External Exposure Research Articles

Novel Metabolites Associated With Blood Pressure After Dietary Interventions.

The blood pressure (BP) etiologic study is complex due to multifactorial influences, including genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and their intricate interplays. We used a metabolomics approach to capture internal pathways and external exposures and to study BP regulation mechanisms after well-controlled dietary interventions. In the ProBP trail (Protein and Blood Pressure), a double-blinded crossover randomized controlled trial, participants underwent dietary interventions of carbohydrate, soy protein, and milk protein, receiving 40 g daily for 8 weeks, with 3-week washout periods. We measured plasma samples collected at baseline and at the end of each dietary intervention. Multivariate linear models were used to evaluate the association between metabolites and systolic/diastolic BP. Nominally significant metabolites were examined for enriching biological pathways. Significant ProBP findings were evaluated for replication among 1311 participants of the BHS (Bogalusa Heart Study), a population-based study conducted in the same area as ProBP. After Bonferroni correction for 77 independent metabolite clusters (α=6.49×10-4), 18 metabolites were significantly associated with BP at baseline or the end of a dietary intervention, of which 11 were replicated in BHS. Seven emerged as novel discoveries, which are as follows: 1-linoleoyl-GPE (18:2), 1-oleoyl-GPE (18:1), 1-stearoyl-2-linoleoyl-GPC (18:0/18:2), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-GPE (16:0/18:1), maltose, N-stearoyl-sphinganine (d18:0/18:0), and N6-carbamoylthreonyladenosine. Pathway enrichment analyses suggested dietary protein intervention might reduce BP through pathways related to G protein-coupled receptors, incretin function, selenium micronutrient network, and mitochondrial biogenesis. Seven novel metabolites were identified to be associated with BP at the end of different dietary interventions. The beneficial effects of protein interventions might be mediated through specific metabolic pathways.

SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in African women living with HIV and their infants

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 seropositivity data in women living with HIV (WLHIV), their infants and associated factors in this subpopulation remain limited. We retrospectively measured SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity from 07/2020-11/2021 among WLHIV and their children in the PROMOTE observational cohort in Uganda, Malawi, and Zimbabwe prior to widespread SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in those countries.MethodsPlasma stored during 3 waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in East/Southern Africa were tested for SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies (Ab) using serological assays that detect adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. (EUROIMMUN, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey and Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN). Modified-Poisson regression models were used to calculate prevalence rate ratios (PRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to identify sociodemographic and clinical risk factors.ResultsPROMOTE samples from 918 mothers and 1237 children were analysed. Overall, maternal SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was 60.1% (95% CI: 56.9 -63.3) and 41.5% (95%CI: 38.8 – 44.2) for children. Non-breastfeeding mothers had a 31% higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity compared to breastfeeding mothers (aPRR=1.31, 95%CI: 1.08-1.59). WLHIV with undetectable viral load had a 10% increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity (aPRR=1.10, 95%CI: 0.89-1.37). Moreover, those who were normotensive had 12% increased risk SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity (aPRR= 1.12, 95% CI: 0.68-1.85) compared to women with hypertension. Children between 2 and 5 years had a 19% reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity (aPRR=0.81, 95%CI: 0.64-1.02) when compared to younger children. Mother/infant SARS-CoV-2 serostatuses were discordant in 346/802 (43.1%) families tested: mothers+/children- in 72.3%; mothers-/children+ in 26.3%; child+/sibling+ concordance was 34.6%.ConclusionsThese SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity data indicate that by late 2021, about 60% of mothers and about 40% of children in a cohort of HIV-affected families in eastern/southern Africa had been infected with SARS-CoV-2. More mothers than their infants tested SARS-CoV-2+, likely due to a greater external exposure for mothers linked to daily routines/employment, and school closures. Breastfeeding was protective for mothers, likely because of higher likelihood of staying home with young children, and thus less exposure. Discordant results between children within the same families underscores the need to further understand transmission dynamics within households.

