Roles of serum uric acid on the association between arsenic exposure and incident metabolic syndrome in an older Chinese population.

Growing evidences showed that heavy metals exposure may be associated with metabolic diseases. Nevertheless, the mechanism underlying arsenic (As) exposure and metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk has not been fully elucidated. So we aimed to prospectively investigate the role of serum uric acid (SUA) on the association between blood As exposure and incident MetS. A sample of 1045 older participants in a community in China was analyzed. We determined As at baseline and SUA concentration at follow-up in the Yiwu Elderly Cohort. MetS events were defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Generalized linear model with log-binominal regression model was applied to estimate the association of As with incident MetS. To investigate the role of SUA in the association between As and MetS, a mediation analysis was conducted. In the fully adjusted log-binominal model, per interquartile range increment of As, the risk of MetS increased 1.25-fold. Compared with the lowest quartile of As, the adjusted relative risk (RR) of MetS in the highest quartile was 1.42 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.03, 2.00). Additionally, blood As was positively associated with SUA, while SUA had significant association with MetS risk. Further mediation analysis demonstrated that the association of As and MetS risk was mediated by SUA, with the proportion of 15.7%. Our study found higher As was remarkably associated with the elevated risk of MetS in the Chinese older adults population. Mediation analysis indicated that SUA might be a mediator in the association between As exposure and MetS.

Profiles, exposure assessment and expanded screening of PAHs and their derivatives in one petroleum refinery facility of China.

This study investigated environmental distribution and human exposure of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives in one Chinese petroleum refinery facility. It was found that, following with high concentrations of 16 EPA PAHs (∑Parent-PAHs) in smelting subarea of studied petroleum refinery facility, total derivatives of PAHs [named as XPAHs, including nitro PAHs (NPAHs), chlorinated PAHs (Cl-PAHs), and brominated PAHs (Br-PAHs)] in gas (mean= 1.57 × 104 ng/m3), total suspended particulate (TSP) (mean= 4.33 × 103 ng/m3) and soil (mean= 4.37 × 103 ng/g) in this subarea had 1.76-6.19 times higher levels than those from other subareas of this facility, surrounding residential areas and reference areas, indicating that petroleum refining processes would lead apparent derivation of PAHs. Especially, compared with those in residential and reference areas, gas samples in the petrochemical areas had higher ∑NPAH/∑PAHs (mean=2.18), but lower ∑Cl-PAH/∑PAHs (mean=1.43 × 10-1) and ∑Br-PAH/∑PAHs ratios (mean=7.49 × 10-2), indicating the richer nitrification of PAHs than chlorination during petrochemical process. The occupational exposure to PAHs and XPAHs in this petroleum refinery facility were 24-343 times higher than non-occupational exposure, and the ILCR (1.04 × 10-4) for petrochemical workers was considered to be potential high risk. Furthermore, one expanded high-resolution screening through GC Orbitrap/MS was performed for soils from petrochemical area, and another 35 PAHs were found, including alkyl-PAHs, phenyl-PAHs and other species, indicating that profiles and risks of PAHs analogs in petrochemical areas deserve further expanded investigation.

Assessment of internal exposure risk from metals pollution of occupational and non-occupational populations around a non-ferrous metal smelting plant.

Non-ferrous metal smelting poses significant risks to public health. Specifically, the copper smelting process releases arsenic, a semi-volatile metalloid, which poses an emerging exposure risk to both workers and nearby residents. To comprehensively understand the internal exposure risks of metal(loid)s from copper smelting, we explored eighteen metal(loid)s and arsenic metabolites in the urine of both occupational and non-occupational populations using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with high-performance liquid chromatography and compared their health risks. Results showed that zinc and copper (485.38 and 14.00 µg/L), and arsenic, lead, cadmium, vanadium, tin and antimony (46.80, 6.82, 2.17, 0.40, 0.44 and 0.23 µg/L, respectively) in workers (n=179) were significantly higher compared to controls (n=168), while Zinc, tin and antimony (412.10, 0.51 and 0.15 µg/L, respectively) of residents were significantly higher than controls. Additionally, workers had a higher monomethyl arsenic percentage (MMA%), showing lower arsenic methylation capacity. Source appointment analysis identified arsenic, lead, cadmium, antimony, tin and thallium as co-exposure metal(loid)s from copper smelting, positively relating to the age of workers. The hazard index (HI) of workers exceeded 1.0, while residents and control were approximately at 1.0. Besides, all three populations had accumulated cancer risks exceeding 1.0 × 10-4, and arsenite (AsIII) was the main contributor to the variation of workers and residents. Furthermore, residents living closer to the smelting plant had higher health risks. This study reveals arsenic exposure metabolites and multiple metals as emerging contaminants for copper smelting exposure populations, providing valuable insights for pollution control in non-ferrous metal smelting.

