Short-term Exposure Research Articles

Application and efficacy of beidellite clay for the adsorption and detoxification of deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin)

The incidence of mycotoxin occurrence throughout the entire lifespan of some agricultural products could be due to climatic conditions and environmental factors (including high temperature, drought, and heavy rainfall) that enhance growth of fungi. Deoxynivalenol (DON) which is also referred to as vomitoxin is a mycotoxin produced from many Fusarium species. DON ranks high among the prominent mycotoxins in cereal products and is a ubiquitous toxin in livestock feeds. DON's adverse effects present major health challenges in both livestock and humans. The use of natural sorbents including smectite clays, is an economically feasible strategy to mitigate mycotoxin toxicities. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of edible clays as protective components of human food and animal feed to alleviate toxicity associated with short-term exposure to mycotoxins including DON. Hence, this study was designed to investigate the sorption mechanisms of DON onto the binding surfaces of beidellite clay, assessing essential binding parameters such as enthalpy, free energy, binding capacity, affinity, and plateau surface density. These markers were used to predict availability of DON under the experimental conditions. Furthermore, the protection of beidellite clay against DON-induced toxicity was carried out using living organisms susceptible to DON toxicity, including Hydra vulgaris and Lemna minor. These studies investigated the dose-dependent detoxification of DON by 0.05–2 % inclusion of beidellite. Beidellite exhibited more than 75 % protection in Lemna minor and 53 % in Hydra vulgaris validating that this clay is effective in detoxifying DON. During emergencies, or after disasters, inclusion of edible clay like beidellite in food, water or capsules could reduce bioavailability of DON and halt potential exposures to humans and animals.

Ambient air pollution and daily mortality in ten cities of India: a causal modelling study

The evidence for acute effects of air pollution on mortality in India is scarce, despite the extreme concentrations of air pollution observed. This is the first multi-city study in India that examines the association between short-term exposure to PM2·5 and daily mortality using causal methods that highlight the importance of locally generated air pollution. We applied a time-series analysis to ten cities in India between 2008 and 2019. We assessed city-wide daily PM2·5 concentrations using a novel hybrid nationwide spatiotemporal model and estimated city-specific effects of PM2·5 using a generalised additive Poisson regression model. City-specific results were then meta-analysed. We applied an instrumental variable causal approach (including planetary boundary layer height, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure) to evaluate the causal effect of locally generated air pollution on mortality. We obtained an integrated exposure-response curve through a multivariate meta-regression of the city-specific exposure-response curve and calculated the fraction of deaths attributable to air pollution concentrations exceeding the current WHO 24 h ambient PM2·5 guideline of 15 μg/m3. To explore the shape of the exposure-response curve at lower exposures, we further limited the analyses to days with concentrations lower than the current Indian standard (60 μg/m3). We observed that a 10 μg/m3 increase in 2-day moving average of PM2·5 was associated with 1·4% (95% CI 0·7-2·2) higher daily mortality. In our causal instrumental variable analyses representing the effect of locally generated air pollution, we observed a stronger association with daily mortality (3·6% [2·1-5·0]) than our overall estimate. Our integrated exposure-response curve suggested steeper slopes at lower levels of exposure and an attenuation of the slope at high exposure levels. We observed two times higher risk of death per 10 μg/m3 increase when restricting our analyses to observations below the Indian air quality standard (2·7% [1·7-3·6]). Using the integrated exposure-response curve, we observed that 7·2% (4·2%-10·1%) of all daily deaths were attributed to PM2·5 concentrations higher than the WHO guidelines. Short-term PM2·5 exposure was associated with a high risk of death in India, even at concentrations well below the current Indian PM2·5 standard. These associations were stronger for locally generated air pollutants quantified through causal modelling methods than conventional time-series analysis, further supporting a plausible causal link. Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development.