Correction to: Radon emanation factor for soil and external exposure of the public around an atomic power plant narora (U.P.) India

Correction to: Radon emanation factor for soil and external exposure of the public around an atomic power plant narora (U.P.) India

Metabolomics of Benzene Exposure and Development of Biomarkers for Exposure Hazard Assessment.

Benzene, a common industrial solvent, poses significant health risks including poisoning and hematopoietic diseases. However, its precise toxicity mechanisms remain unclear. To assess the health impact of prolonged benzene exposure through metabolomic analyses of exposed workers and benzene-poisoned mice, aiming to identify biomarkers and minimize occupational hazards. This study compared 18 benzene-exposed workers with 18 non-exposed workers, matching for age, lifestyle, and BMI. The metabolites in the workers' samples were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. A larger study included 118 exposed and 158 non-exposed workers, incorporating surveys and routine blood and urine tests with differential metabolites targeted via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The animal studies consisted of two 15- and 60-day benzene staining and control experiments on 28 C57BL/6J mice, followed by sample collection and organ analysis. The data analysis employed eXtensible Computational Mass Spectrometry (XCMS), Python, MetaboAnalyst 6.0, and SPSS24.0. The exposed workers exhibited altered metabolites indicating external benzene exposure, lower glucose levels, and changes in white blood cell counts and urinary ketone bodies. The plasma metabolomics revealed disturbances in energy and lipid metabolism. The benzene-exposed mice displayed reduced weight gain, behavioral changes, and organ damage. Oxidative stress and abnormal purine and lipid metabolism were observed in both the long-term benzene-exposed workers and benzene-exposed mice. Metabolic markers for the early detection of benzene exposure hazards were identified, underscoring the need to mitigate occupational risks.

Homestay Operators' Experiences in Initiating and Developing Homestay Enterprises

Community homestay development is one of the strategies to culture-based accommodation, mostly in the rural and remote settlements in Nepal. Homestay tourism has been in practice for more than two decades, and it is rapidly spreading in many parts of the country. This article attempts to bring the views and experiences of community homestay operators regarding their understanding, awareness, perceived benefits, and homestay initiation and development practices from Mahabharat Hills of Bagmati Province. Ethnographic field observations and 'bhalakusari' (in-depth talk) were the dominant methods applied during the data collection process. The findings suggest that due to multiple types of perceived as well as experienced benefits from community homestay tourism, locals have enthusiastically learned and adopted homestay enterprising, in which local-level institutional facilitation and support activities have become main motivators in the processes. In such areas, gradual increase in external facilitation, exposure and capacity development endeavors, increasing tourist arrivals, and wide ranges of direct and indirect economic, socio-cultural, and environmental benefits are visible. All these factors have encouraged the locals to engage and expand community homestay development initiatives in their areas. Despite multiple positive facets of homestay tourism, there exist some challenges too. The article also suggests some policy and practice-level implications.

Оцінка доз опромінення нориці рудої 137Cs на дослідних полігонах Чорнобильської зони відчуження з урахуванням вік-залежної динаміки зміни фізіологічних параметрів

Methods for dose estimation of 137Cs in mouse-like rodents, specifically bank voles (Myodes glareolus), commonly found within the research sites in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, are being proposed. The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends using the specially developed "BiotaDC" software, but it needs to be adapted to solve specific applied issues. It is shown that the "BiotaDC" approach adequately describes dose accumulation of 137Cs for external exposure inside nest chambers if the mean integral value of soil activity concentration at a depth of 0.5 m is used, for external exposure above soil – if the mean integral value of soil activity concentration at a depth of 0.2 m is used. However, the authors propose a method considering the age of animals at the time of capture and the age-related dynamics of changes in such parameters as excretion and accumulation of radioisotopes for internal dose estimation using the "BiotaDC" software. A detailed dose estimation algorithm is being proposed. Dose estimates for internal irradiation according to the authors' method and the method of the International Commission on Radiological Protection are being compared.