In Vivo Exposure Pathways of Ambient Magnetite Nanoparticles Revealed by Machine Learning-Aided Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry.

Nanosized ultrafine particles (UFPs) from natural and anthropogenic sources are widespread and pose serious health risks when inhaled by humans. However, tracing the inhaled UFPs in vivo is extremely difficult, and the distribution, translocation, and metabolism of UFPs remain unclear. Here, we report a label-free, machine learning-aided single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) approach for tracing the exposure pathways of airborne magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs), including external emission sources, and distribution and translocation in vivo using a mouse model. Our results provide quantitative analysis of different metabolic pathways in mice exposed to MNPs, revealing that the spleen serves as the primary site for MNP metabolism (84.4%), followed by the liver (11.4%). The translocation of inhaled UFPs across different organs alters their particle size. This work provides novel insights into the in vivo fate of UFPs as well as a versatile and powerful platform for nanotoxicology and risk assessment.

Spatial distribution, pollution level and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in urban street dust at neighbourhood scale.

Urban street dust (UStD) is a vital issue for human health and is crucial for urban sustainability. This study aims to enhance the creation of safe, affordable, and resilient cities by examining environmental contamination and health risks in urban residential areas. Specifically, it investigates the concentrations and spatial distribution of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in UStD in Yenimahalle, Ankara. The mean concentrations of Zn, Cr, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu in UStD were 97.98, 66.88, 55.22, 52.45, 38.37, and 3.81 mg/kg, respectively. The geoaccumulation pollution index (Igeo) values for these elements were: Cd (5.12), Ni (1.61), Cr (1.21), Pb (1.13), Cu (0.78), and Zn (0.24). These indices indicate that the area is moderately polluted with Cr, Pb, and Ni, uncontaminated to moderately contaminated with Cu and Zn, and extremely polluted with Cd. The hazard index (HI) values for Cr, Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn were below the non-carcinogenic risk threshold for adults, indicating no significant risk. However, for children, the HI values for Pb, Ni, Cd, and Zn were 3.37, 1.80, 1.25, and 1.25, respectively, suggesting a higher risk. Carcinogenic risk (RI) of Cd, Ni, and Pb was significant for both children and adults, indicating that exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact is hazardous. The findings highlight the need for strategic mitigation measures for both natural and anthropogenic activities, providing essential insights for residents, policymakers, stakeholders, and urban planners.

Longitudinal changes in cardiovascular disease-related proteins in welders.

OBJECTIVE: Occupational exposure to welding fumes is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease; however, the threshold exposure level is unknown. Here, we aimed to identify changes in proteins associated with cardiovascular disease in relation to exposure to welding fumes. METHODS: Data were obtained from two timepoints six years apart for 338 non-smoking men (171 welders, 167 controls); of these, 174 (78 welders, 96 controls) had measurements available at both timepoints. Exposure was measured as personal respirable dust (adjusted for personal protective equipment), welding years, and cumulative exposure. Proximity extension assays were used to measure a panel of 92 proteins involved in cardiovascular processes in serum samples. Linear mixed models were used for longitudinal analysis. The biological functions and diseases related to the identified proteins were explored using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. RESULTS: At both timepoints, the median respirable dust exposure was 0.7 mg/m3 for the welders. Seven proteins were differentially abundant between the welders and controls and increased incrementally with respirable dust: FGF23, CEACAM8, CD40L, PGF, CXCL1, CD84, and HO1. CD84 was significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. These proteins have been linked to disorders of blood pressure, damage related to clogged blood vessels, and chronic inflammatory disorders. CONCLUSION: Exposure to mild steel welding fumes below current occupational exposure limits for respirable particles and welding fumes in Europe and the US (1-5 mg/m3) was associated with changes in the abundance of proteins related to cardiovascular disease. Further research should evaluate the utility of these proteins as prospective biomarkers of occupational cardiovascular disease.

