to OPFRs. This study included 436 community residents from Shanghai, China.

An Efficient MEMS Microelectrode Array with Reliable Interelectrode Insulation Processes for In Vivo Neural Recording.

Microelectrode arrays, particularly Utah arrays, offer irreplaceable advantages in clinical applications and play a crucial role in advancing brain-computer interactions. However, the glass-fused monolithic structure of Utah arrays limits functional expansion, and the glass insulation process is complex, costly, and time-intensive. This paper presents a microelectrode array with a simple and time-saving fabrication process, utilizing low-resistance silicon and borosilicate glass wafers as electrodes and insulation substrates, respectively.

A simultaneous detection method for eight iodinated, brominated, and chlorinated haloacetic acid disinfection byproducts in human urine: liquid-liquid extraction-acidified methanol derivatization-gas chromatography.

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are among the most common drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and are of widespread concern due to their potential carcinogenicity and reproductive health risks. However, data on human exposure to HAAs are scarce. HAAs in urine have been identified as useful biomarkers for assessing exposure to DBPs drinking chlorinated water.

Controllable tip exposure of ultramicroelectrodes coated by diamond-like carbon via direct microplasma jet for enhanced stability and fidelity in single-cell recording.

Precise and long-term electroanalysis at the single-cell level is crucial for the accurate diagnosis and monitoring of brain diseases. The reliable protection in areas outside the signal acquisition points at sharp ultramicroelectrode (UME) tips has a significant impact on the sensitivity, fidelity, and stability of intracellular neural signal recording. However, it is difficult for existing UMEs to achieve controllable exposure of the tip functional structure, which affects their ability to resist environmental interference and shield noise, resulting in unsatisfactory signal-to-noise ratio and signal fidelity of intracellular recordings.

Global Trends and Hotspots in Non-Targeted Screening of Water Pollution Research: Bibliometric and Visual Analysis.

Non-targeted screening (NTS) technology has been showing significant potential in identifying contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water and has attracted great attention in academia in recent years. It is a method that analyzes samples without pre-selecting substances, enabling the detection and identification of unknown compounds, which is crucial for environmental health and public protection. This study uses the Bibliometrix package in R 4.

Effects of mixed exposure to PFAS on adolescent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Integrating evidence from human cohorts, toxicogenomics, and animal models to uncover mechanisms and potential target sites.

Extensive evidence suggests a correlation between environmental pollutants, specifically perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aims to investigate the association and underlying mechanisms of PFAS-induced NAFLD in adolescents by employing a comprehensive approach of population-based studies, toxicogenomics, and animal models. A total of 2014 freshmen from Dali University were recruited for this study, with 1694 participants undergoing serum testing for PFAS exposure.

Scalable production of ultraflat and ultraflexible diamond membrane.

Diamond is an exceptional material with great potential across various fields owing to its interesting properties. However, despite extensive efforts over the past decades, producing large quantities of desired ultrathin diamond membranes for widespread use remains challenging. Here we demonstrate that edge-exposed exfoliation using sticky tape is a simple, scalable and reliable method for producing ultrathin and transferable polycrystalline diamond membranes.

Thyrotoxic Effects of Mixed Exposure to Perfluorinated Compounds: Integrating Population-Based, Toxicogenomic, Animal, and Cellular Evidence to Elucidate Molecular Mechanisms and Identify Potential Effector Targets.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging environmental endocrine disruptors that may adversely affect the human endocrine system, particularly the thyroid gland, the largest endocrine gland in the human body. An epidemiologic survey was conducted involving 318 community residents in Shanghai, China, to assess PFAS exposure levels. The relationship between PFAS exposure and five thyroid function indicators was analyzed using Bayesian Kernel Regression (BKMR) and Weighted Quantile Sum Regression (WQS).

Association between PFAS exposure and thyroid health: A systematic review and meta-analysis for adolescents, pregnant women, adults and toxicological evidence.

A burgeoning body of epidemiological and toxicological evidence suggests that thyroid health may be significantly impacted by exposure to both long- and short-chain perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the association between 16 PFAS compounds and five thyroid hormones (TSH, TT3, TT4, FT3, and FT4) in the serum of a pregnant women, adolescents, and adults. The dose-response relationship between some PFAS and thyroid hormones in different population subpopulation was found and the model was fitted.

An Opto-electrophysiology Neural Probe with Photoelectric Artifact-Free for Advanced Single-Neuron Analysis.

Opto-electrophysiology neural probes targeting single-cell levels offer an important avenue for elucidating the intrinsic mechanisms of the nervous system using different physical quantities, representing a significant future direction for brain-computer interface (BCI) devices. However, the highly integrated structure poses significant challenges to fabrication processes and the presence of photoelectric artifacts complicates the extraction and analysis of target signals. Here, we propose a highly miniaturized and integrated opto-electrophysiology neural probe for electrical recording and optical stimulation at the single-cell/subcellular level.

Global Trends and Hotspots in Research on the Health Risks of Organophosphate Flame Retardants: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis.

Background: Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are compounds with a wide range of industrial and commercial applications and are mainly used as flame retardants and plasticizers. The global consumption of OPFRs has risen rapidly in recent decades, and they have been widely detected in environmental media. Unfortunately, OPFRs have been associated with many adverse health outcomes.

Organophosphate esters in human serum: a relatively simple and efficient liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are widely used as flame retardants and plasticizers, which are of growing concern due to their endocrine-disrupting effects, developmental toxicity, and potential carcinogenicity. However, data on human exposure to OPEs is still scarce. In this study, a relatively simple and efficient method with less serum consumption for the detection of OPEs in human serum was developed and validated.

