Exposure Distribution Research Articles

Micronutrient Status During Pregnancy is Associated with Child Immune Status in Rural Bangladesh

BackgroundPoor immune function increases children’s risk of infection and mortality. Several maternal factors during pregnancy may affect infant immune function during the postnatal period. ObjectivesWe aimed to evaluate whether maternal micronutrients, stress, estriol, and immune status during the first or second trimester of pregnancy were associated with child immune status in the first two years after birth. MethodsWe conducted observational analyses within the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) Benefits Bangladesh randomized controlled trial. We measured biomarkers in 575 pregnant women and postnatally in their children. Maternal biomarkers measured during the first and second trimester of pregnancy included nutrition status via vitamin D (25-hydroxy-D [25(OH)D]), ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and retinol-binding protein (RBP); cortisol; estriol. Immune markers were assessed in pregnant women at enrollment and their children at ages 14 and 28 mo, including C-reactive protein (CRP), alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), and 13 cytokines (including IFN-γ). We generated a standardized sum score of log-transformed cytokines. We analyzed IFN-γ individually because it is a critical immunoregulatory cytokine. All outcomes were prespecified. We used generalized additive models and reported the mean difference and 95% confidence intervals at the 25th and 75th percentiles of exposure distribution. ResultsAt child age 14 mo, concentrations of maternal RBP were inversely associated with the cytokine sum score in children (-0.34 adjusted difference between the 25th and 75th percentile [95% confidence interval -0.61, -0.07]), and maternal vitamin A deficiency was positively associated with the cytokine sum score in children (1.02 [0.13, 1.91]). At child age of 28 mo, maternal RBP was positively associated with IFN-γ in children (0.07 [0.01, 0.14]), whereas maternal vitamin A deficiency was negatively associated with child AGP (-0.07 [-0.13, -0.02]). Maternal iron deficiency was associated with higher AGP concentrations in children at age 14 mo (0.13 [0.04, 0.23]), and maternal sTfR concentrations were positively associated with child CRP concentrations at age 28 mo (0.18 [0, 0.36]). ConclusionMaternal deficiencies in vitamin A or iron during the first 2 trimesters of pregnancy may shape the trajectory of a child’s immune status.

Human biomonitoring reference values, exposure distribution, and characteristics of metals in the general population of Taiwan: Taiwan environmental survey for Toxicants (TESTs), 2013-2016.

Human biomonitoring (HBM) provides information to identify chemicals that need to be assessed regarding potential health risks to human populations. We established a population-representative sample in Taiwan, namely the Taiwan Environmental Survey for Toxicants (TESTs) in 2013-2016. In total, 1871 participants (aged 7-97 years) were recruited from throughout Taiwan. A questionnaire survey was applied to obtain individuals' demographic characteristics, and urine samples were obtained to assess metal concentrations. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to determine concentrations of urinary As (total), Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, Tl, and Zn. The purpose of this study was to establish the human urinary reference levels (RVs) for metals in the general population of Taiwan. We found that median concentrations of urinary Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn in males were statistically significant (p<0.05) higher than in females (Cu: 11.48vs. 10.00μg/L; Fe: 11.48 vs. 10.46μg/L; Pb: 0.87 vs. 0.76μg/L; and Zn: 448.93 vs. 348.35μg/L). On the contrary, Cd and Co were significantly lower in males than in females (Cd: 0.61 vs. 0.64μg/L; and Co: 0.27 vs. 0.40μg/L). Urinary Cd levels in the ≥18-year-old group (0.69μg/L) were significantly higher than those in the 7-17-year-old group (0.49μg/L, p<0.001). Among the investigated metals, most were significantly higher in the 7-17-year-old group than in the ≥18-year-old group, except for Cd, Ga, and Pb. Participants who lived in central Taiwan had higher median levels of urinary Cd, Cu, Ga, Ni, and Zn than those in other regions. Median levels of urinary As, Cd, Pb, and Se were significantly higher in participants who lived in harbor (94.12μg/L), suburban (0.68μg/L), industrial (0.92μg/L), and rural (50.29μg/L) areas, respectively, than the others who lived in other areas. RV95 percentiles of urinary metals (ng/mL) for 7-17/≥18-year-old groups were As (346.9/370.0), Cd (1.41/2.21), Co (2.30/1.73), Cr (0.88/0.88), Cu (28.02/22.78), Fe (42.27/42.36), Ga (0.13/0.12), In (0.05/0.04), Mn (3.83/2.91), Ni (8.09/6.17), Pb (8.09/5.75), Se (122.4/101.9), Sr (556.5/451.3), Tl (0.57/0.49), and Zn (1314.6/1058.8). In this study, we have highlighted the importance of As, Cd, Pb, and Mn exposure in the general population of Taiwan. The established RV95 of urinary metals in Taiwanese would be fundamental information to promote the reduction of metal exposure or policy intervention. We concluded that urinary levels of exposure to certain metals in the general Taiwanese population varied by sex, age, region, and urbanization level. References of metal exposure in Taiwan were established in the current study.

