Health risk assessment of triazole fungicides around a pesticide factory in China.

The environmental pollution and health effects caused by pesticide production have consistently garnered considerable research interest. In the present study, the concentrations of five triazole fungicides (TFs) in air, indoor dust, and diet were monitored around a pesticide factory in eastern China from November 2020 to May 2021. The levels of five TFs in each sample were determined via UPLC‒MS/MS. For a health risk assessment, the United States Environmental Protection Agency's deterministic method was applied. The findings revealed that the total concentrations of the five TFs around the monitoring area ranged from 0.29 to 5.85 ng/m3 in outdoor air, 287.4 to 9878.5 µg/kg in indoor dust, 0.0578 to 4.948 µg/kg in vegetables, and 0.447 to 3.00 µg/kg in rice. Notably, tebuconazole and hexaconazole had consistently high contributions over the years. For adults and children, the average daily doses (ADDs) were 1.32 × 10-5 and 2.69 × 10-5 mg/kg/day, respectively, in the monitoring area and 4.25 × 10-6 and 6.42 × 10-6 mg/kg/day, respectively, in the control area. In the control area, rice and vegetables were the primary media for exposure to TFs in children and adults, collectively accounting for more than 94% of the total TF exposure. Conversely, indoor dust is identified as the main medium of TF exposure in children residing near the pesticide factory, representing approximately 40% of the total exposure. The risks of noncarcinogenic effects on children and adults in the monitoring area were significantly greater than those in the control area, being approximately ten times greater for children, warranting increased attention. The carcinogenic risk to human health is relatively safe.

TMBPF-induced neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in zebrafish larvae: impacts on central nervous system development and dopamine neurons.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a common bisphenol molecule, is well known in the environment as an endocrine disruptor. Furthermore, BPs (BPA, BPS, BPF, and BPAF) have been shown in recent years to be neurotoxic to zebrafish. Tetramethyl bisphenol F (TMBPF) has recently been introduced as a substitute for bisphenol A (BPA) in various industries, including plastics and food contact coatings. However, a growing number of studies have demonstrated that the toxicity of some BPA substitutes is similar to or even stronger than BPA, posing potential harm to human health and the environment. In this study, we used zebrafish larvae as a model to investigate the neurodevelopmental effects of TMBPF at different concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg/L). Our results showed that exposure to TMBPF at concentrations higher than 4 mg/L for 72 h post-fertilization (hpf) resulted in zebrafish mortality, whereas exposure to 2 mg/L for 144 hpf caused deformities. Furthermore, TMBPF exposure inhibited the development of the central nervous system, motor nerves, and dopamine neurons in zebrafish. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that TMBPF exposure significantly down-regulated the expression of oxidative stress-related genes (Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, and CAT) and neurodevelopmental genes (mbp, gafp, and syn2a), while up-regulated the expression of dopamine-related genes (th1, th2, and dat). Notably, treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) alleviated TMBPF-induced toxicity. NAC can regulate the expression of genes related to oxidative stress, neurodevelopment and dopamine development, and make the nerve development of zebrafish normal. Overall, our research suggested that TMBPF may disrupt the development of the early central nervous system and dopamine neurons, leading to abnormal motor behavior in zebrafish larvae. These results highlight the potential risks associated with the use of TMBPF in various industries and the importance to evaluate its potential risks to human health and the environment.

Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Correlates With Long COVID-19 at One-Year After Discharge.