Огляд та порівняльний аналіз перспективних систем індивідуального дозиметричного контролю для АЕС України

Individual dosimetric monitoring (IDM) of external exposure of the personnel of nuclear power facilities is a key element of the radiation protection system, is traditionally within the responsibility of NPP radiation safety shops and is carried out by appropriately equipped IDM laboratories. The equipment of the IDM at NPPs, which was commissioned in the mid-2000's, is coming to the end of its life cycle and the issue of equipment replacement is on the agenda now. New IDM systems that will operate for the next 10 - 15 years should meet modern requirements, take into account global trends in radiological protection and the latest developments of IDM instrumentation, while the choice of new systems should be based on international and domestic experience, adequacy of dosimetric performance and operational practicality. The review is devoted to the comparison of the characteristics of the potent passive personal dosimetry systems considered for IDM of Ukrainian NPP personnel. Based on the analysis of literature data, international standards and recommendations, information from manufacturers and authors’ own practical experience, a generalization of information on existing and future IDM systems is carried out, a vision of the most optimal choice of systems for re-equipping laboratories for dosimetric monitoring of nuclear power plants good for the next decade is proposed.

Narratives in exposomics: A reversed heuristic determinism?

Since the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP), biomedical sciences have moved away from a gene-centred view and towards a multi-factorial one in which environment, broadly speaking, plays a central role in the determination of human health and disease. Environmental exposures have been shown to be highly prevalent in disease causation. They are considered as complementary to genetic factors in the etiology of diseases, hence the introduction of the concept of the "exposome" as encompassing the totality of human environmental exposures, from conception onwards (Wild in Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 14:1847-1850, 2005), and the launch of the Human Exposome Project (HEP) which aims to complement the HGP. At first sight, and seen as complementary to the genome, the exposome could thus appear as contributing to the rise of novel postgenomic deterministic narratives which place the environment at their core. Is this really the case? If so, what sort of determinism is at work in exposomics research? Is it a case of environmental determinism, and if so, in what sense? Or is it a new sort of deterministic view? In this paper, we first show that causal narratives in exposomics are still very similar to gene-centred deterministic narratives. They correspond to a form of Laplacian determinism and, above all, to what Claude Bernard called the "determinism of a phenomenon". Second, we introduce the notion of "reversed heuristic determinism" to characterize the specific deterministic narratives present in exposomics. Indeed, the accepted sorts of external environmental exposures conceived as being at the origins of diseases are determined, methodologically speaking, by their identifiable internal and biological markers. We conclude by highlighting the most relevant implications of the presence of this heuristic determinism in exposomics research.

Implications of the ICRU 95 quantities for various personal dosimetry techniques

The objective of this work is to assess the photon energy and angular response of various dosimetry systems in terms of the operational quantities for external radiation exposure personal dose, Hp, and personal absorbed dose in local skin, Dlocal skin, defined in Report 95 of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU). The dosimetry systems in Switzerland offer an opportunity to evaluate the status quo in personal dosimetry, due to variety of techniques employed and the possibility of accessing commissioning data from the various services.The photon energy and angular responses in terms of the ICRU Report 51 personal dose equivalents Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) were compiled for the dosimetry systems used by the Paul Scherrer Institute (radiophotoluminescence and direct ion storage), the Lausanne University Hospital (optically stimulated luminescence), the CERN (direct ion storage), Dosilab (thermoluminescence), and the SUVA (thermoluminescence). From this data, the response of the systems to the ICRU Report 95 quantities for whole body dosimetry (Hp) and skin dosimetry (Dlocal skin) was calculated using conversion coefficients from air kerma to the respective operational quantities. Regardless of the detector material, whole-body dosimeter design, or technique, each system over-estimated the personal dose, Hp, in the low-energy range (<70keV) up to a factor of 3 or 4. The indicated values for the personal absorbed dose in local skin, Dlocal skin, remains within the limits (0.71−1.67). These estimates highlight the impact of the ICRU 95 Report at a country’s scale and prompts discussion regarding potential solutions and challenges.

Identification and Prioritization of Organic Pollutants in Human Milk from the Yangtze River Delta, China.