Transcriptome analysis of avian livers reveals different molecular changes to three urban pollutants: Soot, artificial light at night and noise

Identifying key molecular pathways and genes involved in the response to urban pollutants is an important step in furthering our understanding of the impact of urbanisation on wildlife. The expansion of urban habitats and the associated human-introduced environmental changes are considered a global threat to the health and persistence of humans and wildlife. The present study experimentally investigates how short-term exposure to three urban-related pollutants -soot, artificial light at night (ALAN) and traffic noise-affects transcriptome-wide gene expression in livers from captive female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Compared to unexposed controls, 17, 52, and 28 genes were differentially expressed in soot, ALAN and noise-exposed birds, respectively. In soot-exposed birds, the enriched gene ontology (GO) terms were associated with a suppressed immune system such as interferon regulating genes (IRGs) and responses to external stimuli. For ALAN-exposed birds, enriched GO terms were instead based on downregulated genes associated with detoxification, redox, hormonal-, and metabolic processes. Noise exposure resulted in downregulation of genes associated with the GO terms: cellular responses to substances, catabolic and cytokine responses. Among the individually differentially expressed genes (DEGs), soot led to an increased expression of genes related to tumour progression. Likewise, ALAN revealed an upregulation of multiple genes linked to different cancer types. Both sensory pollutants (ALAN and noise) led to increased expression of genes linked to neuronal function. Interestingly, noise caused upregulation of genes associated with serotonin regulation and function (SLC6A4 and HTR7), which previous studies have shown to be under selection in urban birds. These outcomes indicate that short-term exposure to the three urban pollutants perturbate the liver transcriptome, but most often in different ways, which highlights future studies of multiple-stress exposure and their interactive effects, along with their long-term impacts for urban-dwelling wildlife.

Circulating lung-cancer-related non-coding RNAs are associated with occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium – A cross-sectional study within the SafeChrom project

BackgroundHexavalent chromium (Cr(Ⅵ)) is classified as a group 1 human carcinogen and increases the risk of lung cancer. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have key regulatory roles in lung cancer, but less is known about their relation to Cr(Ⅵ) exposure. ObjectivesWe aimed to 1) measure the expression of lung cancer-related circulating ncRNAs in exposed workers and controls; 2) assess associations between ncRNAs expression and Cr concentrations in red blood cells (RBC) and urine; and 3) evaluate correlations between the ncRNAs. MethodsThe study included 111 Cr(VI) exposed workers and 72 controls recruited from the SafeChrom project. Cr concentrations were measured in RBC (biomarker of long-term exposure) and urine (biomarker of short-term exposure) samples. Long ncRNA (lncRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) were extracted from plasma followed by deoxyribonuclease treatment, complementary DNA synthesis, and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction using target-specific assays for three lncRNAs (H19, MALAT1, NORAD), and four miRNAs (miR-142-3p, miR-15b-5p, miR-3940-5p, miR-451a). ResultsExpression levels of lncRNAs MALAT1 and NORAD, and all four miRNAs, were significantly lower in Cr(VI) exposed workers compared with controls, and correlated significantly with RBC-Cr concentrations (rS = −0.16 to −0.38). H19 was non-significantly increased in exposed workers but significantly correlated with miR-142-3p (rS = −0.33) and miR-15b-5p (rS = −0.30), and NORAD was significantly positively correlated with all four miRNAs (rS = 0.17 to 0.46). In multivariate regression models adjusting for confounders, expressions of lncRNAs MALAT1 and NORAD and all miRNAs were still significantly lower in the exposed group compared with controls, and the expression decreased with increasing RBC-Cr concentrations. ConclusionsCr(VI) exposure was inversely and in a dose–response manner associated with the expression of circulating non-coding RNA, which suggests ncRNAs as potential biomarkers for Cr(VI)-induced toxicity. Correlations between miRNAs and lncRNAs suggest that they participate in the same lncRNA-miRNA-messenger RNA regulatory axes, which may play important roles in Cr(VI) carcinogenesis.