BACKGROUND: Long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in recovered patients (RPs) is gradually recognized by more people. However, how long it will last and the underlining mechanism remains unclear. METHODS: We conducted a prospective follow-up study to evaluate the long-term symptoms and clinical indices of RPs at one-year after discharge from Union Hospital, Wuhan, China between December 2020 to May 2021. We also performed the 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples from RPs and healthy controls (HCs) and analyzed the correlation between the gut microbiota and long COVID-19. RESULTS: In total, 187 RPs were enrolled, among them, 84 (44.9%) RPs reported long COVID-19 symptoms at one-year after discharge. The most common long-term symptoms were cardiopulmonary symptoms, including chest tightness after activity (39/187, 20.9%), palpitations on exercise (27/187, 14.4%), sputum (21/187, 11.2%), cough (15/187, 8.0%) and chest pain (13/187, 7.0%), followed by systemic symptoms including fatigue (34/187, 18.2%) and myalgia (20/187, 10.7%), and digestive symptoms including constipation (14/187, 7.5%), anorexia (13/187, 7.0%), and diarrhea (8/187, 4.3%). Sixty-six (35.9%) RPs presented either anxiety or depression (42/187 [22.8%] and 53/187 [28.8%] respectively), and the proportion of anxiety or depression in the long symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in the asymptomatic group (41/187 [50.6%] vs. 25/187 [24.3%]). Compared with the asymptomatic group, scores of all nine 36-Item Short Form General Health Survey domains were lower in the symptomatic group (all P < 0.05). One hundred thirty RPs and 32 HCs (non-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infected subjects) performed fecal sample sequencing. Compared with HCs, symptomatic RPs had obvious gut microbiota dysbiosis including significantly reduced bacterial diversities and lower relative abundance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing salutary symbionts such as Eubacterium_hallii_group, Subdoligranulum, Ruminococcus, Dorea, Coprococcus, and Eubacterium_ventriosum_group. Meanwhile, the relative abundance of Eubacterium_hallii_group, Subdoligranulum, and Ruminococcus showed decreasing tendencies between HCs, the asymptomatic group, and the symptomatic group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the presence of long COVID-19 which correlates with gut microbiota dysbiosis in RPs at one-year after discharge, indicating gut microbiota may play an important role in long COVID-19.

A Latent Class Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Associations with Sex Education, Smoking, Drinking, and Pornography Use Among Chinese Youth.

The incidence of sexually transmitted diseases has alarmingly increased among Chinese youth in the past decade, and newly diagnosed cases of AIDS have almost doubled between 2010 and 2015. However, little is known about classes of sexual behavior among Chinese youth and associations with their other health behavior or experience of sex education. This study aimed to first identify classes of sexual behavior using latent class analysis and then to examine their associations with sex education, smoking, alcohol drinking, and pornography use. Data were from 13,865 unmarried youth aged 18-24 from the 2009 National Youth Reproductive Health Survey. Six indicators were used: timing of the first sexual intercourse, the number of past-year sexual partners, sex outside of a relationship, incidence of pregnancy, and contraceptive use at the latest and the first sexual intercourse. Four classes were identified: no sex (Class 1, 69%), safer sex (Class 2, 13%), early risk (Class 3, 13%), and multiple risk (Class 4, 5%). Smoking, drinking, and regular pornography use were associated with increased odds of being in the multiple risk class relative to the safer sex class. Sex education, smoking, and pornography use were associated with decreased odds of being in the no sex class relative to the safer sex class. The findings revealed qualitatively different classes of sexual behavior among Chinese youth and important roles of sex education, substance use, and pornography use. Reproductive health service providers can offer individually tailored services to serve youth with different profiles and needs.

Exposure of preschool-aged children to highly-concerned bisphenol analogues in Nanjing, East China.