Environmental inequality and population exposure to air pollution in Denmark

ABSTRACT This study examines the environmental inequality, which is associated with air pollution in Denmark, by modelling street concentrations at addresses of all households in Denmark, and correlating the findings on key air quality pollutants to individual household income. The study furthermore analyses the relative distribution of exposure to risks between and within different commuting areas in Denmark. The findings are discussed in relation to comparable findings in the international literature on environmental inequity and inequality of exposure to environmental risks. Overall, the study showed limited environmental inequality and weak correlations between air pollution exposure and household income in Denmark thereby deviating from most findings in the international peer literature that finds strong correlations. Likely explanations for the weak correlations may be found in strict Danish environmental regulation that reduces overall exposure to the population, and Danish laws prohibit building residential areas nearby factories or building factories nearby residential areas as part of zoning in urban planning. Also, a relatively equal income distribution in Denmark, and the relation between the geographic distribution of air pollution and income groups where low-income groups do not systematically live in polluted areas and high-income groups in less polluted areas also add to the explanation. Key policy highlights The first study to examine Danish environmental inequality associated with air pollution exposure at street level. Modelled air quality street concentrations at all residential addresses in Denmark. Analyses of environmental inequality between and within different commuting areas. Very limited environmental inequality was found between air pollution exposure and household income that deviates from most findings in the international peer literature. A better knowledge foundation on environmental inequality could inform future policy making to reduce environmental inequality.

The Role of Sediment Records in Environmental Forensic Studies: Two Examples from Italy of Research Approaches Developed to Address Responsibilities and Management Options

The coupling of scientific evidence from sediment cores with historical information represents an effective way to reconstruct and quantify recent anthropogenic impacts in transitional and marine-coastal areas. These are both key points pertaining to studies that aim at establishing the responsibility for envi ronmental pollution. Good practices for the selection of sampling sites and specific survey techniques are fundamental to understand pollution histories and dynamics, together with reliable dating methods and analytical procedures. In addition, a certain degree of flexibility and willingness to explore different research pathways is necessary, particularly when unexpected questions arise from scientific data or from requests posed by authorities in charge of preliminary investigations or court debates. In this paper, two different study cases are reviewed, and the approaches developed to tackle with specific issues are presented. Its main purpose is both to explain study paths undertaken to answer challenging scientific-legal questions and to provide examples for developing countries that present similar risks of uncontrolled industrialization. Results were used in preliminary investigations or court debates for the attribution of responsibility for environmental pollution to past or present industrial managements. In addition, they were fundamental for other studies aiming at implementing models that simulate the fate and distribution of contaminants and human exposure. In the Augusta Harbor, an integrated approach merged archive information, bathymetry, and high-resolution seismic profiles with the results of an independent tracer (hexachlorobenzene, HCB). This approach helped attribute the presence of high surficial Hg concentrations to resuspension and redistribution of deep sediments caused by dredging and maritime traffic and not to active outfalls. In the Venice Lagoon, an extensive literature search supported analytical results for the correct identification of industrial processes responsible for the contamination by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) in the canals of the Porto Marghera Industrial Area. In addition, sedimentary profiles of PCDD/Fs in local salt marshes (“barene”) recorded well the events relative to the industrial development and management of the area reported by historical documents, confirming their potential for this kind of investigation.

FaiRIR: Mitigating Exposure Bias From Related Item Recommendations in Two-Sided Platforms

Related item recommendations (RIRs) are ubiquitous in most online platforms today, including e-commerce and content streaming sites. These recommendations not only help users compare items related to a given item but also play a major role in bringing traffic to individual items, thus deciding the exposure that different items receive. With a growing number of people depending on such platforms to earn their livelihood, it is important to understand whether different items are receiving their desired exposure. To this end, our experiments on multiple real-world RIR datasets reveal that the existing RIR algorithms often result in very skewed exposure distribution of items, and the quality of items is not a plausible explanation for such skew in exposure. To mitigate this exposure bias, we introduce multiple flexible interventions [fair related item recommendation (FaiRIR)] in the RIR pipeline. We instantiate these mechanisms with two well-known algorithms for constructing RIRs--rating singular value decomposition (SVD) and item2vec--and show on real-world data that our mechanisms allow for a fine-grained control on exposure distribution, often at a small or no cost in terms of recommendation quality, measured in terms of relatedness and user satisfaction.