Motivating parents to protect their children from wildfire smoke: the impact of air quality index infographics

Background. Wildfire smoke events are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. Children are especially vulnerable to health effects even at moderate smoke levels. However, it is unclear how parents respond to Air Quality Indices (AQIs) frequently used by agencies to communicate air pollution health risks. Methods. In an experiment (3 × 2 × 2 factorial design), 2,100 parents were randomly assigned to view one of twelve adapted AQI infographics that varied by visual (table, line, gauge), index type (AQI [0-500], AQHI [1-11+]), and risk level (moderate, high). Participants were told to imagine encountering the infographic in a short-term exposure scenario. They reported worry about wildfire smoke, intentions to take risk-mitigating actions (e.g., air purifier use), and support for various exposure reduction policies. Subsequently, participants were told to imagine encountering the same infographic daily during a school week in a long-term exposure scenario and again reported worry, action intentions, and policy support. Results. Parents’ responses significantly differentiated between risk levels that both pose a threat to children’s health; worry and action intentions were much higher in the high-risk group than the moderate-risk group in both short-exposure (F = 748.68 p<.001; F = 411.59, p<.001) and long-exposure scenarios (F = 470.51, p<.001; F = 212.01, p<.001). However, in the short-exposure scenario, when shown the AQHI [1-11+] with either the line or gauge visuals, parents’ action intentions were more similar between moderate- and high-risk level groups (3-way interaction, F = 6.03, p = .002). Conclusions. These results suggest some index formats such as the AQHI—rather than the AQI—may better attune parents to moderate levels of wildfire smoke being dangerous to children’s health. Our research offers insights for agencies and officials seeking to improve current public education efforts during wildfire smoke events and speaks to the critical need to educate parents and help them act short-term and long-term to protect children’s health.

Short-term effects of low-level PM2.5, PM10, O3, and tropical meteorological conditions on emergency department visits for respiratory diseases in Haikou, China

Objective: To assess the correlation between atmospheric pollutants, meteorological factors, and emergency department visits for respiratory diseases in Haikou City. Methods: Daily data on atmospheric pollutants, meteorological factors, and emergency department visits for respiratory diseases in Haikou City from 2018 to 2021 were collected. The Spearman rank correlation test was used to analyze the correlation, and a distributed lag non-linear model was employed to analyze the health effects and lag impacts of environmental factors. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on sex and age. Results: According to the criteria of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10: J00-J99), a total of 221 913 cases were included, accounting for 21.3% of the total emergency department visits in Haikou City. For every 1 °C increase in temperature, the risk of emergency department visits increased by 1.029% (95% CI 1.016%-1.042%). Relative humidity greater than 80% reduced the risk of visits, while higher atmospheric pressure (&gt;1 010 hpa) also decreased the likelihood of daily emergency department visits. Higher concentrations of PM25 (30-50 μg/m3), PM10 (&gt;60 μg/m3), and O3 (75-125 μg/m3) were associated with increased visits. Higher temperatures (&gt;25 °C) have a greater impact on females and children aged 0-14 years, while males are more sensitive to low atmospheric pressure. Individuals aged 65 and above exhibited increased sensitivity to O3 concentration, and the effects of PM2.5, PM10, and O3 are more pronounced in individuals over 14 years old. Conclusions: Short-term exposure to high temperatures, particulate matter pollutants (PM25 and PM10), and ozone (O3) is associated with increased emergency department visits for respiratory diseases.

Proteomic and phenotypic characteristics of memory-like natural killer cells for cancer immunotherapy

BackgroundHuman and mouse natural killer (NK) cells have been shown to develop memory-like function after short-term exposure to the cocktail of IL-12/15/18 or to overnight co-culture with some tumor cell...