Pollutants in human milk are critical for evaluating maternal internal exposure and infant external exposure. However, most studies have focused on a limited range of pollutants. Here, 15 pooled samples (prepared from 467 individual samples) of human milk from three areas of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in China were analyzed by gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In total, 171 compounds of nine types were preliminarily identified. Among these, 16 compounds, including 2,5-di-tert-butylhydroquinone and 2-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone, were detected in human milk for the first time. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis identified ten area-specific pollutants, including 2-naphthylamine, 9-fluorenone, 2-isopropylthianthrone, and benzo[a]pyrene, among pooled human milk samples from Shanghai (n = 3), Jiangsu Province (n = 6), and Zhejiang Province (n = 6). Risk index (RI) values were calculated and indicated that legacy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contributed only 20% of the total RIs for the identified PAHs and derivatives, indicating that more attention should be paid to PAHs with various functional groups. Nine priority pollutants in human milk from the YRD were identified. The most important were 4-tert-amylphenol, caffeine, and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone, which are associated with apoptosis, oxidative stress, and other health hazards. The results improve our ability to assess the health risks posed by pollutants in human milk.

Outdoor Radon Dose Rate in Canada's Arctic amid Climate Change.

Decades of radiation monitoring data were analyzed to estimate outdoor Radon Dose Rates (RnDRs) and evaluate climate change impacts in Canada's Arctic Regions (Resolute and Yellowknife). This study shows that the RnDR involves dynamic sources and complex environmental factors and processes. Its seasonality and long-term trends are significantly impacted by temperatures and soil-and-above water contents. From 2005 to 2022, Yellowknife's RnDR increased by +0.35 ± 0.06 nGy/h per decade, with the fastest increases occurring in cold months (October to March). The rise is largely attributable to water condition changes over time in these months, which also caused enhanced soil gas emissions and likely higher indoor radon concentrations. In Resolute, the RnDR increased between 2013 and 2022 at +0.62 ± 0.19 nGy/h (or 16% relatively) per decade in summer months, with a positive temperature relationship of +0.12 nGy/h per °C. This work also demonstrates the relevance of local climate and terrain features (e.g., typical active layer depth, precipitation amount/pattern, and ground vegetation cover) in researching climate change implications. Such research can also benefit from using supporting monitoring data, which prove effective and scientifically significant. From the perspective of external exposure to outdoor radon, the observed climate change effects pose a low health risk.

Central nervous system tumours and occupational ionising radiation exposure: a nested case–control study among the ORICAMs cohort of healthcare workers in France

ObjectiveThis study aimed at investigating the relationship between occupational exposure to external ionising radiation and central nervous system (CNS) tumours mortality in healthcare workers working in France.Design and settingThe Occupational...

Next-generation risk assessment read-across case study: application of a 10-step framework to derive a safe concentration of daidzein in a body lotion.

Introduction: We performed an exposure-based Next Generation Risk Assessment case read-across study using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to determine the highest safe concentration of daidzein in a body lotion, based on its similarities with its structural analogue, genistein. Two assumptions were: (1) daidzein is a new chemical and its dietary intake omitted; (2) only in vitro data were used for daidzein, while in vitro and legacy in vivo data for genistein were considered. Methods: The 10-step tiered approach evaluating systemic toxicity included toxicokinetics NAMs: PBPK models and in vitro biokinetics measurements in cells used for toxicogenomics and toxicodynamic NAMs: pharmacology profiling (i.e., interaction with molecular targets), toxicogenomics and EATS assays (endocrine disruption endpoints). Whole body rat and human PBPK models were used to convert external doses of genistein to plasma concentrations and in vitro Points of Departure (PoD) to external doses. The PBPK human dermal module was refined using in vitro human skin metabolism and penetration data. Results: The most relevant endpoint for daidzein was from the ERα assay (Lowest Observed Effective Concentration was 100 ± 0.0nM), which was converted to an in vitro PoD of 33nM. After application of a safety factor of 3.3 for intra-individual variability, the safe concentration of daidzein was estimated to be 10nM. This was extrapolated to an external dose of 0.5μg/cm2 for a body lotion and face cream, equating to a concentration of 0.1%. Discussion: When in vitro PoD of 33nM for daidzein was converted to an external oral dose in rats, the value correlated with the in vivo NOAEL. This increased confidence that the rat oral PBPK model provided accurate estimates of internal and external exposure and that the in vitro PoD was relevant in the safety assessment of both chemicals. When plasma concentrations estimated from applications of 0.1% and 0.02% daidzein were used to calculate bioactivity exposure ratios, values were >1, indicating a good margin between exposure and concentrations causing adverse effects. In conclusion, this case study highlights the use of NAMs in a 10-step tiered workflow to conclude that the highest safe concentration of daidzein in a body lotion is 0.1%.