Bisphenol analogues (BPs) have already attracted wide concern owing to the environmental and health risks they pose. The exposure pathways and health risk of preschool-aged children to BPs, however, are still poorly understood. In this study, we choose population survey with 184 preschool-age children from a suburb of Nanjing, eastern China, further reveal the internal and external exposures concentrations, distribution profiles, potential sources and eventually assess health risk of preschool-age children to eight kinds of BPs. The results verify that the 95th percentile (P95) concentrations of Æ©8BPs ranged from 0.27 to 41.6 ng/mL, with a median concentration of 7.83 ng/mL in the urine samples. BPA, and BPF were the predominant BPs in urine, accounting for 67.3%, and 18.0% of Æ©8BPs. The urine-based estimated daily intake (EDI) of Æ©8BPs was 187 ng/kg body weight/day. Similarly, BPA, and BPF were the main BPs in the environmental exposure sources, accounting for 80.8%, and 11.7% of the total BPs. Moreover, the total external exposure dose of Æ©8BPs via the environmental sources was 68.1 ng/kg body weight/day, including BPA (56 ng/kg body weight/day), BPF (7.68 ng/kg body weight/day) and BPB (2.62 ng/kg body weight/day). The oral intake of drinking water and food (vegetables and rice) was the main exposure pathways of BPs in preschool-age children. Furthermore, the hazard quotient (HQ) of BPs have been evaluated and the results show no occurrence of high risk. Additionally, the urine-based EDI was significantly higher than the total external exposure dose, suggesting the existence of other pathways of BP exposure to be further explored. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to conduct both an internal and external exposure assessment of BPs.

Novel risk scoring system for predicting acute respiratory distress syndrome among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: The mortality rate from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is high among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hence, risk evaluation tools are required to immediately identify high-risk patients upon admission for early intervention. METHODS: A cohort of 220 consecutive patients with COVID-19 were included in this study. To analyze the risk factors of ARDS, data obtained from approximately 70% of the participants were randomly selected and used as training dataset to establish a logistic regression model. Meanwhile, data obtained from the remaining 30% of the participants were used as test dataset to validate the effect of the model. RESULTS: Lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, D-dimer, procalcitonin, and ferritin levels were included in the risk score system and were assigned a score of 25, 15, 34, 20, and 24, respectively. The cutoff value for the total score was > 35, with a sensitivity of 100.00% and specificity of 81.20%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test were 0.967 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.925-0.989) and 0.437(P Value = 0.437). The model had excellent discrimination and calibration during internal validation. CONCLUSIONS: The novel risk score may be a valuable risk evaluation tool for screening patients with COVID-19 who are at high risk of ARDS.

Geraniin inhibits oral cancer cell migration by suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-2 activation through the FAK/Src and ERK pathways.

Geraniin has been reported to have numerous biological activities, including antiviral, antihypertensive, antihyperglycaemic, liver protective, antidiabetic, and apoptotic activities. However, the anti-migration effects of geraniin on oral cancer remain elusive. In this study, we revealed the potential antitumor mechanisms of geraniin through the inhibition of the migration and invasion of human oral cancer cell lines SCC-9 and SCC-14. The results of gelatin zymography and Western blot assays revealed that geraniin significantly reduced the activity and expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) of oral cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, geraniin potently suppressed the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Src, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 but did not affect the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2. Moreover, blocking the MAPK/ERK1/2 pathway significantly enhanced the anti-migration ability of geraniin in oral cancer cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that geraniin inhibits the motility of SCC-9 and SCC-14 cells in vitro through a molecular mechanism that involves the attenuation of MMP-2 expression and activity mediated by decreased FAK/Src and ERK1/2 pathways.

Structural characterisation and discrimination of the aerial parts of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis and Paris polyphylla var. chinensis by UHPLC-QTOF-MS coupled with multivariate data analysis.

INTRODUCTION: As sources of Rhizoma Paridis are facing shortages, utilising the aerial parts of Paris polyphylla has emerged as a promising additional source. However, the components in the aerial parts still need to be explored, and it is difficult to distinguish the aerial parts of P. polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis (PPY) and P. polyphylla var. chinensis (PPC), two varieties of P. polyphylla. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish a comprehensive platform to characterise steroid saponins from the aerial parts of PPY and PPC and to discriminate these two varieties. METHODOLOGY: A dereplication approach and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) analysis were used for the characterisation of steroidal saponins in the aerial parts of PPY and PPC. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed to differentiate these two varieties and screen discriminant variables. In addition, a genetic algorithm-optimised for support vector machines (GA-SVM) model was developed to predict P. polyphylla samples. The distribution of steroidal saponins in PPY and PPC was visualised by a heatmap. RESULTS: A total of 102 compounds were characterised from the aerial parts of PPY and PPC by dereplication. A clear separation of PPY and PPC was achieved, and 35 saponins were screened as marker compounds. The established GA-SVM model showed excellent prediction performance with a prediction accuracy of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Many steroid saponins that have been reported in Rhizoma Paridis also exist in the aerial parts of P. polyphylla. Samples from the aerial parts of PPY and PPC could be discriminated using our platform.