Stress responses of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa to environmentally relevant concentrations of pharmaceutical ibuprofen: Ecological implications

Pharmaceuticals like ibuprofen (IBU) entering marine environments are of great concern due to their increasing consumption and impact on wildlife. No information on IBU toxicity to seagrasses is yet available. Seagrasses form key habitats and are threatened worldwide by multiple stressors. Here, the responses of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa to a short-term exposure (12 days) to environmentally realistic IBU concentrations (0.25–2.5-25 µg L−1), both at organism (plant growth) and sub-organism level (oxidative status, photosynthetic efficiency, and specialized metabolites production), were assessed in mesocosm. Chemical analyses to detect the presence of IBU and its metabolites in seawater and plants were also performed. IBU did not affect plant growth but caused physiological alterations which varied in severity depending on its concentration. Concentrations of 0.25 and 2.5 µg L−1 resulted in oxidative stress, but an increased antioxidant enzyme activity enabled plants to tolerate stress. A concentration of 25 µg L−1 caused greater oxidative stress, reduced antioxidant enzyme activity and specialized metabolites production, and impaired photosynthetic machinery functioning (particularly PSII). IBU was detected in seawater but not in plants suggesting no bioaccumulation. These findings indicate that C. nodosa could not withstand high IBU stress, and this could reduce its resilience to additional environmental stressors.

Mortality risk and burden of aortic aneurysm and dissection attributable to low temperatures: A nationwide case-crossover analysis in Brazil, a predominantly tropical country

BackgroundLow temperatures are adverse contributors to cardiovascular diseases, but the associations between short-term exposure to cold and the risk of death from aortic dissection and aneurysm remain unclear, particularly in tropical regions. ObjectiveThis study was conducted based on 123,951 records of deaths caused by aortic dissection and aneurysms extracted from the national Mortality Information System in Brazil between 2000 and 2019. MethodsRelative risks and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the aortic-related deaths associated with low ambient temperatures were estimated using the conditional logistic model combined with the distributed lag nonlinear model. Subgroup analyses were performed by age group, sex, race, education level, and residential region. Furthermore, this study calculated the number and fraction of aortic-related deaths attributed to temperatures below the temperature threshold to quantify the cold-related mortality burden of aortic diseases. ResultsDuring the study period, aortic-related deaths and mortality rates in Brazil exhibited a steady increase, rising from 4419 (2.66/100,000) in 2000 to 8152 (3.88/100,000) in 2019. Under the identified temperature threshold (26 °C), per 1 °C decrease in daily mean temperature was associated with a 4.77 % (95 % CI: 4.35, 5.19) increase in mortality risk of aortic-related diseases over lag 0–3 days. Females, individuals aged 50 years or older, Asian and Black race, and northern residents were more susceptible to low temperatures. Low temperatures were responsible for 19.10 % (95 % CI: 17.71, 20.45) of aortic-related deaths in Brazil. ConclusionThis study highlights that low temperatures were associated with an increased risk of aortic-related deaths, with a remarkable burden even in this predominantly tropical country

Impact of Air Emission Reduction Measures during the Asian Games on Air Quality and Health Risks in Hangzhou and Surrounding Cities

The purpose of this study was to analyze the air quality in Hangzhou and its surrounding areas during the 2023 Asian Games and assess the impact of safeguard measures on air quality. By comparing air quality monitoring data from Hangzhou and nearby cities between 23 September 2023, and 8 October 2023, with the same period in 2022, the analysis focused on the changes in air quality and the impact of PM2.5 and O3 on human health. The results show that during the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, compared to the same period in 2022, the concentrations of pollutants showed the following changes: PM10 and NO2 concentrations decreased by 16.1% and 34.1%, respectively. PM2.5, CO, and O3 concentrations increased by 0.9%, 9.5%, and 14.4%, respectively. Spatially, compared with the same period in 2022, the PM2.5 concentration in Quzhou City decreased the most, reaching 23%, while the PM2.5 concentration in Huzhou City increased the most, reaching 27.1%. The largest decrease in PM10 concentration is in Wenzhou City, which is up to 28.2%, while the largest increase is in Zhoushan City, which is 9.2%. The concentration of NO2 generally decreases in all regions, with the biggest decrease in Zhoushan City, which reaches 36.2%. The concentration of CO only decreases in Shaoxing, and the highest increase is in Huzhou City. In terms of O3, the largest proportion increase is 23% in Ningbo. During the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, the number of deaths from all-cause and cardiovascular diseases caused by short-term exposure to PM2.5 was 1780 and 795, respectively, which was 8.2% lower than the same period in 2022. During the Asian Games, the number of deaths from all-cause and cardiovascular diseases due to short-term exposure to O3 was 7332 and 3177, respectively, an increase of 2.8% compared with the same period in 2022.