In situ self-referenced intracellular two-electrode system for enhanced accuracy in single-cell analysis.

Since the emergence of single-cell electroanalysis, the two-electrode system has become the predominant electrochemical system for real-time behavioral analysis of single-cell and multicellular populations. However, due to the transmembrane placement of the two electrodes, cellular activities can be interrupted by the transmembrane potentials, and the test results are susceptible to influences from factors such as intracellular solution, membrane, and bulk solution. These limitations impede the advancement of single-cell analysis.

Plasma SOMAmer proteomics of postoperative delirium.

Background: Postoperative delirium is prevalent in older adults and has been shown to increase the risk of long-term cognitive decline. Plasma biomarkers to identify the risk for postoperative delirium and the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are needed.

Methods: This biomarker discovery case-control study aimed to identify plasma biomarkers associated with postoperative delirium.

Likelihood ratio combination of multiple biomarkers via smoothing spline estimated densities.

The diagnostic accuracy of multiple biomarkers in medical research is crucial for detecting diseases and predicting patient outcomes. An optimal method for combining these biomarkers is essential to maximize the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUC). Although the optimality of the likelihood ratio has been proven by Neyman and Pearson, challenges persist in estimating the likelihood ratio, primarily due to the estimation of multivariate density functions.

TMEM216 promotes primary ciliogenesis and Hedgehog signaling through the SUFU-GLI2/GLI3 axis.

Primary cilia are enriched in signaling receptors, and defects in their formation or function can induce conditions such as polycystic kidney disease, postaxial hexadactyly, and microphthalmia. Mammalian Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is important in the development of primary cilia, and TMEM216, a transmembrane protein that localizes to the base of cilia, is also implicated in ciliogenesis in zebrafish. Here, we found that -deficient mice had impaired Hh signaling and displayed typical ciliopathic phenotypes.

GDF11 mitigates high glucose-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis by inhibiting the ALKBH5-FOXO3-CDR1as/Hippo signaling pathway.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy remains a formidable health challenge with a high mortality rate and no targeted treatments. Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) has shown promising effects on cardiovascular diseases; however, its role and the underlying mechanism in regulating diabetic cardiomyopathy remain unclear. In this study, we developed mouse models of diabetic cardiomyopathy using leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice and streptozocin-induced C57BL/6 mice.

Widefield Diamond Quantum Sensing with Neuromorphic Vision Sensors.

Despite increasing interest in developing ultrasensitive widefield diamond magnetometry for various applications, achieving high temporal resolution and sensitivity simultaneously remains a key challenge. This is largely due to the transfer and processing of massive amounts of data from the frame-based sensor to capture the widefield fluorescence intensity of spin defects in diamonds. In this study, a neuromorphic vision sensor to encode the changes of fluorescence intensity into spikes in the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) measurements is adopted, closely resembling the operation of the human vision system, which leads to highly compressed data volume and reduced latency.

Crotonylated BEX2 interacts with NDP52 and enhances mitophagy to modulate chemotherapeutic agent-induced apoptosis in non-small-cell lung cancer cells.

Brain expressed X-linked gene 2 (BEX2) encoded protein was originally identified to promote transcription by interacting with several transcription factors in the DNA-binding complexes. Recently, BEX2 was found to be localized in cytosol and/or mitochondria and regulate apoptosis in cancer cells and tumor growth. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its roles in cancer cells remains unclear.

Construction and evaluation of hourly average indoor PM concentration prediction models based on multiple types of places.

Background: People usually spend most of their time indoors, so indoor fine particulate matter (PM) concentrations are crucial for refining individual PM exposure evaluation. The development of indoor PM concentration prediction models is essential for the health risk assessment of PM in epidemiological studies involving large populations.

Methods: In this study, based on the monitoring data of multiple types of places, the classical multiple linear regression (MLR) method and random forest regression (RFR) algorithm of machine learning were used to develop hourly average indoor PM concentration prediction models.

DIRAS3 enhances RNF19B-mediated RAC1 ubiquitination and degradation in non-small-cell lung cancer cells.

Distant metastasis remains the leading cause of high mortality in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). DIRAS3 is a candidate tumor suppressor protein that is decreased in various tumors. However, the regulatory mechanism of DIRAS3 on metastasis of NSCLC remains unclear.

Presence of Preoperative Neurodegeneration Biofluid Markers in Patients with Postoperative Delirium.

Background: The pathophysiology of delirium is incompletely understood, including what molecular pathways are involved in brain vulnerability to delirium. This study examined whether preoperative plasma neurodegeneration markers were elevated in patients who subsequently developed postoperative delirium through a retrospective case-control study.

Methods: Inclusion criteria were patients of 65 yr of age or older, undergoing elective noncardiac surgery with a hospital stay of 2 days or more.

Public opinion changing patterns under the double-hazard scenario of natural disaster and public health event.

In the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, a "double-hazard scenario" consisting of a natural disaster and a public health event occurring simultaneously is likely to arise. Focusing on this double-hazard scenario, this study developed a new opinion dynamics model that verifies the effect of opinion dynamic in practical applications and extends the realistic meaning of the logic matrix. The new model can be used to quickly identify changing trends in public opinion about two co-occurring public safety events in China, helping the government to better anticipate and respond to these real double-hazard scenarios.

Financial Fraud of Older Adults During the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background And Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created a "perfect storm" for financial fraud targeting older adults. Guided by the Contextual Theory of Elder Abuse, we focused on individual and systemic contexts to examine how older adults became prey to financial fraud.

Research Design And Methods: In July 2020, 998 adults who were 60-98 years of age (93% White; 64% female) completed an online survey about experiences with financial fraud.