Quantifying Ozone-Dependent Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds from the Human Body.

Ozone reactions on human body surfaces produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that influence indoor air quality. However, the dependence of VOC emissions on the ozone concentration has received limited attention. In this study, we conducted 36 sets of single-person chamber experiments with three volunteers exposed to ozone concentrations ranging from 0 to 32 ppb.

Variability of the Human Serum Metabolome over 3 Months in the EXPOsOMICS Personal Exposure Monitoring Study.

Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and untargeted metabolomics are increasingly used in exposome studies to study the interactions between nongenetic factors and the blood metabolome. To reliably and efficiently link detected compounds to exposures and health phenotypes in such studies, it is important to understand the variability in metabolome measures. We assessed the within- and between-subject variability of untargeted LC-HRMS measurements in 298 nonfasting human serum samples collected on two occasions from 157 subjects.

The short-term effect of ozone on pregnancy loss modified by temperature: Findings from a nationwide epidemiological study in the contiguous United States.

Background: Pregnancy loss, a major health issue that affects human sustainability, has been linked to short-term exposure to ground-surface ozone (O). However, the association is inconsistent, possibly because of the co-occurrence of O and heat episodes, as increased temperature is a risk factor for pregnancy loss. To explain this inconsistency, the effect of O on pregnancy loss needs to be examined jointly with that of high temperature.

Usefulness of automated image analysis for recognition of the fragile X syndrome gestalt in Congolese subjects.

Background: Computer-aided software such as the facial image diagnostic aid (FIDA) and Face2Gene has been developed to perform pattern recognition of facial features with promising clinical results. The aim of this pilot study was to test Face2Gene's recognition performance on Bantu Congolese subjects with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) as compared to Congolese subjects with intellectual disability but without FXS (non-FXS).

Method: Frontal facial photograph from 156 participants (14 patients with FXS and 142 controls) predominantly young-adults to adults, median age 18.

Associations between hemoglobin levels and source-specific exposure to ambient fine particles among children aged <5 years in low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: We investigated associations between source-specific fine particulate matter (PM) exposure and hemoglobin levels among children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Method: 36,675 children aged < 5 years were collected in 11 LMICs during 2017. We associated child hemoglobin with 20 source-specific PM, and calculated changes in hemoglobin that could be attributed to different PM-mixture scenarios, established using real-world data from 88 Asian and African LMICs (AA-LMICs).

Distribution and relationship of antibiotics, heavy metals and resistance genes in the upstream of Hanjiang River Basin in Shiyan, China.

The upstream basin of Hanjiang River is an important water source for the middle route of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The quality of water and soil in the Hanjiang River have enormous biological and environmental impacts, and resistant genetic contamination has emerged, but only few studies are concerned the correlation between heavy metals and metal resistance genes (MRGs). In this study, 8 antibiotics and 19 heavy metals were analyzed, the results showed that the highest antibiotic content was tetracycline, with mean concentrations of 43.

Stillbirths attributable to open fires and their geographic disparities in non-Western countries.

Due to global warming, an increased number of open fires is becoming a major contributor to PM pollution and thus a threat to public health. However, the burden of stillbirths attributable to fire-sourced PM is unknown. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a co-occurrence of high baseline stillbirth rates and frequent firestorms, which may lead to a geographic disparity.

Safety accident analysis of power transmission and substation projects based on association rule mining.

To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of power transmission and substation project construction, statistical analysis was used to provide an outline of safety accidents, the 4M1E method was applied for sorting out and analyzing the risk factors, and the Apriori algorithm was carried out for exploring the intrinsic interaction among risk factors based on association rule mining. The results showed that the safety accidents that happen in the construction of power transmission and substation projects were not much frequent, but deadly; the process of foundation construction and high fall was the most accident-prone process and injury type respectively. In addition, human behaviors were the foremost factors leading to accidents, and there was a strong correlation among the risk factors of low project management level, lack of safety awareness, and poor risk identification ability.

Balancing Acute and Chronic Occupational Risks: The Use of Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Undergloves by Firefighters to Reduce Exposure to Toxic Contaminants.

Firefighters are exposed via multi-route exposure to a multitude of chemicals (PAHs, VOCs, flame retardants, dioxins, etc.) that may cause acute and long-term health effects. The dermal absorption of contaminants is a major contributor to the overall exposure and can be reduced by wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.

Do poverty and wealth look the same the world over? A comparative study of 12 cities from five high-income countries using street images.

Unlabelled: Urbanization and inequalities are two of the major policy themes of our time, intersecting in large cities where social and economic inequalities are particularly pronounced. Large scale street-level images are a source of city-wide visual information and allow for comparative analyses of multiple cities. Computer vision methods based on deep learning applied to street images have been shown to successfully measure inequalities in socioeconomic and environmental features, yet existing work has been within specific geographies and have not looked at how visual environments compare across different cities and countries.