Synergistic soil, land use, and climate influences on wind erosion on the Colorado Plateau: Implications for management

Two decades of drought in the southwestern USA are spurring concerns about increases in wind erosion, dust emissions, and associated impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, human health, and water supply. Different avenues of investigation into primary drivers of wind erosion and dust have yielded mixed results depending on the spatial and temporal sensitivity of the evidence. We monitored passive aeolian sediment traps from 2017 to 2020 across eighty-one sites near Moab, Utah to understand patterns of sediment flux. At measurement sites, we collated climate, soil, topography and vegetation spatial layers to better understand the context of wind erosion and then combined these data with field observations of land use in models to characterize the influence of cattle grazing, oil and gas well pads, and vehicle/heavy equipment disturbance that potentially drive both exposure of bare soil and increases in erodible sediment supply that increase vulnerability to erosion. Disturbed areas with low soil calcium carbonate content yielded high sediment transport in dry years, but notably areas with little disturbance and low bare soil exposure had much less activity. Cattle grazing had the largest land use association with erosional activity with analyses suggesting that both herbivory and trampling from cattle could be drivers. The amount and distribution of bare soil exposure from new sub-annual fractional cover remote sensing products proved very helpful in mapping erosion, and new predictive maps informed by field data are presented to help depict spatial patterns of wind erosion activity. Our results suggest that despite the magnitude of current droughts, minimizing surface disturbance in vulnerable soils can mitigate a large portion of dust emissions. Results can help land managers identify eroding areas where disturbance reduction and soil surface protection measures can be prioritized.

The effect of extreme temperature and precipitation on cause-specific deaths in rural Burkina Faso: a longitudinal study

Extreme weather is becoming more common due to climate change and threatens human health through climate-sensitive diseases, with very uneven effects around the globe. Low-income, rural populations in the Sahel region of west Africa are projected to be severely affected by climate change. Climate-sensitive disease burdens have been linked to weather conditions in areas of the Sahel, although comprehensive, disease-specific empirical evidence on these relationships is scarce. In this study, we aim to provide an analysis of the associations between weather conditions and cause-specific deaths over a 16-year period in Nouna, Burkina Faso. In this longitudinal study, we used de-identified, daily cause-of-death data from the Health and Demographic Surveillance System led by the Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna (CRSN) in the National Institute of Public Health of Burkina Faso, to assess temporal associations between daily and weekly weather conditions (maximum temperature and total precipitation) and deaths attributed to specific climate-sensitive diseases. We implemented distributed-lag zero-inflated Poisson models for 13 disease-age groups at daily and weekly time lags. We included all deaths from climate-sensitive diseases in the CRSN demographic surveillance area from Jan 1, 2000 to Dec 31, 2015 in the analysis. We report the exposure-response relationships at percentiles representative of the exposure distributions of temperature and precipitation in the study area. Of 8256 total deaths in the CRSN demographic surveillance area over the observation period, 6185 (74·9%) were caused by climate-sensitive diseases. Deaths from communicable diseases were most common. Heightened risk of death from all climate-sensitive communicable diseases, and malaria (both across all ages and in children younger than 5 years), was associated with 14-day lagged daily maximum temperatures at or above 41·1°C, the 90th percentile of daily maximum temperatures, compared with 36·4°C, the median (all communicable diseases: 41·9°C relative risk [RR] 1·38 [95% CI 1·08-1·77], 42·8°C 1·57 [1·13-2·18]; malaria all ages: 41·1°C 1·47 [1·05-2·05], 41·9°C 1·78 [1·21-2·61], 42·8°C 2·35 [1·37-4·03]; malaria younger than 5 years: 41·9°C 1·67 [1·02-2·73]). Heightened risk of death from communicable diseases was also associated with 14-day lagged total daily precipitation at or below 0·1 cm, the 49th percentile of total daily precipitation, compared with 1·4 cm, the median (all communicable diseases: 0·0 cm 1·04 [1·02-1·07], 0·1 cm 1·01 [1·006-1·02]; malaria all ages: 0·0 cm 1·04 [1·01-1·08], 0·1 cm 1·02 [1·00-1·03]; malaria younger than 5 years: 0·0 cm 1·05 [1·01-1·10], 0·1 cm 1·02 [1·00-1·04]). The only significant association with a non-communicable disease outcome was a heightened risk of death from climate-sensitive cardiovascular diseases in individuals aged 65 years and older associated with 7-day lagged daily maximum temperatures at or above 41·9°C (41·9°C 2·25 [1·06-4·81], 42·8°C 3·68 [1·46-9·25]). Over 8 cumulative weeks, we found that the risk of death from communicable diseases was heightened at all ages from temperatures at or above 41·1°C (41·1°C 1·23 [1·05-1·43], 41·9°C 1·30 [1·08-1·56], 42·8°C 1·35 [1·09-1·66]) and risk of death from malaria was heightened by precipitation at or above 45·3 cm (all ages: 45·3 cm 1·68 [1·31-2·14], 61·6 cm 1·72 [1·27-2·31], 87·7 cm 1·72 [1·16-2·55]; children younger than 5 years: 45·3 cm 1·81 [1·36-2·41], 61·6 cm 1·82 [1·29-2·56], 87·7 cm 1·93 [1·24-3·00]). Our results indicate a high burden of death related to extreme weather in the Sahel region of west Africa. This burden is likely to increase with climate change. Climate preparedness programmes-such as extreme weather alerts, passive cooling architecture, and rainwater drainage-should be tested and implemented to prevent deaths from climate-sensitive diseases in vulnerable communities in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Effects of agricultural land types on microplastic abundance: A nationwide meta-analysis in China