Radon emanation factor for soil and external exposure of the public around an atomic power plant narora (U.P.) India

Radon emanation factor for soil and external exposure of the public around an atomic power plant narora (U.P.) India

Recent Progress on Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Model: A Review Based on Bibliometrics.

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic/toxicokinetic (PBPK/PBTK) models are designed to elucidate the mechanism of chemical compound action in organisms based on the physiological, biochemical, anatomical, and thermodynamic properties of organisms. After nearly a century of research and practice, good results have been achieved in the fields of medicine, environmental science, and ecology. However, there is currently a lack of a more systematic review of progress in the main research directions of PBPK models, especially a more comprehensive understanding of the application in aquatic environmental research. In this review, a total of 3974 articles related to PBPK models from 1996 to 24 March 2024 were collected. Then, the main research areas of the PBPK model were categorized based on the keyword co-occurrence maps and cluster maps obtained by CiteSpace. The results showed that research related to medicine is the main application area of PBPK. Four major research directions included in the medical field were "drug assessment", "cross-species prediction", "drug-drug interactions", and "pediatrics and pregnancy drug development", in which "drug assessment" accounted for 55% of the total publication volume. In addition, bibliometric analyses indicated a rapid growth trend in the application in the field of environmental research, especially in predicting the residual levels in organisms and revealing the relationship between internal and external exposure. Despite facing the limitation of insufficient species-specific parameters, the PBPK model is still an effective tool for improving the understanding of chemical-biological effectiveness and will provide a theoretical basis for accurately assessing potential risks to ecosystems and human health. The combination with the quantitative structure-activity relationship model, Bayesian method, and machine learning technology are potential solutions to the previous research gaps.

Health Impacts of Natural Background Radiation in High Air Pollution Area of Thailand.

Chiang Mai province of Thailand is known for having the highest natural background radiation in the country, as well as being recognized as one of the world's most polluted cities for air quality. This represents the major contributor to the development of lung cancer. This research aims to estimate the comprehensive dose of both internal and external exposure due to natural background radiation and related health perspectives in the highly polluted area of Chiang Mai. The average values of indoor radon and thoron concentrations in 99 houses over 6 months were 40.8 ± 22.6 and 17.8 ± 16.3 Bq/m3, respectively. These results exceed the worldwide value for indoor radon and thoron (40 and 10 Bq/m3), respectively. During burning season, the average values of indoor radon (56.7 ± 20 Bq/m3) and thoron (20.8 ± 20.4 Bq/m3) concentrations were higher than the world-wide averages. The radon concentration in drinking water (56 samples) varied from 0.1 to 91.9 Bq/L, with an average value of 9.1 ± 22.8 Bq/L. Most of the drinking water samples (87%) fell below the recommended maximum contamination limit of 11.1 Bq/L. The average values of natural radionuclide (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) in 48 soil samples were 47 ± 20.9, 77.9 ± 29.7 and 700.1 ± 233 Bq/kg, respectively. All values were higher than the worldwide average of 35, 30 and 400 Bq/kg, respectively. The average value of outdoor absorbed gamma dose rate (98 ± 32.5 nGy/h) exceeded the worldwide average of 59 nGy/h. Meanwhile, the average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in 25 plant food samples were 2.7 ± 0.1, 3.2 ± 1.6 and 1000.7 ± 1.9 Bq/kg, respectively. The 40K concentration was the most predominant in plant foods. The highest concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found in Chinese cabbage, celery and cilantro, respectively. The total annual effective dose for residents in the study area varied from 0.6 to 4.3 mSv, with an average value of 1.4 mSv. This indicates a significant long-term public health hazard due to natural background radiation and suggests a heightened radiation risk for the residents. The excess lifetime cancer risk value (5.4) associated with natural background radiation was found to be higher than the recommended value. Moreover, the number of lung cancer cases per year per million average of 25.2 per million persons per year was in the limit range 170-230 per million people. Overall, our results will be used for future decision making in the prevention of lung cancer risk associated with natural background radiation.