[Associations between indoor volatile organic compounds and nocturnal heart rate variability of young female adults: A panel study].

Objective: To investigate the association between short-term exposure to indoor total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and nocturnal heart rate variability (HRV) among young female adults.

Methods: This panel study recruited 50 young females from one university in Beijing, China from December 2021 to April 2022. All the participants underwent two sequential visits.

Organosulfur compounds in ambient fine particulate matter in an urban region: Findings of a nontargeted approach.

Organosulfur compounds (OSCs) are important components of fine particulate matter (PM); however, little information is available on OSCs in urban regions due to their chemical complexity, especially for novel species such as aromatic sulfonates. To supplement the detection technique and systematically identify OSCs, in this study we developed a nontargeted approach based on gas chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) to screen OSCs in PM of urban Beijing and provide field evidence for their source and formation mechanism. 76 OSCs were found through mass difference of sulfur isotopes and characteristic sulfur-containing fragments.

Association Between Heavy Metals Exposure and Height in Chinese Preschoolers.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the association between multiple metals' exposure and children's height.

Methods: We collected urine samples and physical measurement data of 1477 preschoolers in China. Children's actual height was measured, and whether reached target height was also assessed.

Islet amyloid polypeptide triggers α-synuclein pathology in Parkinson's disease.

Pathologic aggregation and prion-like propagation of α-synuclein (α-syn) are the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD). Emerging evidence shows that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for PD. Interestingly, T2DM is characterized by the amyloid deposition of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) in the pancreas.

Association of multiple air pollutants with oxygen saturation during sleep in COPD patients: Effect modification by smoking status and airway inflammatory phenotypes.

Air pollution contributes substantially to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To date, the effect of air pollution on oxygen saturation (SpO) during sleep and potential susceptibility factors remain unknown. In this longitudinal panel study, real-time SpO was monitored in 132 COPD patients, with 270 nights (1615 h) of sleep SpO recorded.

Circadian rhythms and sleep quality among undergraduate students in China: The mediating role of health-promoting lifestyle behaviours.

Background: Poor sleep quality have become one of the most pressing public health problems for undergraduate students. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between circadian rhythms and sleep quality and the meditating role of health-promoting lifestyles in the relationship of Chinese undergraduate students.

Methods: A total of 3423 students participated.

Health Impacts of Long-Term NO Exposure and Inequalities among the Chinese Population from 2013 to 2020.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO) is associated with mortality and many other adverse health outcomes. In 2021, the World Health Organization established a new NO air quality guideline (AQG) (annual average <10 μg/m). However, the burden of diseases attributable to long-term NO exposure above the AQG is unknown in China.

The association of birthweight with fine particle exposure is modifiable by source sector: Findings from a cross-sectional study of 17 low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Low birthweight attributable to fine particulate matter (PM) exposure is a global issue affecting infant health, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, large-population studies of multiple LMICs are lacking, and little is known about whether the source of PM is a determinant of the toxic effect on birthweight.

Objective: We examined the effect on birthweight of long-term exposure to PM from different sources in LMICs.

Source sectors underlying PM-related deaths among children under 5 years of age in 17 low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM) from different source sectors might differ in toxicity. However, data from large-scale studies on vulnerable children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are insufficient.

Objective: To analyze the association of under-five death (U5D) with long-term exposure to PM from different sources.

Association of indoor dust microbiota with cognitive function and behavior in preschool-aged children.

Background: Childhood cognitive development depends on neuroimmune interactions. Immunomodulation by early-life microbial exposure may influence neuropsychological function. In this study, we investigate the association between residential indoor microbiota and cognition and behavior among preschoolers.

Polystyrene microplastics protect lettuce () from the hazardous effects of Cu(OH) nanopesticides.

Copper-based nanopesticides are released into the environment during foliar spray application, and they could, on their own or in combination with microplastics (MPs), pose threats to environmental safety and human health. In this study, Cu(OH) nanowires greatly decreased the vigor of lettuce seeds (< 0.01) and the root length of lettuce seedlings (< 0.

Exposure to dithiocarbamate fungicide maneb in vitro and in vivo: Neuronal apoptosis and underlying mechanisms.

Maneb, a widely-used dithiocarbamate fungicide, remains in the environment and exerts adverse health effects. Epidemiological evidence shows that maneb exposure is associated with a higher risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying maneb-induced neurotoxicity remain unclear.

Characterization of the genotoxic profile of antineoplastic drugs using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay.

Since antineoplastic agents are frequently used in cancer therapy and able to affect the patient's DNA, it is important to know the genotoxic consequences on non-cancerous tissue. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the genotoxic profile of antineoplastic drugs belonging to different classes, using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay in a human monocytic cell line (THP-1). All tested antineoplastic agents resulted in increased micronucleus formation.