Microplastics (MPs) accumulation in agricultural land that possibly poses threats to food security and human health has recently attracted increasing attention. Land use type probably is a key factor that drives the contamination level of soil MPs. Nevertheless, few studies have performed large-scale systematic analysis of the effects in different agricultural land soils on the MPs abundance. In this study, we constructed a national MPs dataset comprising 321 observations from 28 articles, summarised the current status of microplastic pollution in five agricultural land types in China through meta-analysis, and investigated the effects and key factors of agricultural land types on microplastic abundance. The results showed that among the existing soil microplastic research, vegetable soils maintained a higher environmental exposure distribution than other agricultural lands, and with the most common trend being vegetable land > orchard land > cropland > grassland. By combining agricultural practices, demographic economic factors and geographical factors, a potential impact identification method based on subgroup analysis was established. The findings demonstrated that agricultural film mulch significantly increased soil MPs abundance, especially in orchards. Increased population and economy (carbon emissions and PM2.5 concentrations) add MPs abundance in all kinds of agricultural lands. And the significant changes of effect sizes in high-latitude and mid-altitude areas suggested that geographical space differences exerted a certain degree of impact on the soil distribution of MPs. By the proposed method, different levels of MPs risk areas in agricultural soils can be more reasonably and effectively identified, which will provide type-specific policies technical and theoretical support for the precise management of MPs in agricultural land soils.

Future population exposure to heatwaves in 83 global megacities

Global warming leads to more frequent and intense heatwaves, putting urban populations at greater risk. Previous related studies considered only surface air temperature or one or two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and were limited to specific regions. Moreover, no research focused on heatwave exposure in highly-populated global megacities facing severe threats. This study is the first to project future population exposure to heatwaves in 83 global megacities by 2100 using fine-resolution data, suitable indices reflecting human comfort in heatwaves by incorporating temperature and humidity, and a future population exposure projection and analysis framework. The results show that (1) the global frequency of extreme heatwave events and average change rate in each megacity sequentially increase from SSP1-2.6 to SSP5-8.5, and the change rate is generally larger in megacities in the Southern Hemisphere; (2) the increases in heatwave exposure are greatest under SSP370, and the change rates are generally larger for megacities in Southern Asia; (3) there is a high degree of inequality (Gini of 0.6 to 0.63) in future heatwave exposure globally, with the highest inequality under SSP5-8.5 and the lowest under SSP3-7.0; (4) the average exposure, increase rate, and change are highest in low-income megacities and lowest in high-income megacities. The distribution of exposure is the most balanced in middle-income megacities and the least balanced in high-income megacities; and (5) population growth contributes more to the change in exposure than total warming in high-income megacities under SSP1-2.6, and total urban warming contributes much more than population growth in all other cases. Every effort should be made to avoid the SSP3-7.0 scenario and pursue sustainable and rational urban economic development. Mumbai, Manila, Kolkata, and Jakarta warrant particular attention due to their rapid exposure growth. Additionally, policymakers and urban planners must focus on improving sustainable development planning for megacities in southern Asia and low-income megacities.

