Search Results (1,144)

This study evaluates the effectiveness of air pollution control measures in Xi’an, China, by investigating long-term changes in the concentrations, optical properties, and sources of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC). Wintertime observations of PM_2.5 carbonaceous aerosols were conducted over multiple years using a continuous Aethalometer. The data were analyzed using advanced aethalometer models, potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis, and generalized additive models (GAMs) to deconstruct emission sources and formation pathways. Our results revealed a significant decrease in the mass concentration and light absorption coefficient of BC (b_abs-BC) between the earlier and later study periods, indicating successful emission reductions. In contrast, the light absorption from BrC (b_abs-BrC) remained relatively stable, suggesting persistent and distinct emission sources. Source apportionment analysis demonstrated a temporal shift in dominant regional influences, from biomass burning in the initial years to coal combustion in later years. In addition, GAMs showed that the primary driver for liquid fuel-derived BC transitioned from gasoline to diesel vehicle emissions. For solid fuels, residential coal combustion consistently contributed over 50% of BC, highlighting that improvements in coal combustion technology were effective in reducing BC emissions. Furthermore, a substantial fraction of BrC was increased, with nocturnal peaks associated with high relative humidity, emphasizing the aqueous-phase formation influences. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that although certain control strategies successfully mitigated BC, the persistent challenge of BrC pollution necessitates targeted measures addressing secondary formation and primary fossil fuel sources. Full article

Background/Objectives: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), accounting for approximately 5–10% of patients receiving dialysis worldwide. The large and numerous cysts in the liver and kidneys cause abdominal distention and poor appetite. Previous studies showed that renal arterial embolization (RAE) reduces total kidney volume (TKV), increases appetite, and improves quality of life. This article aims to evaluate the efficacy of RAE in increasing psoas muscle (PM) and paraspinal muscle (PS) mass in patients with polycystic kidney disease. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from May 2016 to December 2020. Thirty-five patients with PKD and ESKD who received RAE were enrolled. The clinical data, including age, sex, body weight, abdominal circumference, and laboratory results, including albumin, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and dialysis vintage, were collected. TKV was calculated with the ellipsoid formula method, and muscle mass was measured with bilateral PM and PS areas at the third lumbar level. The associated clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were compared before and after RAE. Results: There were 19 females and 16 males with a mean age of 59.9 for the final analysis. There were significant changes between baseline and 3-month, 6-month, 12-month after RAE, such as a decrease in TKV (4684 ± 3361 vs. 4079 ± 3456, 3675 ± 3401, 2459 ± 1706 mL, all p < 0.001), an increase in the PM area (12.6 ± 5.8 vs. 13.3 ± 5.7, 14.7 ± 6.9, 14.3 ± 7.1 cm², all p < 0.05), but no difference in body weight, body mass index, albumin, hemoglobin, creatinine, or estimated glomerular filtration rate. The increase in the PM and PS was more obvious in the sarcopenic group than in the non-sarcopenic group in the 12-month follow-up (p = 0.001 and 0.016 vs. p = 0.205 and 0.259). Conclusions: RAE effectively reduces TKV, increases PM and PS mass, and serves as a candidate to reverse muscle loss in patients with PKD. Full article

Poorly drained pastures in tropical America are recurrently degraded by Marandu Death Syndrome (MDS), affecting beef and dairy production. This study screened genotypes of Megathyrsus maximus and Urochloa spp. for waterlogging tolerance under controlled conditions to identify discriminant, easily measurable morphoagronomic traits suitable for breeding programs. Four experiments were conducted in factorial arrangement (five genotypes × two water regimes, with four replications), where morphoagronomic and physiological variables were analyzed using multivariate techniques. The first two principal components explained 75.17–88.60% of the total variation and stayed above 70% after variable reduction, without significantly altering genotype dispersion. Physiological responses showed a strong correlation with morphoagronomic traits. The most informative traits were the number of yellow and senescent leaves, number of tillers, SPAD index, leaf dry mass, and root dry mass. Genotypes were grouped by tolerance level. Among M. maximus, ‘Mombaça’ was the most tolerant, while PM13 and PM21 were the least. In Urochloa spp., U. humidicola cv. Tully was the most tolerant and ‘Marandu’ the least tolerant. Screening under controlled conditions is an alternative to distinguish genotypes with contrasting tolerance; however, because controlled environments do not fully reproduce the multifactorial nature of MDS, this approach is recommended only for early stages of breeding programs. Nevertheless, field evaluations on poorly drained soils under grazing remain essential to confirm tolerance to MDS. Full article