Expression levels of KATP channel subunits and morphological changes in the mouse liver after exposure to radiation.

BACKGROUND: ATP sensitive K+ (KATP) channels are ubiquitously distributed in various of cells and tissues, including the liver. They play a role in the pathogenesis of myocardial and liver ischemia. AIM: To evaluate the radiation-induced changes in the expression of KATP channel subunits in the mouse liver to understand the potential role of KATP channels in radiation injury. METHODS: Adult C57BL/6 mice were randomly exposed to γ-rays at 0 Gy (control, n = 2), 0.2 Gy (n = 6), 1 Gy (n = 6), or 5 Gy (n = 6). The livers were removed 3 and 24 h after radiation exposure. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used for morphological observation; immunohistochemical staining was applied to determine the expression of KATP channel subunits in the liver tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the livers exposed to 0.2 Gy γ-ray showed an initial increase in the expression of Kir6.1 at 3 h, followed by recovery at 24 h after exposure. Exposure to a high dose of 5.0 Gy resulted in decreased expression of Kir6.1 and increased expression of SUR2B at 24 h. However, the expression of Kir6.2, SUR1, or SUR2A had no remarkable changes at 3 and 24 h after exposure to any of these doses. CONCLUSION: The expression levels of Kir6.1 and SUR2B in mouse liver changed differently in response to different radiation doses, suggesting a potential role for them in radiation-induced liver injury.

Lack of documentation in animal bite cases and its impact on rabies biologicals utilization.

Introduction: Rabies has significant health and economic consequences for both humans and animals. Annually, India witnesses 17.4 million dog bites, yet only 3 million individuals receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). There is a shortage of anti-rabies vaccine in India as quoted in many news reports. In India, lack of documentation of previous vaccination against animal bites is there, hence resulting in the re-administration of the anti-rabies vaccine, leading to a significant biological loss (anti-rabies vaccine). Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted. Data was collected, and analyzed from June 2021 to June 2023 a period of 2 years. Results: Majority of the patients reported within the first 24 hours after being bitten while approximately one-third reported after 24 hours. Majority were Category 3 bites and unprovoked. Males, lower-middle class, and bites on lower extremities were common among 4291 patients attending the clinic. Out of 217 re-exposure cases, 185 did not have any documentation regarding their previous treatment of animal bites. Conclusion: Among 4291 patients attending the clinic, majority were Category 3 bites on the lower extremities. 85.25% of re-exposure cases had to be administered a full course of treatment due to a lack of documentation leading to rabies as a biological wastage. This avoidable wastage can be a resource for treating more patients.

Evaluation of airborne asbestos concentrations associated with the maintenance of brakes on an industrial overhead crane.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate potential airborne asbestos exposures during brake maintenance and repair activities on a P&H overhead crane, and during subsequent handling of the mechanic's clothing. METHODS: Personal (n = 27) and area (n = 61) airborne fiber concentrations were measured during brake tests, removal, hand sanding, compressed air use, removal and reattachment of chrysotile-containing brake linings, and reinstallation of the brake linings. The mechanic's clothing was used to measure potential exposure during clothes handling. RESULTS: All brake linings contained between 19.9% to 52.4% chrysotile asbestos. No amphibole fibers were detected in any bulk or airborne samples. The average full-shift airborne chrysotile concentration was 0.035 f/cc (PCM-equivalent asbestos-specific fibers, or PCME). Average task-based personal air samples collected during brake maintenance, sanding, compressed air use, and brake lining removal tasks ranged from 0 to 0.48 f/cc (PCME). The calculated 30-minute time-weighted average (TWA) airborne chrysotile concentration associated with 5-15 minutes of clothes handling was 0-0.035 f/cc PCME. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that personal and area TWA fiber concentrations measured during all crane brake maintenance and clothes handling tasks were below the current OSHA 8-h TWA Permissible Exposure Limit for asbestos of 0.1 f/cc. Further, no airborne asbestos fibers were measured during routine brake maintenance tasks following the manufacturer's maintenance manual procedures. All short-term airborne chrysotile concentrations measured during non-routine tasks were below the current 30-minute OSHA excursion limit for asbestos of 1 f/cc. This study adds to the available data regarding chrysotile exposure potential during maintenance on overhead cranes.

Model Selection for Exposure-Mediator Interaction.