A comprehensive perspective on the disposition, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of representative multi-components of Dengzhan Shengmai in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion after oral administration.

Dengzhan Shengmai capsule (DZSM), an evidence-based Chinese medicine comprising Erigeron breviscapus (Vaniot) Hand. -Mazz., Panax ginseng C.A.Mey., Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl., and Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., exhibits an excellent efficacy in treating cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases. It contains caffeoyl compounds, flavonoids, saponins, and lignans as primary active components. However, so far, the characteristics of disposition, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of its active components remain mostly unclear. To elucidate disposition, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of representative components of DZSM in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) by integrating ex vivo and in situ approaches. Exposure and distribution of absorbed prototypes and their metabolites were comprehensively investigated using sensitive LC-MS/MS and high-resolution LC-Q-TOF/MS. Pharmacokinetics of representative 16 components (12 prototypes and 4 metabolites) with different chemical categories, relatively high in vivo levels, wide tissue distribution, and reported neuroprotective activities were profiled. The ex vivo everted gut sac and in situ linked-rat models were adopted. Representative 12 prototypes including 6 caffeoyl compounds (CA, 5-CQA, 3-CQA, 4-CQA, 1,3-CQA, and 3,4-CQA), 1 flavonoid (Scu), 2 saponins (Rd and Rg2), and 3 lignans (SchA, SchB, and SolA) presented characteristic absorption, disposition, and pharmacokinetics profiles in CCH rats. The caffeoyl compounds and flavonoid were well absorbed, exhibited wide distribution, and underwent extensive intestinal metabolism, such as methylation, isomerization, and sulfoconjugation. For CA, 5-CQA, Scu, and 4 related metabolites, the enterohepatic circulation was observed and resulted in bimodal or multimodal pharmacokinetic profiles. Saponins showed relatively low systemic exposure and limited distribution. The PPD-type ginsenoside Rd exhibited longer elimination half-life and systemic circulation than the PPT-type ginsenoside Rg2. No enterohepatic circulation was observed regarding saponins, suggesting that the multimodal pharmacokinetic profile of Rd could be due to its multi-site intestinal absorption. Lignans presented a low in vivo exposure and broad distribution. They were mainly transformed into hydroxylated metabolites. Corresponding to its bimodal pharmacokinetic profile, one metabolite of lignans completed the enterohepatic cycle. The disposition, metabolism, and pharmacokinetic profiles of representative active components of DZSM were comprehensively characterized and elucidated.

Small-area models to assess the geographic distribution of second-hand smoke exposure by sex and age in Spain

1. Tobacco. World Health Organization. 2002. https://www.who.int/news-room/.... Google Scholar

Association of long-term ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and incident non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese adults

Air pollution is increasingly recognized as an important environmental risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, epidemiologic evidence on long-term exposure to high air pollution concentrations with incident NAFLD is still very limited. Here, we constructed a population-based dynamic cohort involving 17,106 subjects who were enrolled between 2005 and 2013 and subsequently followed until 2017, combined with a high-resolution ambient fine particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) dataset, to investigate the association of long-term PM2.5 exposure (cumulative annual average levels ranged from 36.67 to 111.16 μg/m3) with NAFLD incidence (N = 4,640). We estimated the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for incident NAFLD among those exposed to the highest quartile of PM2.5 was 2.04 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.80–2.30] compared with individuals exposed to the lowest quartile of PM2.5. The dose-response relationships for PM2.5 are non-linear for NAFLD across the exposure distribution. Further stratified analyses revealed that lean (<23 kg/m2), younger (<40-year-old), and women individuals appeared more vulnerable to the harmful effects of PM2.5 exposure. Our study suggests a greater long-term high ambient PM2.5 exposure is associated with an increased risk of NAFLD in Chinese adults, particularly in specific groups, including lean, women, and younger people.

A Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model to Predict Determinants of Variability in Epirubicin Exposure and Tissue Distribution.