Serum metabolism distribution in individuals exposed to dioxins: A case study of residents near the municipal solid waste incinerators in China.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and high toxicity. This study aimed to investigate changes in serum metabolites following exposure to PCDD/Fs and to reveal a novel pathogenesis of PCDD/Fs. Serum samples were collected from 75 residents living near a municipal solid waste incinerator in China to analyse the relationship between PCDD/Fs and serum metabolic components. The serum level in the low-exposure group [19.07 (13.44-23.89) pg-TEQ/L] was significantly lower than that in the high-exposure group [115.60 (52.28-592.65) pg-TEQ/L]. Non-targeted metabolomic studies based on liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry have been applied to the metabolomic analysis of serum. Thirty-seven metabolites with significant differences among the different groups were identified as biomarkers. Pathway analysis revealed that high dioxin exposure perturbed various biological processes, including glycerol phospholipid metabolism and the interconversion of pentose and glucuronate. The results of a population health survey showed that the serum dioxin concentration in patients with diabetes was significantly higher than that in the control population. These findings suggest that dioxin exposure is associated with several potential adverse health risks, including inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, through metabolic changes.

Occurrence and profiles of perfluoroalkyl substances in wastewaters of chemical industrial parks and receiving river waters: Implications for the environmental impact of wastewater discharge.

A total of 17 groups of wastewaters from the chemical industrial parks and matched receiving river waters were collected in the east of China. The measured total concentrations of 21 analyzed PFAS analogues (∑21PFAS) in the influents and effluents of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were in the range of 0.172-20.6 µg/L (mean: 18.2 µg/L, median: 3.9 µg/L) and 0.167-93.6 µg/L (mean: 10.8 µg/L, median: 1.12 µg/L), respectively, which were significantly higher than those observed in the upstream (range: 0.0158-7.05 µg/L, mean: 1.09 µg/L, median: 0.482 µg/L) and downstream (range: 0.0237-1.82 µg/L, mean: 0.697 µg/L, median: 0.774 µg/L) receiving waters. Despite the concentrations and composition profiles of PFAS varied in the water samples from different sampling sites, PFOA was generally the major PFAS analogue in the research areas, mainly due to the history of PFOA production and usage as well as the specific exemptions. The calculated concentration ratios of the short-chain PFCAs and PFSAs to their respective predecessors (PFOA and PFOS) in most of the samples far exceeded 1, indicating a shift from legacy PFOA and PFOS to short-chain PFAS in the research areas. Correlation network analysis and the calculated concentration ratios of PFAS in the effluents versus influents indicated transformation may have occurred during the water treatment processes and PFAS could not be efficiently removed in the WWTPs. Wastewater discharge of chemical industrial parks is a vital source of PFAS dispersed into the aquatic environment.

Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Hyperlipidemia Among Adults: Data From NHANES 2017-2018.

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to explore the relationship between perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and hyperlipidemia using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS: A total of 1600 subjects were included in the analysis, and nine kinds of PFAS were measured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between serum PFAS and hyperlipidemia. RESULTS: Compared with the lowest quartile of perfluoromethylheptane sulfonic acid isomers (Sm-PFOS), the percentage change for hyperlipidemia was 57% and 41% in the third and highest quartile of PFOS. The positive association between Sm-PFOS and hyperlipidemia remained significant in population younger than 60 years, and the odds ratio for hyperlipidemia in fourth quartile of Sm-PFOS was 1.81. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that serum Sm-PFOS was independently associated with a higher risk for hyperlipidemia. The epidemiological study warrants further study to elucidate the causal relationship between them.