In mediation analysis, the exposure often influences the mediating effect, i.e., there is an interaction between exposure and mediator on the dependent variable. When the mediator is high-dimensional, it is necessary to identify non-zero mediators M and exposure-by-mediator ( X -by- M ) interactions. Although several high-dimensional mediation methods can naturally handle X -by- M interactions, research is scarce in preserving the underlying hierarchical structure between the main effects and the interactions. To fill the knowledge gap, we develop the XMInt procedure to select M and X -by- M interactions in the high-dimensional mediators setting while preserving the hierarchical structure. Our proposed method employs a sequential regularization-based forward-selection approach to identify the mediators and their hierarchically preserved interaction with exposure. Our numerical experiments showed promising selection results. Further, we applied our method to ADNI morphological data and examined the role of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes on the effect of amyloid-beta accumulation on cognitive performance, which could be helpful in understanding the brain compensation mechanism.

An evaluation of dogs' exposure to benzophenones through hair sample analysis.

Introduction: Benzophenones (BPs) are used in various branches of industry as ultraviolet radiation filters, but they pollute the natural environment, penetrate living organisms, and disrupt endocrine balance. Knowledge of the exposure of domestic animals to these substances is extremely scant. The aim of the study was to investigate long-term exposure of companion dogs to BPs and relate this to environmental factors. Material and Methods: Hair samples taken from 50 dogs and 50 bitches from under 2 to over 10 years old were analysed for BP content with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results: The results revealed that dogs are most often exposed to 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3) and 4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1). Concentration levels of BP-3 above the method quantification limit (MQL) were noted in 100% of the samples and fluctuated from 4.75 ng/g to 1,765 ng/g. In turn, concentration levels of BP-1 above the MQL were noted in 37% of the samples and ranged from <0.50 ng/g to 666 ng/g. Various factors (such as the use of hygiene and care products and the dog's diet) were found to affect BP concentration levels. Higher levels of BP-3 were observed in castrated/spayed animals and in animals that required veterinary intervention more often. Conclusion: The results obtained show that the analysis of hair samples may be a useful matrix for biomonitoring BPs in dogs, and that these substances may be toxic to them.

Association of Screen Time Exposure With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Four to Six-Year-Old Children in Arar City, Saudi Arabia.

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a psychopathologic disorder caused by several factors. The early signs include poor interaction and communication, delayed milestones, and repeated behavior patterns. This study aimed to assess the relationship between screen time and ASD severity and investigate the types of electronic devices associated with ASD in children aged four to six years in Arar City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in Arar City, KSA. The study enrolled all parents with children aged four to six years attending the PHCs in Arar City, KSA. Results The total sample size was 199 participants. Regarding the relationship between screen time exposure and ASD, there were variable screen time exposure durations, with 22.6% of children exposed for less than an hour, 30.7% for one to two hours, and 46.7% for more than two hours. Moreover, the type of electronic devices to which children were exposed varied, with smartphones being the most prevalent (68.3%). In terms of the age of children since exposure to electronic devices, the data indicated that 30.2% were exposed before the age of two, 35.2% between two and three years, and 34.7% after three years of age. Regarding the relationship with sociodemographic characteristics, there was a statistically significant relationship with the mother's age at birth (p = 0.050), mother's education level (p = 0.009), father's education level (p = 0.049), whether the child was suffering from any chronic or neurological disease (p = 0.008), age since the child was exposed to electronic devices (p = 0.049), and screen time exposure duration (p = 0.040). Conclusions The study highlights the significant association between screen time exposure and the development of ASD in children. Public awareness of this associated risk among caregivers is recommended to follow the protective guidelines. Further research and interventions are needed to better understand and address the impact of screen media use on children's neurodevelopment and overall well-being.

Potential Usefulness of Lifetime Globotriaosylsphingosine Exposure at Diagnosis and Baseline Modified Disease Severity Score in Early-Diagnosed Patients With Fabry Disease.