Epirubicin is an anthracycline antineoplastic drug that is primarily used in combination therapies for the treatment of breast, gastric, lung and ovarian cancers and lymphomas. Epirubicin is administered intravenously (IV) over 3 to 5 min once every 21 days with dosing based on body surface area (BSA; mg/m2). Despite accounting for BSA, marked inter-subject variability in circulating epirubicin plasma concentration has been reported. In vitro experiments were conducted to determine the kinetics of epirubicin glucuronidation by human liver microsomes in the presence and absence of validated UGT2B7 inhibitors. A full physiologically based pharmacokinetic model was built and validated using Simcyp® (version 19.1, Certara, Princeton, NJ, USA). The model was used to simulate epirubicin exposure in 2000 Sim-Cancer subjects over 158 h following a single intravenous dose of epirubicin. A multivariable linear regression model was built using simulated demographic and enzyme abundance data to determine the key drivers of variability in systemic epirubicin exposure. Multivariable linear regression modelling demonstrated that variability in simulated systemic epirubicin exposure following intravenous injection was primarily driven by differences in hepatic and renal UGT2B7 expression, plasma albumin concentration, age, BSA, GFR, haematocrit and sex. By accounting for these factors, it was possible to explain 87% of the variability in epirubicin in a simulated cohort of 2000 oncology patients. The present study describes the development and evaluation of a full-body PBPK model to assess systemic and individual organ exposure to epirubicin. Variability in epirubicin exposure was primarily driven by hepatic and renal UGT2B7 expression, plasma albumin concentration, age, BSA, GFR, haematocrit and sex.

Evidence of Gender Asymmetry in Intimate Partner Violence Experience at the Population-Level.

Claims of "gender symmetry" in intimate partner violence (IPV) prevalence are contested, with resolution of the issue complicated by methodological and measurement challenges. This study explores gendered differences in the distribution of IPV exposure at the population-level, considering multiple types of IPV exposure. The subjects comprised of 1,431 ever-partnered women and 1,355 ever-partnered men. Data from a nationally representative population-based cross-sectional survey were used to compare men and women's IPV experiences. Twenty-three IPV acts were assessed across IPV types (moderate physical, severe physical, sexual, psychological, controlling behaviors, economic). Proportions were presented by gender for the number of individual IPV acts experienced per IPV type, and the frequency of these acts (none, once, few times, or many times). A composite exposure score was developed to assess the number of acts and their frequency within types by comparing scores in tertiles and across types by correlations. Women reported greater overall prevalence of 20 of the 23 individual IPV acts assessed. Across all assessed acts, women comprised a substantially greater proportion of those who reported experiencing individual acts "many times." Women experienced more severe and more frequent IPV than men based on self-reported experience of IPV acts, and by the frequency with which acts were experienced. Significant differences between men and women's exposure scores were observed for all six assessed types, with greater proportions of women scoring in the upper tertiles. This study provides evidence of gender asymmetry in experiences of IPV at the population level. While men do experience IPV victimization, there remains need for directed and substantial resource allocation for intervention and therapeutic responses to women's exposure to IPV, and for primary prevention with men. Going forward, IPV measurement tools that consider frequency, severity, or co-occurring types of IPV are needed.

Volatile exposures on the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko nucleus

Aims. We present the most extensive catalog of exposures of volatiles on the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko nucleus generated from observations acquired with the Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) on board the Rosetta mission. We investigate the volatile exposure distribution across the nucleus, their size distribution, and their spectral slope evolution. Methods. We analyzed medium- and high-resolution images acquired with the Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of OSIRIS at several wavelengths in the 250–1000 nm range, investigating images from 109 different color sequences taken between August 2014 and September 2016, and covering spatial resolution from a few m px−1 to 0.1 m px−1. To identify the icy bright spots, we adopted the following criteria: (i) they should be at least 50% brighter than the comet dark terrain; (ii) they should have neutral to moderate spectral slope values in the visible range (535–882 nm); (iii) they should be larger than 3 pixels. Results. We identified more than 600 volatile exposures on the comet, and we analyzed them in a homogeneous way. Bright spots are found isolated on the nucleus or grouped in clusters, usually at the bottom of cliffs, and most of them are small, typically a few square meters or smaller. The isolated ones are observed in different types of morphological terrains, including smooth surfaces, on top of boulders, or close to irregular structures. Several of them are clearly correlated with the cometary activity, being the sources of jets or appearing after an activity event. We note a number of peculiar exposures of volatiles with negative spectral slope values in the high-resolution post-perihelion images, which we interpret as the presence of large ice grains (&gt; 1000 µm) or local frosts condensation. We observe a clear difference both in the spectral slope and in the area distributions of the bright spots pre- and post-perihelion, with these last having lower average spectral slope values and a smaller size, with a median surface of 0.7 m2, even if the size difference is mainly due to the higher resolution achieved post-perihelion. The minimum duration of the bright spots shows three clusters: an area-independent cluster dominated by short-lifetime frosts; an area-independent cluster with lifetime of 0.5–2 days, probably associated with the seasonal fallout of dehydrated chunks; and an area-dependent cluster with lifetime longer than 2 days consistent with water-driven erosion of the nucleus. Conclusions. Even if numerous bright spots are detected, the total surface of exposed water ice is less than 50 000 m2, which is 0.1% of the total 67P nucleus surface. This confirms that the surface of comet 67P is dominated by refractory dark terrains, while exposed ice occupies only a tiny fraction. High spatial resolution is mandatory to identify ice on cometary nuclei surfaces. Moreover, the abundance of volatile exposures is six times less in the small lobe than in the big lobe, adding additional evidence to the hypothesis that comet 67P is composed of two distinct bodies. The fact that the majority of the bright spots identified have a surface lower than 1 m2 supports a model in which water ice enriched blocks (WEBs) of 0.5–1 m size should be homogeneously distributed in the cometary nucleus embedded in a refractory matrix.