Vascular endothelial effects of dibutyl phthalate: In vitro and in vivo evidence

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is widely used in many consumer and personal care products. Here, we report vascular endothelial response to DBP in three different exposure scenarios: after short-term exposure (24 h) of human endothelial cells (ECs) EA.hy926 to 10−6, 10−5, and 10−4 M DBP, long-term exposure (12 weeks) of EA.hy926 cells to 10−9, 10−8, and 10−7 M DBP, and exposure of rats (28 and 90 days) to 100, 500, and 5000 mg DBP/kg food. We examined different vascular functions such as migration of ECs, adhesion of ECs to the extracellular matrix, tube formation, the morphology of rat aorta, as well as several signaling pathways involved in controlling endothelial function. Short-term in vitro exposure to DBP increased migration of ECs through G protein-coupled estrogen receptor, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and nitric oxide (NO) signaling and decreased adhesion to gelatin. Long-term in vitro exposure to DBP transiently increased EC migration and had a bidirectional effect on EC adhesion to gelatin and tube formation. These effects were accompanied by a sustained increase in NO production and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and Akt activity. In vivo, exposure to DBP for 90 days decreased the aortic wall-to-lumen ratio and increased eNOS and Akt phosphorylation in ECs of rat aorta. This comparative investigation has shown that exposure to DBP may affect vascular function by altering EC migration, adhesion to gelatin, and tube formation after short- and long-term in vitro exposure and by decreasing the aortic wall-to-lumen ratio in vivo. The eNOS-NO and Akt signaling could be important in mediating the effects of DBP in long-term exposure scenarios.

Comparative Analysis of Impact Strength among Various Polymeric Materials for Orthotic Production.

Orthotic devices play an important role in medical treatment, addressing various pathologies and promoting patient recovery. Customization of orthoses to fit individual patient morphologies and needs is essential for optimal functionality and patient comfort. The advent of additive manufacturing has revolutionized the biomedical field, offering advantages such as cost reduction, increased personalization, and enhanced dimensional adaptability for orthotics manufacturing. This research focuses on the impact strength of nine polymeric materials printed by additive manufacturing, including an evaluation of the materials' performance under varying conditions comprising different printing directions (vertical and horizontal) and exposure to artificial sweat for different durations (0 days, 24 days, and 189 days). The results showed that Nylon 12 is good for short-term (24 days) immersion, with absorbed energies of 78 J and 64 J for the vertical and horizontal directions, whereas Polycarbonate (PC) is good for long-term immersion (189 days), with absorbed energies of 66 J and 78 J for the vertical and horizontal directions. Overall, the findings contribute to a better understanding of the suitability of these materials for biomedical applications, considering both short-term and long-term exposure to physiological and environmental conditions.

Short-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Schizophrenia Hospitalization: A Case-Crossover Study in Jingmen, China

The impact of short-term exposure to air pollutants on the morbidity of schizophrenia, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, remains inadequately explored. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and the risk of schizophrenia hospitalization in Jingmen, China. We performed a time-stratified case-crossover study using daily records of hospital admissions due to schizophrenia in Jingmen Mental Health Center from 2015 to 2017. Environmental exposures to air pollutants and meteorological conditions on case and control days were estimated on the basis of measurements from ground monitoring stations. To investigate the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and the risk of hospitalization for schizophrenia, a conditional logistic regression model was employed. We performed subgroup analyses stratified according to sex, age groups, and season. In total, 4079 schizophrenia hospitalizations were recorded during the designated period. Increased risk of schizophrenia was merely associated with short-term exposure to SO2 and NO2. The estimated odds per interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure was 1.112 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.033, 1.196) for SO2 (IQR = 12 µg/m3) and 1.112 (95% CI: 1.033, 1.197) for NO2 (IQR = 18 µg/m3) on lag-0 day. Greater air pollution-schizophrenia associations were observed among middle-aged and older adults (over 45 years of age) and during the cold season. This study added case-crossover evidence indicating that short-term exposure to ambient air pollution, specifically SO2 and NO2, is linked to a higher risk of hospital admissions for schizophrenia. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the detrimental effects of air pollution on neuropsychiatric health conditions.