BACKGROUND: Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficit of α-galactosidase A (GAL). Recently, plasma globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3), a pathogenic analog of a substrate of GAL, has been suggested as a potential biomarker for FD, and disease severity scores, such as the Mainz Severity Score Index (MSSI), the Disease Severity Scoring System (DS3), and FASTEX (FAbry STabilization indEX), are useful tools for evaluating the severity of signs and symptoms in symptomatic FD patients. However, a more useful method of evaluating disease severity in early-diagnosed FD patients such as children, adult females, and asymptomatic patients is needed. Here, we proposed modified MSSI and DS3 scores to which we added phenotype, urinary mulberry bodies, and history of past pain attacks and examined the clinical usefulness of lyso-Gb3 and modified scores for early-diagnosed FD patients. RESULT: In 13 early-diagnosed FD patients, we developed modified MSSI and DS3 scores and examined the correlation of lifetime lyso-Gb3 exposure at diagnosis with the conventional or modified scores. Lifetime lyso-Gb3 exposure was positively correlated only with the modified DS3 score. Additionally, we examined the long-term changes in plasma lyso-Gb3 concentration and in conventional MSSI, DS3, and FASTEX. In males, plasma lyso-Gb3 concentration decreased more rapidly than in females. In all patients, the severity scores were mild and remained nearly stable throughout the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that lifetime lyso-Gb3 exposure and the modified DS3 score are useful in early-diagnosed patients.

Effects of N-Acetylcysteine on Humanin and Endostatin in Rats Exposed to Formaldehyde.

INTRODUCTION: People are constantly exposed to formaldehyde, a volatile and poisonous gas, in indoor environments. In particular, anatomists, pathologists, histologists, and those involved in embalming are exposed to higher amounts of formaldehyde continuously due to their work. This study aimed to investigate the effect of N-acetylcysteine on endostatin and humanin values in male rats exposed to experimental formaldehyde. METHODS: In the study, 28 male Spraque-Dawley rats aged 12-14 weeks (seven animals in each group: control group, formaldehyde group, N-acetylcysteine group, formaldehyde+N-acetylcysteine group) were used. Four weeks later, the animals were sacrificed by decapitation. Following decapitation, endostatin and humanin levels in the serum of rats were studied by the enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) method. In all analyses, p<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: Humanin and endostatin values were checked in the serum of rats. When humanin levels were compared between groups, a statistically significant difference was found between the formaldehyde group and both the control group (p<0.05) and the N-acetylcysteine group (p<0.05). In the formaldehyde+N-acetylcysteine group, it was determined that the humanin level was impaired due to formaldehyde exposure, approaching the control group values with the administered N-acetylcysteine. When the endostatin level was compared between the groups, a statistical significance (p<0.05) was found only between the formaldehyde group and the N-acetylcysteine group. In the formaldehyde+N-acetylcysteine group, it was determined that the endostatin level was impaired due to formaldehyde exposure, approaching the control group values with the administered N-acetylcysteine. CONCLUSION: In this study, the effects of N-acetylcysteine on humanin and endostatin on rats exposed to formaldehyde were demonstrated for the first time. Formaldehyde exposure negatively affected humanin and endostatin levels in rat sera. N-acetylcysteine ameliorated the negative effects of formaldehyde, bringing humanin and endostatin levels closer to the healthy control group.

Associations between prenatal caffeine exposure and child development: Longitudinal results from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

Objective: Though caffeine use during pregnancy is common, its longitudinal associations with child behavioral and physical health outcomes remain poorly understood. Here, we estimated associations between prenatal caffeine exposure, body mass index (BMI), and behavior as children enter adolescence. Method: Longitudinal data and caregiver-reported prenatal caffeine exposure were obtained from the ongoing Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) SM Study, which recruited 11,875 children aged 9-11 years at baseline from 21 sites across the United States starting June 1, 2016. Prenatal caffeine exposure was analyzed as a 4-level categorical variable, and further group contrasts were used to characterize "any exposure" and "daily exposure" groups. Outcomes included psychopathology characteristics in children, sleep problems, and BMI. Potentially confounding covariates included familial (e.g., income, familial psychopathology), pregnancy (e.g., prenatal substance exposure), and child (e.g., caffeine use) variables. Results: Among 10,873 children (5,686 boys [52.3%]; mean [SD] age, 9.9 [0.6] years) with nonmissing prenatal caffeine exposure data, 6,560 (60%) were exposed to caffeine prenatally. Relative to no exposure, daily caffeine exposure was associated with higher child BMI (ß=0.08; FDR-corrected p=0.02), but was not associated with child behavior. Those exposed to two or more cups of caffeine daily (n=1,028) had greater sleep problems than those with lower/no exposure (ß>0.92; FDR-corrected p<0.04). Conclusion: Daily prenatal caffeine exposure is associated with heightened childhood BMI, and when used multiple times a day greater sleep problems even after accounting for potential confounds. Whether this relationship is a consequence of prenatal caffeine exposure or its correlated factors remains unknown.