Body Surface Radiation Exposure in Interventional Echocardiographers During Structural Heart Disease Procedures

BackgroundThe distribution of radiation exposure on the body surface of interventional echocardiographers during structural heart disease (SHD) procedures is unclear. ObjectivesThis study estimated and visualized radiation exposure on the body surface of interventional echocardiographers performing transesophageal echocardiography by computer simulations and real-life measurements of radiation exposure during SHD procedures. MethodsA Monte Carlo simulation was performed to clarify the absorbed dose distribution of radiation on the body surface of interventional echocardiographers. The real-life radiation exposure was measured during 79 consecutive procedures (44 transcatheter edge-to-edge repairs of the mitral valve and 35 transcatheter aortic valve replacements [TAVRs]). ResultsThe simulation demonstrated high-dose exposure areas (>20 μGy/h) in the right half of the body, especially the waist and lower body, in all fluoroscopic directions caused by scattered radiation from the bottom edge of the patient bed. High-dose exposure occurred when obtaining posterior-anterior and cusp-overlap views. The real-life exposure measurements were consistent with the simulation estimates: interventional echocardiographers were more exposed to radiation at their waist in transcatheter edge-to-edge repair than in TAVR procedures (median 0.334 μSv/mGy vs 0.053 μSv/mGy; P < 0.001) and in TAVR with self-expanding valves than in those with balloon-expandable valves (median 0.067 μSv/mGy vs 0.039 μSv/mGy; P < 0.01) when the posterior-anterior or the right anterior oblique angle fluoroscopic directions were used. ConclusionsDuring SHD procedures, the right waist and lower body of interventional echocardiographers were exposed to high radiation doses. Exposure dose varied between different C-arm projections. Interventional echocardiographers, especially young women, should be educated regarding radiation exposure during these procedures. (The development of radiation protection shield for catheter-based treatment of structural heart disease [for echocardiologists and anesthesiologists]; UMIN000046478)

The epidemiology of wild mushroom poisoning in Israel

ABSTRACT Wild mushroom (macrofungi) picking has become a popular activity in Israel in recent years. Besides the estimated 135 edible species, the mycobiota of Israel includes also around 65 poisonous and potentially dangerous species. We conducted a long-term retrospective study to monitor the frequency, severity, seasonal character, species composition, and geographic distribution of mushroom exposure and poisoning in Israel. Using data collected by the Israel Poison Information Center in Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, during the years 2010–2021, we report that only 4% of cases of exposures due to biological agents were caused by mushrooms. Males were significantly (P < 0.004) more affected than females. Most cases involved either above 18 years of age (41%) or below the age of 6 years (39%). Most of the children under 6 years of age did not develop signs or symptoms of toxicity. During 2017–2021, 128 cases (82.5%) involved the consumption of raw mushrooms, mostly by children under 6 years of age. The most common season of mushroom exposure was rainy winters (P < 0.05). Mushrooms collected from irrigated lawns in the summer also posed a risk. Ingestion of Chlorophyllum molybdites was the leading mushroom ingestion in summer and that of Inocybe species in winter. Our study contributes to improved awareness of mushroom exposure and poisoning patterns among the Israeli population.