Effect of Jianpi Shengxue Tablet on Iron Metabolism and Nutritional Status in Patients with Renal Anemia: A Prospective, Randomized, Open, Parallel Controlled and Multicenter Clinical Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the clinical efficacy of the Jianpi Shengxue tablet for treating renal anemia. METHODS: A total of 200 patients with renal anemia from December 2020 to December 2022 were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. Patients in the control group were treated with polysaccharide-iron complex, and those in the experimental group were administered Jianpi Shengxue tablet. After 8 weeks of continuous treatment, the therapeutic outcomes regarding anemia were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the red blood cell (RBC) count, hematocrit (HCT), reticulocyte percentage (RET), ferritin (SF), serum iron (SI), transferrin saturation (TSAT), and serum albumin (ALB) all increased (P<0.01), and the clinical symptom score and total iron binding capacity decreased (P<0.01) in the experimental group. Moreover, the improvements in RBC, HCT, RET, SF, SI, TAST, ALB, and clinical symptoms (fatigue, anorexia, dull skin complexion, numbness of hands and feet) in the experimental group were significantly greater than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate for treating renal anemia was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The Jianpi Shengxue tablet demonstrates efficacy in treating renal anemia, leading to significant improvements in the laboratory examination results and clinical symptoms of patients with renal anemia.

Sex-specific effect of urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on thyroid profiles: results from NHANES 2011-2012.

The current study aims to evaluate the associations between 10 urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites and thyroid profiles. The levels of 10 PAH metabolites and thyroid profiles were obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012. Spearman analysis was utilized to evaluate the correlation coefficients among these 10 PAH metabolites. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models assessed the relationship between urinary PAH metabolite levels, thyroid hormones, and thyroid autoantibodies after adjusting potential confounders. Stratified analysis by gender was performed to evaluate sex-specific effect of urinary metabolites of PAH on thyroid profiles. One thousand six hundred forty-five eligible adult participants with complete research data were enrolled. Of note, the concentrations of the majority of urinary PAH metabolites were remarkedly higher in females compared with males. 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-FLU) was associated with higher total triiodothyronine (T3) levels in whole population (ß = 2.113, 95% CI 0.339-3.888). In males, positive associations were observed in 1-hydroxynaphthalene (1-NAP) and free thyroxine (T4) (ß = 0.0002, 95% CI 0.0000-0.0004). 2-FLU was also found positively associated with total T3 (ß = 2.528, 95% CI 0.115-4.940) in male subjects. While in female participants, 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-NAP) was associated with free T3 (ß = 0.002, 95% CI 0.000-0.005). 2-FLU was associated with total T3 (ß = 2.683, 95% CI 0.038-5.328), free T3 (ß = 0.050, 95% CI 0.012-0.087), and total T4 (ß = 0.195, 95% CI 0.008-0.382). 2-Hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OHP), 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP), and 9-hydroxyfluorene (9-FLU) were all positively related to total T3 levels, and the corresponding coefficients were 16.504, 6.587, and 3.010. 9-FLU was also associated with free T3 (ß = 0.049, 95% CI 0.008-0.090). No statistical significances were found between PAH metabolite levels and increased prevalence of increased thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb)/thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) when PAH metabolites were treated as continuous variables. Meanwhile, in the quartile analyses, increased prevalence of elevated TgAb was observed in participants with quartile 2 2-NAP compared with lowest quartile (OR = 1.753, 95% CI 1.021-3.008). Male subgroup analyses indicated that increased prevalence of elevated TgAb was observed in higher quartile of 1-NAP, 2-NAP, and 3-hydroxyfluorene (3-FLU). Increased prevalence of elevated TPOAb was associated with higher 2-NAP quartile. However, in subgroup analysis of females, no statistical significances were found between PAH quartiles and increased TgAb/TPOAb. Significant correlations were found among these 10 PAH metabolites. In conclusion, the cross-sectional study indicated that exposure to PAH might disturb the concentrations of thyroid hormones and thyroid autoantibodies. It is noteworthy that significant differences existed in males and females. Further prospective research is warranted to explore the causal relationship and underlying mechanism of PAH exposure on thyroid dysfunction.