ALK Inhibitor and Chemotherapy Combinations in Models of ALK-Translocated NSCLC.

Randomized trials have shown the benefit of combining tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and chemotherapy in the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged (ALK+) NSCLC, prospective trial results of the combination are not available and have not even been thoroughly investigated in vitro. In this study, we investigated combinations of TKI and chemotherapy using in vitro models of ALK+ NSCLC. ALK+ cell line models H3122, H2228, and DFCI032 with differing primary resistance to ALK receptor TKIs were used. We investigated short-(viability assay) and long-term (colony-formation assay) cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and cell signaling in response to the combinations of agents. We selected the most commonly used agents, alectinib, cisplatin, and pemetrexed, to investigate the combination effects. In the combination experiments with short-term exposure, synergism between TKI and pemetrexed was observed, while cisplatin had antagonistic effects. In the long-term experiments, the combination of cisplatin and TKI was synergistic in all lines, while no synergism was observed with pemetrexed. Among the chemotherapy and TKI sequences, cisplatin followed by TKI was more cytotoxic than the opposite in two out of the three models. In the TKI-sensitive H3122 cell line, the combination of chemotherapy and TKI combination increased apoptosis. Interestingly, pemetrexed treatment resulted in the activation of ALK, which was abolished with TKI. Combining TKI and chemotherapy in ALK+ models has some synergistic effects that overcome primary TKI resistance. However, the synergy varies depending on the chemotherapeutic agent, cytotoxic assay, and the cell line used. Prospective clinical trials are warranted to fully characterize the potential of combination chemotherapy with TKIs in ALK+ NSCLC.

Associations of air pollution with acute coronary syndromes based on A/B/AB versus O blood types: case-crossover study

Short-term exposure to air pollutants may contribute to an increased risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study assessed the role of short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as well as fine and coarse PM (PM10) air pollution in ACS events and the effect of blood groups on this phenomenon. A retrospectively collected database of 9026 patients was evaluated. The study design was a case-crossover using a conditional logistic regression model. The main analysis focused on PM2.5 levels with a 1 day lag until the ACS event, using threshold-modelled predictor for all patients. Secondary analyses utilized separate threshold-modelled predictors for 2–7-days moving averages and for patients from specific ABO blood groups. Additional analysis was performed with the non-threshold models and for PM10 levels. Short-term exposure to increased PM2.5 and PM10 levels at a 1-day lag was associated with elevated risks of ACS (PM2.5: OR = 1.012 per + 10 µg/m3, 95% CI 1.003, 1.021; PM10: OR = 1.014 per + 10 µg/m3, CI 1.002, 1.025) for all patients. Analysis showed that exposure to PM2.5 was associated with increased risk of ACS at a 1-day lag for the A, B or AB group (OR = 1.012 per + 10 µg/m3, CI 1.001, 1.024), but not O group (OR = 1.011 per + 10 µg/m3, CI 0.994, 1.029). Additional analysis showed positive associations between exposure to PM10 and risk of ACS, with 7-days moving average models stratified by blood group revealing that exposures to PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with elevated risk of ACS for patients with group O. Short-term exposures to PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with elevated risk of ACS. Short-term exposure to PM2.5 was positively associated with the risk of ACS for patients with A, B, or AB blood groups for a 1-day lag, while risk in O group was delayed to 7 days.