Evaluation of the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of printer toner particles in a 3D air-liquid interface, primary cell-based nasal tissue model

Printer toner particles (TPs) are a common, potentially hazardous substance, with an unclear toxicological impact on the respiratory mucosa. Most of the airways surface is covered by a ciliated respiratory mucosa, therefore appropriate tissue models of the respiratory epithelium with a high in vivo correlation are necessary for in vitro evaluation of airborne pollutants toxicology and the impact on the functional integrity. The aim of this study is the evaluation of TPs toxicology in a human primary cell-based air-liquid-interface (ALI) model of respiratory mucosa. The TPs were analyzed and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, pyrolysis and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. ALI models of 10 patients were created using the epithelial cells and fibroblasts derived from nasal mucosa samples. TPs were applied to the ALI models via a modified Vitrocell® cloud and submerged in the dosing 0.89 – 892.96 µg/ cm2. Particle exposure and intracellular distribution were evaluated by electron microscopy. The MTT assay and the comet assay were used to investigate cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, respectively. The used TPs showed an average particle size of 3 – 8 µm. Mainly carbon, hydrogen, silicon, nitrogen, tin, benzene and benzene derivates were detected as chemical ingredients. By histomorphology and electron microscopy we observed the development of a highly functional, pseudostratified epithelium with a continuous layer of cilia. Using electron microscopy, TPs could be detected on the cilia surface and also intracellularly. Cytotoxicity was detected from 9 µg/ cm2 and higher, but no genotoxicity after ALI and submerged exposure. The ALI with primary nasal cells represents a highly functional model of the respiratory epithelium in terms of histomorphology and mucociliary differentiation. The toxicological results indicate a weak TP-concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. Availability of data and materialsThe datasets used and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Levels of mercury in hair among pregnant women in Iceland

To limit exposure to methylmercury several countries have implimented specific advice on fish intake to pregnant women as well a measuring compliance through regular human biomonitoring. Despite fish intake being relatively high in Iceland, human biomonitoring data on mercury is scarce. We measured mercury in hair from 120 pregnant women recruited in 2021 from the the Reykjavik Capital area. At recruitment, information on fish intake during the past four months was recorded. Hair mercury concentrations were compared to existing health based guidance values and associatons with fish intake was explored. Mean (standard deviation) mercury concentration in hair was 0.48 μg/g (0.33). All participants had concentrations in hair below 1.8 μg/g, which corresponds to the hair value that the tolerable daily intake set by the European Food Safety Authority is derived from, while 5% had concentrations above 1.1 μg/g, which corresponds to the hair value that the US-EPA reference dose is derived from. Mean mercury concentrations in hair increased in a dose dependent manner (p for trend p<0.001) from 0.25 μg/g among women who consumed fish ≤ 3/month (n=24) and up to 0.80 mg/g among those consuming fish 3-4/ week (n=16). The few (n=3) women who reported to have eaten shark (p<1/month) were all at the higher end of the exposure distribution. Our results suggest that exposure is generally below the tolerable daily intake set by EFSA but may in some women exceed the reference dose established by the US-EPA.

Quantifying spatiotemporal variability in occupant exposure to an indoor airborne contaminant with an uncertain source location.

Well-mixed zone models are often employed to compute indoor air quality and occupant exposures. While effective, a potential downside to assuming instantaneous, perfect mixing is underpredicting exposures to high intermittent concentrations within a room. When such cases are of concern, more spatially resolved models, like computational-fluid dynamics methods, are used for some or all of the zones. But, these models have higher computational costs and require more input information. A preferred compromise would be to continue with a multi-zone modeling approach for all rooms, but with a better assessment of the spatial variability within a room. To do so, we present a quantitative method for estimating a room's spatiotemporal variability, based on influential room parameters. Our proposed method disaggregates variability into the variability in a room's average concentration, and the spatial variability within the room relative to that average. This enables a detailed assessment of how variability in particular room parameters impacts the uncertain occupant exposures. To demonstrate the utility of this method, we simulate contaminant dispersion for a variety of possible source locations. We compute breathing-zone exposure during the releasing (source is active) and decaying (source is removed) periods. Using CFD methods, we found after a 30 minutes release the average standard deviation in the spatial distribution of exposure was approximately 28% of the source average exposure, whereas variability in the different average exposures was lower, only 10% of the total average. We also find that although uncertainty in the source location leads to variability in the average magnitude of transient exposure, it does not have a particularly large influence on the spatial distribution during the decaying period, or on the average contaminant removal rate. By systematically characterizing a room's average concentration, its variability, and the spatial variability within the room important insights can be gained as to how much uncertainty is introduced into occupant exposure predictions by assuming a uniform in-room contaminant concentration. We discuss how the results of these characterizations can improve our understanding of the uncertainty in occupant exposures relative to well-mixed models.