Risk assessment of small organoarsenic species in food.

The European Commission asked EFSA for a risk assessment on small organoarsenic species in food. For monomethylarsonic acid MMA(V), decreased body weight resulting from diarrhoea in rats was identified as the critical endpoint and a BMDL10 of 18.2 mg MMA(V)/kg body weight (bw) per day (equivalent to 9.7 mg As/kg bw per day) was calculated as a reference point (RP). For dimethylarsinic acid DMA(V), increased incidence in urinary bladder tumours in rats was identified as the critical endpoint. A BMDL10 of 1.1 mg DMA(V)/kg bw per day (equivalent to 0.6 mg As/kg bw per day) was calculated as an RP. For other small organoarsenic species, the toxicological data are insufficient to identify critical effects and RPs, and they could not be included in the risk assessment. For both MMA(V) and DMA(V), the toxicological database is incomplete and a margin of exposure (MOE) approach was applied for risk characterisation. The highest chronic dietary exposure to DMA(V) was estimated in 'Toddlers', with rice and fish meat as the main contributors across population groups. For MMA(V), the highest chronic dietary exposures were estimated for high consumers of fish meat and processed/preserved fish in 'Infants' and 'Elderly' age class, respectively. For MMA(V), an MOE of ≥ 500 was identified not to raise a health concern. For MMA(V), all MOEs were well above 500 for average and high consumers and thus do not raise a health concern. For DMA(V), an MOE of 10,000 was identified as of low health concern as it is genotoxic and carcinogenic, although the mechanisms of genotoxicity and its role in carcinogenicity of DMA(V) are not fully elucidated. For DMA(V), MOEs were below 10,000 in many cases across dietary surveys and age groups, in particular for some 95th percentile exposures. The Panel considers that this would raise a health concern.

When an extra rejection class meets out-of-distribution detection in long-tailed image classification.

Detecting Out-of-Distribution (OOD) inputs is essential for reliable deep learning in the open world. However, most existing OOD detection methods have been developed based on training sets that exhibit balanced class distributions, making them susceptible when confronted with training sets following a long-tailed distribution. To alleviate this problem, we propose an effective three-branch training framework, which demonstrates the efficacy of incorporating an extra rejection class along with auxiliary outlier training data for effective OOD detection in long-tailed image classification. In our proposed framework, all outlier training samples are assigned the label of the rejection class. We employ an inlier loss, an outlier loss, and a Tail-class prototype induced Supervised Contrastive Loss (TSCL) to train both the in-distribution classifier and OOD detector within one network. During inference, the OOD detector is constructed using the rejection class. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the superior OOD detection performance of our proposed method in long-tailed image classification. For example, in the more challenging case where CIFAR100-LT is used as in-distribution, our method improves the average AUROC by 1.23% and reduces the average FPR95 by 3.18% compared to the baseline method utilizing Outlier Exposure (OE). Code is available at github.

Recommendations from Black and Latinx sexual minority males to include pharmacists to increase greater accessibility and OnlyFans stars to promote uptake of injectable PrEP.

BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) medication is the keystone of preventative measures to curtail the spread of HIV. However, oral PrEP, the pill intended to prevent HIV, has been slow to proliferate among men who have sex with men (MSM). This is of major concern as MSM account for the largest number of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. More recently, the newest generation of PrEP in the form of a long-acting injectable (LAI) is to be administered every two months as an intramuscular injection and many MSM indicate preferring LAI-PrEP to the oral form of PrEP. However, uptake of PrEP, in all forms, remains low. Research is sparse that focuses on LAI-PrEP uptake among Black/African American and Latinx men who have sex with men (BLMSM). OBJECTIVE: To address this concern, this study explored the willingness to uptake LAI-PrEP, and recommendations for increasing awareness and encouraging uptake of LAI-PrEP among BLMSM. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected between February 2022 to December 2022 through focus groups via Zoom with BLMSM (N=30; Black=14, Latinx=16) aged 18 to 29 (Mean = 23, SD = 3) in Los Angeles County. RESULTS: Findings revealed that while 90% of BLMSM were aware of PrEP in oral form, only 10% were aware of LAI-PrEP. Findings from the qualitative analysis suggested to consider self-administration of LAI-PrEP, allow local community pharmacists to assess and administer it, and promote uptake of LAI-PrEP using high-profile male content creators and stars on OnlyFans social media platform. CONCLUSION: Increasing PrEP uptake, in all forms available, such as promoting awareness through popular social media stars, and engaging community pharmacists in feasible ways, is critical for addressing the disproportionate impact of HIV among the BLMSM community.