Outdoor Artificial Light at Night and Reproductive Endocrine and Glucose Homeostasis and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Women of Reproductive Age.

Artificial light at night, a well-recognized circadian clock disrupter, causes disturbances in endocrine homeostasis. However, the association of artificial light at night with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is still unknown. This study examines the effects of outdoor artificial light at night on sex hormones, glucose homeostasis markers, and PCOS prevalence in Anhui Province, China. We recruited 20,633 women of reproductive age from Anhui Medical University Reproductive Medicine Center. PCOS was diagnosed according to Rotterdam criteria. We estimated long-term (previous year) and short-term (previous month) artificial light at night values for residential addresses using 500 m resolution satellite imagery. We fitted multivariable models, using both linear and logistic regression, to estimate the association of artificial light at night with sex hormones, glucose homeostasis markers, and PCOS prevalence. Both long-term and short-term exposure to outdoor artificial light at night were negatively associated with follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels, while positively associated with testosterone, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance-β levels. The second-highest quintile of artificial light at night was associated with increased PCOS prevalence (odds ratio [OR long-term ] = 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2, 1.6 and OR short-term = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.1, 1.5) compared with the lowest quintile. In addition, prevalence of PCOS was linearly associated with long-term exposure to artificial light at night, but nonlinearly associated with short-term exposure. This association was more evident in younger, obese or overweight, moderately educated, rural women, and for the summer and fall seasons. Outdoor artificial light at night may be a novel risk factor for PCOS.

The impact of apparent temperature on the emergency visits for traumatic fractures in Hangzhou, China

BackgroundTraumatic fractures occur frequently worldwide. However, research remains limited on the association between short-term exposure to temperature and traumatic fractures. This study aims to explore the impact of apparent temperature (AT) on emergency visits (EVs) due to traumatic fractures.MethodsBased on EVs data for traumatic fractures and the contemporary meteorological data, a generalized Poisson regression model along with a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) were undertaken to determine the impact of AT on traumatic fracture EVs. Subgroup analysis by gender and age and sensitivity analysis were also performed.ResultsA total of 25,094 EVs for traumatic fractures were included in the study. We observed a wide “J”-shaped relationship between AT and risk of traumatic fractures, with AT above 9.5 °C positively associated with EVs due to traumatic fractures. The heat effects became significant at cumulative lag 0–11 days, and the relative risk (RR) for moderate heat (95th percentile, 35.7 °C) and extreme heat (99.5th percentile, 38.8 °C) effect was 1.311 (95% CI: 1.132–1.518) and 1.418 (95% CI: 1.191–1.688) at cumulative lag 0–14 days, respectively. The cold effects were consistently non-significant on single or cumulative lag days across 0–14 days. The heat effects were higher among male and those aged 18–65 years old. The sensitivity analysis results remained robust.ConclusionHigher AT is associated with cumulative and delayed higher traumatic fracture EVs. The male and those aged 18–65 years are more susceptible to higher AT.

Innovative approaches for accurate ozone prediction and health risk analysis in South Korea: The combined effectiveness of deep learning and AirQ+

Short-term exposure to ground-level ozone (O3) poses significant health risks, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and mortality. This study addresses the pressing need for accurate O3 forecasting to mitigate these risks, focusing on South Korea. We introduce Deep Bias Correction (Deep-BC), a novel framework leveraging Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), to refine hourly O3 forecasts from the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Our approach involves training Deep-BC using data from 2016 to 2019, including CMAQ's 72-hour O3 forecasts, 31 meteorological variables from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, and previous days' station measurements of 6 air pollutants. Deep-BC significantly outperforms CMAQ in 2021, reducing biases in O3 forecasts. Furthermore, we utilize Deep-BC's daily maximum 8-hour average O3 (MDA8 O3) forecasts as input for the AirQ+ model to assess O3's potential impact on mortality across seven major provinces of South Korea: Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Daejeon, Ulsan, and Sejong. Short-term O3 exposure is associated with 0.40 % to 0.48 % of natural cause and respiratory deaths and 0.67 % to 0.81 % of cardiovascular deaths. Gender-specific analysis reveals higher mortality rates among men, particularly from respiratory causes. Our findings underscore the critical need for region-specific interventions to address air pollution's detrimental effects on public health in South Korea. By providing improved O3 predictions and quantifying its impact on mortality, this research offers valuable insights for formulating targeted strategies to mitigate air pollution's adverse effects. Moreover, we highlight the urgency of proactive measures in health policies, emphasizing the significance of accurate forecasting and effective interventions to safeguard public health from the deleterious effects of air pollution.