Association between aldehyde exposure and sex steroid hormones among adults.

Exogenous and endogenous exposure to aldehydes is seen worldwide. Aldehydes are closely associated with human diseases, especially reproductive toxicity. However, the effect of aldehyde exposure on sex steroid hormones among adults remains uninvestigated. A total of 851 participants aged over 18 years were included in this cross-sectional analysis based on data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014. Serum aldehyde concentrations were quantified following an automated analytical method. Sex steroid hormones including total testosterone, estradiol, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were detected. Multivariate linear regression models, forest plots, generalized additive model (GAM), and smooth curve fitting analysis were used to assess the associations between quartiles of aldehydes and sex steroid hormones levels after adjusting for potential confounders. Butyraldehyde and propanaldehyde were found to be negatively associated with estradiol and SHBG in females and males, respectively. ß values with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were - 20.59 (- 38.30 to - 2.88) for Q2 vs. Q1 of butyraldehyde and - 8.13 (- 14.92 to - 1.33) and - 7.79 (- 14.91 to - 0.67) for Q2 vs. Q1 and Q4 vs. Q1 of propanaldehyde. No significant associations were observed between other aldehydes and sex hormones. In premenopausal women, isopentanaldehyde was inversely associated with serum total testosterone levels (Q4 vs. Q1: OR = - 7.95, 95% CI: - 15.62 to - 0.27), whereas propanaldehyde was positively associated with serum estradiol concentration (Q3 vs. Q1: ß = 28.88, 95% CI: 0.83 to 56.94). Compared with Q1, Q3 of isopentanaldehyde was associated with 3.53 pg/mL higher concentration of estradiol in postmenopausal women (ß = 3.53, 95% CI: 0.08 to 6.97). Moreover, in males under 40 years, butyraldehyde and heptanaldehyde were inversely proportional to total testosterone levels and heptanaldehyde and butyraldehyde were negatively associated with estradiol and SHBG. Decreased total testosterone, elevated estradiol, and decreased SHBG levels were found in higher quartiles of benzaldehyde, hexanaldehyde and isopentanaldehyde, and propanaldehyde, respectively, in males aged over 60 years. In male participants aged 40-60 years, only hexanaldehyde was observed to be correlated with higher serum estradiol levels. In conclusion, our current research presented the association between six serum aldehydes and sex hormones. Of note, stratification analyses were conducted in participants with different menopausal statuses and age among males and females. Sex- and age-specific effect of aldehyde exposure on alterations in sex hormone levels were observed. Further studies are warranted to confirm the causal relationship and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Occurrence and accumulation characteristics of legacy and novel brominated flame retardants in surface soil and river sediments from the downstream of Chuhe River basin, East China.

Surface soil and river sediment samples were collected from the downstream of Chuhe River basin, East China, to investigate the occurrence and accumulation characteristics of legacy and novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs). The respective concentrations of BDE-209 and nine NBFRs ranged from n.d. to 41.4 ng/g dry weight (dw) and from 0.35 to 362.78 ng/g dw in the collected surface soil samples and ranged from 0.29 to 19.73 ng/g dw and from 0.70 to 66.83 ng/g dw in the collected river sediment samples. Soil samples exhibited a higher potential to accumulate BTBPE while the relative abundance of PBT in the collected sediment samples was significantly higher than that in soils. Even so, BTBPE was the predominant NBFR in both soil and sediment samples. The concentrations and relative abundances of legacy and NBFRs exhibited large spatial variation. The calculated concentration ratios of the total of the nine NBFRs (∑9NBFRs) to BDE-209 (∑9NBFRs/BDE-209) in most of the analyzed samples far exceeded 1, implying a clear shift from legacy brominated flame retardants to NBFRs in the downstream of Chuhe River basin.