Assessment of the migration characteristics and source-oriented health risks of heavy metals in the soil and groundwater of a legacy contaminated by the chlor-alkali industry in central China.

The chlor-alkali industry (CAI) is crucial for global chemical production; however, its operation has led to widespread heavy metal (HM) contamination at numerous sites, which has not been thoroughly investigated. This study analysed 122 soil and groundwater samples from a typical CAI site in Kaifeng, China. Our aim was to assess the ecological and health risks, identify the sources, and examine the migration characteristics of HMs at this site using Monte Carlo simulation, absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR), and the potential environmental risk index (Ei). Our findings revealed that the exceedance rates for Cd, Pb, Hg, and Ni were 71.96%, 45.79%, 49.59%, and 65.42%, respectively. Mercury (Hg) displayed the greatest coefficient of variation across all the soil layers, indicating a significant anthropogenic influence. Cd and Hg were identified as having high and extremely high potential environmental risk levels, respectively. The spatial distributions of the improved Nemerow index (INI), total ecological risk (Ri), and HM content varied considerably, with the most contaminated areas typically associated with the storage of raw and auxiliary materials. Surface aggregation and significant vertical transport were noted for HMs; As and Ni showed substantial accumulation in subsoil layers, severely contaminating the groundwater. Self-organizing maps categorized the samples into two different groups, showing strong positive correlations between Cd, Pb, and Hg. The APCS-MLR model suggested that industrial emissions were the main contributors, accounting for 60.3% of the total HM input. Elevated hazard quotient values for Hg posed significant noncarcinogenic risks, whereas acceptable levels of carcinogenic risk were observed for both adults (96.60%) and children (97.83%). This study significantly enhances historical CAI pollution data and offers valuable insights into ongoing environmental and health challenges.

Correlates of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis cessation among men who have sex with men in China: implications from a nationally quantitative and qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated the population-level effectiveness of oral PrEP in reducing the risk of HIV infection. However, oral PrEP utilization among MSM in China remains below 1%. While existing literature has primarily focused on oral PrEP preference and willingness, there is limited exploration of the underlying factors contributing to oral PrEP cessation in China. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the factors associated with oral PrEP cessation among MSM in China. METHODS: Assisted by MSM community organizations, we collected 6,535 electronic questionnaires from 31 regions across China, excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. The questionnaire focused on investigating MSM's awareness, willingness, usage, and cessation of oral PrEP. Additionally, 40 participants were randomly chosen for key informant interviews. These qualitative interviews aimed to explore the reasons influencing MSM discontinuing oral PrEP. RESULTS: We eventually enrolled 6535 participants. Among the 685 participants who had used oral PrEP, 19.70% (135/685) ceased oral PrEP. The results indicated that individuals spending > ¥1000 on a bottle of PrEP (aOR = 2.999, 95% CI: 1.886-4.771) were more likely to cease oral PrEP compared to those spending ≤ ¥1000. Conversely, individuals opting for on-demand PrEP (aOR = 0.307, 95% CI: 0.194-0.485) and those using both daily and on-demand PrEP (aOR = 0.114, 95% CI: 0.058-0.226) were less likely to cease PrEP compared to those using daily PrEP. The qualitative analysis uncovered eight themes influencing oral PrEP cessation: (i) High cost and low adherence; (ii) Sexual inactivity; (iii) Lack of knowledge about PrEP; (iv) Trust in current prevention strategies; (v) Poor quality of medical service and counseling; (vi) PrEP stigma; (vii) Partner and relationship factors; (viii) Access challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The cessation of oral PrEP among MSM in China is associated with various factors, including the cost of oral PrEP medication, regimens, individual perception of HIV risk, stigma, and the quality of medical services. It is recommended to provide appropriate regimens for eligible MSM and develop tailored combinations of strategies to enhance PrEP awareness and acceptance among individuals, medical staff, and the MSM community. The findings from this study can support the refinement of HIV interventions among MSM in China, contributing to efforts to reduce the burden of HIV in this population.