Status of occupational exposure limits of air toxic substances in the GESTIS Substances Database

Objective: In order to understand the current situation of air toxic substances without occupational exposure limits (OELs) in the workplace in the Germany GESTIS Substance Database, and to provide an effective reference for formulating OELs of corresponding toxic substances and improving health standards. Methods: From March 2022 to May 2023, based on the standard of GBZ 2.1-2019 Occupational Exposure Limits for Hazardous Agents in the Workplace-Part 1: Chemical Hazardous Agents, air toxic substances without OELs in the standard of GBZ/T 300.1-2017 Determination of Toxic Substances in Workplace Air-Part 1: General Principles were screened out, then corresponding OELs in other countrie/regions were queried through the Germany GESTIS Substance Database. Results: Among the 333 kinds (classes) of air toxic substances in 160 parts of GBZ/T 300.1-2017 standard, 48 kinds (classes) of air toxic substances were screened out and had not yet been formulated OELs in GBZ 2.1-2019 standard. By querying the Germany GESTIS Substance Database, it was found that among the 48 kinds (classes) of air toxic substances, 35 kinds (classes) of air toxic substances had both 8-hour occupational exposure limit and short-term occupational exposure limit, 4 kinds (classes) of air toxic substances had 8-hour occupational exposure limit but no short-term occupational exposure limit, 9 kinds (classes) of air toxic substances hadn't been retrieved any OELs. In addition, standard test methods of 7 kinds of air toxic substances hadn't been published in the present, including trimethylchlorosilane, trimethylbenzenes, cumene, chloroethane, chloropropane, dibromoethane and acetophenone. Conclusion: In the process of formulating or revising the standards of GBZ 2.1-2019 and GBZ/T 300, the latest published OELs in the Germany GESTIS Substance Database could be used as a reference basis.

Unappreciated healthcare inequality against PM2.5-related mortality risk

Understanding the inequality of PM2.5-related health is crucial for promoting health, building a just society, and advancing multiple Sustainable Development Goals goals. However, previous research has predominantly concentrated on PM2.5 exposure inequality, neglecting varied prompt responses and protective behaviors against it. Here, we established the relationship between short-term healthcare expenditure and PM2.5 concentration using the number and amount of healthcare transactions across all healthcare categories based on the Union Pay data. We also assessed daily city-specific PM2.5-related mortality and healthcare expenditures and evaluated their inequalities among cities according to the income inequality index, the Gini coefficient. The results show that short-term exposure to PM2.5 leads to severe physiological and health-related economic burdens on Chinese residents. From 2017 to 2019, 77.8 (34.5–121.1) thousand deaths were attributed to daily PM2.5, with healthcare expenditures reaching 93.7 (69.1–118.3) billion Chinese Yuan. Additionally, there were significant inequalities in PM2.5-related mortality and healthcare expenditures among cities. The inequality index for PM2.5-related healthcare expenditures was 0.53, while the inequality index for PM2.5-related mortality was 0.13. The greater inequality in healthcare expenditures than in mortality, implying inadequate healthcare resources amplify the health inequality related to PM2.5 exposure. 28.6% of Chinese cities lacked affordable healthcare resources to address the high physiological burden attributable to PM2.5. Our multidimensional exploration is essential for formulating effective policies addressing environmental health inequality. Focusing on these cities with disproportionate challenges is crucial for creating a more equitable and sustainable society.