Occurrence, distribution, and risk assessment of pesticides in surface water and sediment in Jiangsu Province, China.

The occurrence and distribution of 157 pesticides were investigated in surface water and sediment in Jiangsu Province, China. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze and quantify these pesticides, and the risk quotient method was used to evaluate their respective environmental risk. The results showed that 91 pesticides were detected in surface water. The organophosphates (OPPs), fungicides, and amide herbicides were predominant. The total concentration in surface water ranged from 63.7 to 22,463 ng/L, 3.90 to 7262 ng/L, and ND to 34,120 ng/L, respectively. The mean concentration was 3479 ng/L, 1644 ng/L, and 1878 ng/L, respectively. The concentration range of detected pesticides in the Yangtze River Basin was generally lower than that in the Huai River Basin. In sediment samples, a total of 63 pesticides were detected. OPPs and amide herbicides were also ranked highest; the total concentration in sediment samples ranged from 2951 to 47,739 ng/g and 106 to 12,996 ng/g, respectively. And the mean concentrations was 6971 ng/g and 5130 ng/g, respectively. Suqian City had the highest concentration for OPPs and amide herbicides in the Huai River Basin, followed by Huai'an City, while Nanjing City and Yangzhou City ranked highest in the Yangtze River Basin. The spatial distribution of pesticides in Jiangsu Province indicated a concentration significantly higher in the western and northern regions than in the eastern and southern regions, and a concentration generally higher in lakes than in rivers. The risk assessment results showed that OPPs, fungicides, amide herbicides, organochlorines, and triazine herbicides in most surface water samples posed a high risk and had regional pollution characteristics. In sediment samples, organochlorines, carbamates, other herbicides, and other insecticides posed a high risk in northern Jiangsu Province, whereas OPPs, amide herbicides, and triazine herbicides posed high risks everywhere in Jiangsu Province.

Association of blood cadmium and metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2020.

Previous findings have reported the role of different types of heavy metals in cardiometabolic diseases. In the present research, we aim to evaluate the association between blood cadmium levels and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) based on the large-sample NHANES data. Public availably data from NHANES 2017-2020 cycle was obtained. Participants were divided into MetS and non-MetS groups according to waist circumference (WC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), blood pressure (BP) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels based on the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria. Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Chi-square test were performed for univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic analysis was performed to explore the relationship between blood cadmium and MetS and research findings were presented in forest plot. We also investigated the association of blood cadmium and MetS in subgroups stratified by age, gender and race. Population with MetS had significantly higher levels of blood [0.30 (0.18-0.54) vs. 0.24 (0.15-0.46) ug/L, p < 0.001] and urinary cadmium levels [0.29 (0.17-0.52) vs. 0.20 (0.09-0.42) ug/L, p < 0.001] compared with those without MetS. Higher blood cadmium concentrations were also observed in participants with elevated WC (0.28 vs. 023 ug/L, p < 0.001], TG (0.28 vs. 0.26 ug/L, p = 0.029), BP (0.33 vs. 0.23 ug/L, p < 0.001) and FPG (0.29 vs. 0.24 ug/L, p < 0.001) compared with those with normal metabolic parameters. Multivariate logistic regression showed that one-unit increasement of blood cadmium was associated with 1.25 times higher prevalence ratios for MetS after adjusting potential confounders (95% CI: 1.06-1.48, p = 0.0083). The associations between serum cadmium concentrations and MetS components were then evaluated, and the results showed higher blood cadmium levels were associated with higher risk for elevated TG, low HDL and elevated BP when treated as continuous variable. When treated as categorical variable, only BP was found positively associated with blood cadmium. Stratified multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the positive association between blood cadmium and MetS remained significant in subjects less than 60 years old and female subgroup. In conclusion, the cross-sectional survey suggested the positive association between blood cadmium levels and risk for MetS, prospective research need to be conducted for further evaluation of the causal relationship between blood cadmium and MetS.

PCDD/F and DL-PCB exposure among residents upwind and downwind of municipal solid waste incinerators and source identification.

