Modeling the impact of heat stress on the toxicokinetics of toluene and acetone.

Many workers can be exposed simultaneously to heat and volatile chemicals. In a controlled human exposure study, it was observed that an increase in ambient temperature was associated with increased blood concentrations for acetone and toluene. Based on the expected changes in physiological parameters that occur with an increase in ambient temperature, we aimed to develop a PBPK model for acetone and toluene that could account for the impact of temperature on the kinetics of these solvents.

Potential future changes in soil carbon dynamics in the Ziwuling Forest, China under different climate change scenarios.

Soil carbon (C) cycling processes in terrestrial ecosystems are significantly influenced by global changes, and soil microorganisms play a crucial role in soil organic carbon (SOC) and its feedbacks to climate change. To investigate the potential future changes in soil C dynamics under different scenarios in the Ziwuling Forest region, China, we conducted a soil observation and sampling experiment from April 2021 to July 2022. By utilizing a microbial ecological model (MEND), we aimed to predict the future dynamics of soil C under different scenarios in the area.

Nuclear Spin-Depleted, Isotopically Enriched Ge/ Si Ge Quantum Wells.

The p-symmetry of the hole wavefunction is associated with a weaker hyperfine interaction, which makes hole spin qubits attractive candidates to implement quantum processors. However, recent studies demonstrate that hole qubits are still very sensitive to nuclear spin bath, thus highlighting the need for nuclear spin-free germanium (Ge) qubits to suppress this decoherence channel. Herein, this work demonstrates the epitaxial growth of Ge- and Si-depleted, isotopically enriched Ge/silicon-germanium (SiGe) quantum wells.

Thermal properties of treatment wetlands operated under freezing conditions.

The use of treatment wetlands (TWs) presents particular challenges in regions with sub-zero winter temperatures, due to reduced biological activity and risk of pipe breakage or clogging due to freezing. We studied the vertical temperature distribution in four pilot-scale TWs exposed to winter temperatures in order to determine the impact of operational system parameters and the role of insulation on heat conservation inside the filtering bed. The overall temperature pattern was similar in all wetlands, with a trend of increasing temperature from the surface toward the bottom during the cold season.

Resonant Gas Sensing in the Terahertz Spectral Range Using Two-Wire Phase-Shifted Waveguide Bragg Gratings.

The development of low-cost sensing devices with high compactness, flexibility, and robustness is of significance for practical applications of optical gas sensing. In this work, we propose a waveguide-based resonant gas sensor operating in the terahertz frequency band. It features micro-encapsulated two-wire plasmonic waveguides and a phase-shifted waveguide Bragg grating (WBG).

1-km resolution rebound surfaces and paleotopography of glaciated North America since the Last Glacial Maximum.

We present a series of 1-km spatial resolution rebound (isobase) surfaces based on publicly distributed predictions obtained from the glacio-isostatic adjustment models known as ICE-5G (VM2 L90), ICE-6G_C (VM5a) and ICE-7G_NA (VM7). Our objective is to provide readily accessible tools for a broad range of geological and paleoenvironmental studies, and to facilitate direct comparison between models' predictions and field-based observations. Rebound surfaces were interpolated at the scale of North American ice sheets (35.

Enhancing the selective ciprofloxacin adsorption in urine matrices through the metal-doping of carbon sorbents.

Pharmaceuticals excreted after administration can pollute water sources given their ineffective removal in conventional wastewater treatment plant. Among the techniques used during tertiary wastewater treatment, adsorption is an effective and cost-efficient method for removing antibiotics. This study aimed to investigate the adsorption of ciprofloxacin (CIP) on metal-doped granular activated carbon (GAC) and evaluate the impact of urine on CIP adsorption for pristine, pre-oxidized, and metal-doped GAC.

EGCG inhibits the inflammation and senescence inducing properties of MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells-derived extracellular vesicles in human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells' secretome can induce a pro-inflammatory phenotype in human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSC). This can be prevented by the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). The impact of EGCG on the paracrine regulation that the extracellular vesicles (EVs) specifically exert within the TNBC secretome remains unknown.

Satellite monitoring reveals short-term cumulative and time-lag effect of drought and heat on autumn photosynthetic phenology in subtropical vegetation.

Comparing with the effect of the average climate change on vegetation phenology, the impacts of extreme climate events remain unclear, especially considering their characteristic cumulative and time-lag effects. Using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) satellite records, we investigated the cumulative and time-lag effects of drought and heat events on photosynthesis, particularly for the end date of autumn photosynthesis (EOP), in subtropical vegetation in China. Our results showed a negative effect of drought on the delay of EOP, with the cumulative effect on 30.

Exploring the role of our contacts with pets in broadening concerns for animals, nature, and fellow humans: a representative study.

While pet ownership is normative in many occidental countries, whether humans' proximal contacts with pets have implications for attitudes and behaviors toward other (non pet) animals, nature, and fellow humans, has received limited empirical attention. In a large representative sample, we investigate whether pet ownership and positive contact with pets are associated with more positive attitudes and heightened concerns for non-pet animals, nature, and human outgroups. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among Canadian adults (619 pet owners, 450 non-pet owners).

Remarkable Spatial Disparity of Life Cycle Inventory for Coal Production in China.

Coal is the primary energy source in China, and its life cycle inventory (LCI) is widely used as background data for life cycle assessment studies. Previous research indicates that the inventory of coal production varies regionally. However, the development of complete regionalized LCIs for coal production is quite limited.

Selective modifications of lactose and N-acetyllactosamine with sulfate and aromatic bulky groups unveil unique structural insights in galectin-1-ligand recognition.