Present and new operational quantities evaluated from photon spectrum measurements at workplaces in the research reactor and accelerator facility at the JAEA

The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) has proposed to change the definitions of the operational quantities used for the area and individual monitoring of external exposure in ICRU Report 95. Since introducing new operational quantities into the radiation monitoring may affect the dose assessment using the present personal dosimeters, precise assessments of the influence on monitoring are necessary by characterizing the energy spectrum in the workplace and the energy dependency of the dosimeters to be used. This study measured photon spectra using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector or a LaBr3(Ce) scintillation detector at the Japan Research Reactor No. 3 (JRR-3) and Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) workplaces at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The photon energy spectra were obtained by unfolding the pulse height distributions measured at each workplace. The present and new operational quantities were then evaluated and compared using the spectra measured at the workplaces.In JRR-3, the photon energy spectra were measured at the workplaces in the reactor room and thermal neutron beam hall while the reactor was operated. The ambient dose equivalent rates H˙*(10) at the workplaces were 0.2 μSv·h−1 – 13 μSv·h−1. High energy gamma-rays of 6–7 MeV from 16N were observed near the fuel failure detection system in the reactor room. Those of 7–8 MeV produced by the thermal neutron capture of iron were observed in the reactor room and the beam hall. In J-PARC, the photon energy spectra were measured at the workplaces in the beam tunnel of the 3 GeV synchrotron beam ring five days after the operation. The ambient dose equivalent rates H˙*(10) at the workplaces were 35 μSv·h−1 –430 μSv·h−1.It was found that the new personal doses, Hp, were 10%–20% smaller than the present personal dose equivalents, Hp(10), at the workplaces.

Consistent cord blood DNA methylation signatures of gestational age between South Asian and white European cohorts

BackgroundEpigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation (DNAm) in cord blood, are an important biological marker of how external exposures during gestation can influence the in-utero environment and subsequent offspring development. Despite the recognized importance of DNAm during gestation, comparative studies to determine the consistency of these epigenetic signals across different ethnic groups are largely absent. To address this gap, we first performed epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of gestational age (GA) using newborn cord blood DNAm comparatively in a white European (n = 342) and a South Asian (n = 490) birth cohort living in Canada. Then, we capitalized on established cord blood epigenetic GA clocks to examine the associations between maternal exposures, offspring characteristics and epigenetic GA, as well as GA acceleration, defined as the residual difference between epigenetic and chronological GA at birth.ResultsIndividual EWASs confirmed 1,211 and 1,543 differentially methylated CpGs previously reported to be associated with GA, in white European and South Asian cohorts, respectively, with a similar distribution of effects. We confirmed that Bohlin’s cord blood GA clock was robustly correlated with GA in white Europeans (r = 0.71; p = 6.0 × 10–54) and South Asians (r = 0.66; p = 6.9 × 10–64). In both cohorts, Bohlin’s clock was positively associated with newborn weight and length and negatively associated with parity, newborn female sex, and gestational diabetes. Exclusive to South Asians, the GA clock was positively associated with the newborn ponderal index, while pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain were strongly predictive of increased epigenetic GA in white Europeans. Important predictors of GA acceleration included gestational diabetes mellitus, newborn sex, and parity in both cohorts.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate the consistent DNAm signatures of GA and the utility of Bohlin’s GA clock across the two populations. Although the overall pattern of DNAm is similar, its connections with the mother's environment and the baby's anthropometrics can differ between the two groups. Further research is needed to understand these unique relationships.

Particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals, platelet parameters and blood pressure alteration: Multi-pollutants study among population

Epidemiological findings have determined the linkage of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and the morbidity of hypertension. However, the mode of action and specific contribution of PM2.5 component in the blood pressure elevation remain unclear. Platelets are critical for vascular homeostasis and thrombosis, which may be involved in the increase of blood pressure. Among 240 high-PM2.5 exposed, 318 low-PM2.5 exposed workers in a coking plant and 210 workers in the oxygen plant and cold-rolling mill enrolled in present study, both internal and external exposure characteristics were obtained, and we performed linear regression, adaptive elastic net regression, quantile g-computation and mediation analyses to analyze the relationship between urine metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals fractions with platelets indices and blood pressure indicators. We found that PM2.5 exposure leads to increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP). Specifically, for every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, there was a 0.09 mmHg rise in PP. Additionally, one IQR increase in urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1.06 μmol/mol creatinine) was associated with a 3.43 % elevation in PP. Similarly, an IQR increment of urine cobalt (2.31 μmol/mol creatinine) was associated with a separate 1.77 % and 4.71 % elevation of SBP and PP. Notably, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) played a mediating role in the elevation of SBP and PP induced by cobalt. Our multi-pollutants results showed that PAHs and cobalt were deleterious contributors to the elevated blood pressure. These findings deepen our understanding of the cardiovascular effects associated with PM2.5 constituents, highlighting the importance of increased vigilance in monitoring and controlling the harmful components in PM2.5.

ИЗУЧЕНИЕ КЛИНИКО-ГЕМАТОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ И ИММУНОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ ПРИ ОЦЕНКЕ ПРОТИВОРАДИАЦИОННОЙ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ТЕРАПЕВТИЧЕСКОГО СРЕДСТВА НА ОСНОВЕ МИКРООРГАНИЗМА FUSOBACTERIUM NECROPHORUM

Purpose: To study clinical, hematologic and immunologic parameters in assessing the anti-radiation efficacy of the therapeutic agent based on the microorganism Fusobacterium necrophorum. Material and methods: The studies on determination of the anti-radiation efficacy of the strains of microorganisms killed by gamma-irradiation were carried out on sexually mature sexless white mice and white rats with live weight of 18–20 and 180–200 g, respectively, divided into experimental and control groups according to the principle of analogs. Modeling of acute radiation sickness was carried out on a Puma gamma unit with a radioactive source of cesium-137 at a dose of LD100/30. As potential anti-radiation drugs we used inactivated by irradiation on the gamma unit Explorer preparations of microbial origin F. necrophorum strain 8. necrophorum strain 8TS630501 at doses of 15, 20, 25 and 30 kGy. The tested preparations were injected subcutaneously in the volume of 0.2 cm3 to white mice and 2.0 cm3 to white rats 3 days after radiation exposure. Results: It was experimentally established that complete sterilization of the microbe occurs at doses of 25 and 30 kGy. The culture of F. necrophorum, irradiated at doses of 25 and 30 kGy and administered to animals 3 days after external radiation exposure, promoted survival, preservation of 60 to 80 % of lethally irradiated white mice and rats. At the same time the recovery of leukocytes and hemoglobin number was slow and continued until the end of the study. In animals treated with the developed therapeutic agents, there was also a decrease in the number of T-cells, but it was less pronounced than in the irradiation control group. The number of B-lymphocytes was affected similarly to T-lymphocytes. The minimum of the number of B-lymphocytes in the experimental groups was noted at 14 days. Studies on the intensity of the process of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the content of malonic dialdehyde in peripheral blood of gamma-irradiated, treated and intact rats, it was found that in the irradiated control group there is a significant increase in the LPO index in blood in relation to biological control and treatment groups. Conclusion: It has been established that the highest anti-radiation efficacy is possessed by a therapeutic agent of microbial origin (RNF-30), which was obtained by gamma-irradiation at a dose of 30 kGy of the culture of F. necrophorum.