Understanding the environmental and human impacts associated with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) exposure from municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) is challenging because information on ambient and dietary exposure levels, spatial characteristics, and potential exposure routes is limited. In this study, 20 households from two villages located on the upwind and downwind sides of a MSWI were selected to characterize the concentration and spatial distribution of PCDD/F and DL-PCB compounds in ambient and food samples, such as dust, air, soil, chicken, egg, and rice samples. The source of exposure was identified using congener profiles and principal component analysis. Overall, the dust and rice samples had the highest and lowest mean dioxin concentrations, respectively. Significant differences were observed (p < 0.01) in PCDD/F concentrations in chicken samples and DL-PCB concentrations in rice and air samples between the upwind and downwind villages. The exposure assessment indicated that the primary risk source was dietary exposure, especially from eggs, which had a PCDD/F toxic equivalency (TEQ) range of 0.31-14.38 pg TEQ/kg body weight (bw)/day, leading to adults in one household and children in two households exceeding the World Health Organization-defined threshold of 4 pg TEQ/kg bw/day. Chicken was the main contributor to the differences between upwind and downwind exposure. Based on the established congener profiles, the exposure routes of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs from the environment to food to humans were clarified.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for accurate diagnosis and management of lower respiratory tract infections.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infections. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infections at the Wuhan Union Hospital. Data including demographic, laboratory, and radiological profiles; treatment; and outcomes were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: mNGS identified pathogenic microbes in 100/140 (71.4%) patients, although 135 (96.4%) had received empiric antibiotic treatment before the mNGS tests. Single bacterial infection (35/100, 35%) was the most common type of infection in patients with positive mNGS results, followed by single fungal infection (14/100, 14%), bacterial-viral coinfection (14/100, 14%), single viral infection (12/100, 12%), bacterial-fungal coinfection (9/100, 9%), fungal-viral coinfection (9/100, 9%), and bacterial-fungal-viral coinfection (7/100, 7%). Moreover, compared with culture test, mNGS showed higher sensitivity (63/85, 74.1% vs 22/85, 25.9% P = 0.001) and lower processing time (24 hours vs 48 hours). Antibiotic treatment was adjusted or confirmed based on the mNGS results in 123 (87.9%) patients, including five (3.6%), 33 (23.6%), and 85 (60.7%) patients, in whom treatment was downgraded, upgraded, and unchanged, respectively. Almost all patients, regardless of escalation, de-escalation, or no change in treatment, showed significant improvement in clinical symptoms and inflammatory indicators. In addition, 17 (12.1%) patients were referred to Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital for further treatment because of confirmed or suspected tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: mNGS could be a promising technique for microbiological diagnosis and antibiotic management, potentially improving outcomes for patients.

Long-term exposure of zebrafish to bisphenol F: Adverse effects on parental reproduction and offspring neurodevelopment.

Bisphenol F (BPF), an alternative to bisphenol A (BPA) has potential endocrine and reproductive toxicity; however, the effects of environmental concentrations of BPF on the reproductive and developmental toxicity of offspring following parental exposure to BPF remain unclear. In the present study, the effects of life-cycle BPF exposure at environmental concentrations on zebrafish reproduction, offspring growth, and development were investigated. The results showed that the life-cycle of BPF exposure significantly elevated oxidative stress levels, increased gonadal apoptosis, and reduced zebrafish (F0) spawning. Notably, through maternal transfer, BPF exposure significantly affected offspring development. Developmental parameters such as hatching rate, spontaneous movements, heart rate, body length, and locomotor behavior decreased in zebrafish larvae (F1). In addition, the expression levels of genes related to oxidative stress, apoptosis, and neurodevelopment were altered in F1 larvae. Therefore, the present study provides evidence that BPF, even at environmental concentrations, can be potentially adverse in terms of reproductive defects and offspring neurodevelopmental disorders. Therefore, BPF, as a substitute for BPA, is worthy of in-depth evaluation.