Galectins, a family of endogenous glycan-binding proteins, play crucial roles in a broad range of physiological and pathological processes. Galectin-1 (Gal-1), a proto-type member of this family, is overexpressed in several cancers and plays critical roles in tumor-immune escape, angiogenesis and metastasis. Thus, generation of high-affinity Gal-1 inhibitors emerges as an attractive therapeutic approach for a wide range of neoplastic conditions.

A nanoscale study of the structure and electrical response of Sepia eumelanin.

Eumelanin, the brown-black member of the melanin biopigment family, is a prototype material for sustainable (green) organic electronics. Sepia eumelanin (Sepia) is a type of biosourced eumelanin extracted from the ink sac of cuttlefish. Electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy images of Sepia show distinguishable near spherical granules with diameters of about 150-200 nm.

Toxicity mechanisms of graphene oxide and cadmium in Microcystis aeruginosa: evaluation of photosynthetic and oxidative responses.

The potential ecotoxicological hazard of gaphene oxide (GO) is not fully clarified for photoautotrophic organisms, especially when the interactions of GO with other environmental toxicants are considered. The objective of the current study was to better understand the mechanisms of toxicity of GO in the cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa, and to identify its interactions with cadmium (Cd). The individual and combined contribution of both pollutants in cyanobacteria were evaluated after 96 hours of exposure to GO and/or Cd, using photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic parameters, cellular indicators of peroxidative damage, viability, and intracellular ROS formation as indicators of toxicity.

Optoplasmonic Effects in Highly Curved Surfaces for Catalysis, Photothermal Heating, and SERS.

Surface curvature can be used to focus light and alter optical processes. Here, we show that curved surfaces (spheres, cylinders, and cones) with a radius of around 5 μm lead to maximal optoplasmonic properties including surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), photocatalysis, and photothermal processes. Glass microspheres, microfibers, pulled fibers, and control flat substrates were functionalized with well-dispersed and dense arrays of 45 nm Au NP using polystyrene--poly-4-vinylpyridine (PS--P4VP) and chemically modified with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA, SERS reporter), 4-nitrobenzenethiol (4-NBT, reactive to plasmonic catalysis), or 4-fluorophenyl isocyanide (FPIC, photothermal reporter).

Deep Isolated Aquifer Brines Harbor Atypical Halophilic Microbial Communities in Quebec, Canada.

The deep terrestrial subsurface, hundreds of meters to kilometers below the surface, is characterized by oligotrophic conditions, dark and often anoxic settings, with fluctuating pH, salinity, and water availability. Despite this, microbial populations are detected and active, contributing to biogeochemical cycles over geological time. Because it is extremely difficult to access the deep biosphere, little is known about the identity and metabolisms of these communities, although they likely possess unknown pathways and might interfere with deep waste deposits.

Conventional DNA-Damaging Cancer Therapies and Emerging cGAS-STING Activation: A Review and Perspectives Regarding Immunotherapeutic Potential.

Many traditional cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy are known to induce cellular DNA damage as part of their cytotoxic activity. The cGAS-STING signaling axis, a key member of the DNA damage response that acts as a sensor of foreign or aberrant cytosolic DNA, is helping to rationalize the DNA-damaging activity of these treatments and their emerging immunostimulatory capacity. Moreover, cGAS-STING, which is attracting considerable attention for its ability to promote antitumor immune responses, may fundamentally be able to address many of the barriers limiting the success of cancer immunotherapy strategies, including the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

Anatomo-functional correspondence in the voice-selective regions of human prefrontal cortex.

Group level analyses of functional regions involved in voice perception show evidence of 3 sets of bilateral voice-sensitive activations in the human prefrontal cortex, named the anterior, middle and posterior Frontal Voice Areas (FVAs). However, the relationship with the underlying sulcal anatomy, highly variable in this region, is still unknown. We examined the inter-individual variability of the FVAs in conjunction with the sulcal anatomy.

Weyl's Law for the Steklov Problem on Surfaces with Rough Boundary.

The validity of Weyl's law for the Steklov problem on domains with Lipschitz boundary is a well-known open question in spectral geometry. We answer this question in two dimensions and show that Weyl's law holds for an even larger class of surfaces with rough boundaries. This class includes domains with interior cusps as well as "slow" exterior cusps.

The microbial mechanisms by which long-term heavy metal contamination affects soil organic carbon levels.

Globally, reducing carbon emissions and mitigating soil heavy metal pollution pose pressing challenges. We evaluated the effects of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contamination in the field over 20 years. The five treatment groups featured Pb concentrations of 40 and 250 mg/kg, Cd concentrations of 10 and 60 mg/kg, and a combination of Pb and Cd (60 and 20 mg/kg, respectively); we also included a pollution-free control group.

Synthesis of 3-Alkyl Oxazolidines, Derived from 2-Hydroxymethyl Piperidine, as Analytical Standards for the Analysis of Volatile Aldehydes in the Workplace.

Hexahydro-3-alkyl-3-oxazolo[3,4-]pyridines for the quantitative analysis of various aldehydes were obtained in good yield the condensation reaction of 2-hydroxymethylpiperidine (2-HMP) with aldehydes under mild conditions. When acrolein was used, the bicyclic was obtained. This novel compound has suitable physical characteristics for an analytical standard.

Revolutionizing nursing education through Ai integration: A reflection on the disruptive impact of ChatGPT.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving global change. An AI language model like ChatGPT could revolutionize the delivery of nursing education in the future. ChatGPT is an AI-enabled text generator that has garnered significant attention due to its ability to engage in conversations and answer questions.