Airborne micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNPs) are increasingly recognized as a potential occupational exposure hazard, yet substance-specific workplace data remain limited. This study quantified airborne MNP concentrations during polyester microfiber production using a correlative SEM–Raman approach that enabled chemical identification and size-resolved particle characterization. The aerosol mixture at the workplace was dominated by sub-micrometer particles, with PET—handled onsite—representing the main process-related MNP type, and black tire rubber (BTR) forming a substantial background contribution. Across both sampling periods, total MNP particle number concentrations ranged between 6.2 × 10⁵ and 1.2 × 10⁶ particles/m³, indicating consistently high particle counts. In contrast, estimated MNP-related mass concentrations were much lower, with PM₁₀ levels of 12–15 µg/m³ and PM_2.5 levels of 1.3–1.6 µg/m³, remaining well below applicable occupational exposure limits and near or below 8 h-equivalent WHO guideline values. Comparison with earlier workplace and indoor studies suggests that previously reported concentrations were likely underestimated due to sampling strategies with low efficiency for small particles. Moreover, real-time optical measurements substantially underestimated particle number and mass in this study, reflecting their limited suitability for aerosols dominated by small or dark particles. Overall, the data show that workplace MNP exposure at the investigated site is driven primarily by very small particles present in high numbers but low mass. The findings underscore the need for substance-specific, size-resolved analytical approaches to adequately assess airborne MNP exposure and to support future development of MNP-relevant occupational health guidelines. Full article

Seasonal fluctuations in the chemical composition of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) are known to influence its toxicological properties; however, their integrated biological effects remain incompletely understood. In this study, PM_2.5 was continuously collected over two consecutive years at a single urban site in Japan and classified by season. The samples were comprehensively characterized for ionic species, metals, carbonaceous fractions, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and their pulmonary effects were evaluated in vivo following intratracheal administration in mice. Seasonal PM_2.5 exhibited pronounced compositional differences, with higher levels of secondary inorganic aerosol components in summer and enrichment of PAHs and mineral-associated components in winter. These seasonal differences translated into distinct biological responses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production (1.6–2.7-fold increase) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) neutrophil infiltration were strongly associated with PAH-rich PM_2.5, whereas interleukin-1α (IL-1α) showed robust positive correlations with mineral components, including K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺, which were predominantly enriched in winter PM_2.5. In contrast, secondary inorganic aerosol species displayed a limited capacity to induce IL-1α. Compared with summer samples, winter PM_2.5 induced significantly higher levels of ROS production and IL-1α (approximately 1.5–2.6-fold increase). Using TLR2- and TLR4-deficient mice, we further demonstrated that PM_2.5-induced increases in BAL cell counts, ROS, IL-6, and TNF-α were partially attenuated in TLR4 knockout mice, indicating a contributory but not exclusive role for TLR4 signaling in PM_2.5-driven pulmonary inflammation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that seasonal variations in PM_2.5 composition, not particle mass alone, critically shape oxidative stress and innate immune responses in the lungs. In particular, winter PM_2.5 enriched in mineral-associated components preferentially activates IL-1α-mediated alarmin pathways, underscoring the importance of the particle composition in determining seasonal air pollution toxicity. Full article

In this study, the advanced oxidation system of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was activated by molybdenite supported on biochar (Molybdenite@BC), and the degradation efficiency, influencing factors and degradation mechanism of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) were explored through experiments. Molybdenite@BC, a composite material used in the study, was prepared by pyrolysis at high temperature. The optimum pyrolysis temperature was 700 °C, and the mass ratio of molybdenite to biochar (BC) was 1:3. By changing dosage of Molybdenite@BC, pH value, initial concentration of PMS, and the types and concentration of inorganic anions, the effects of various factors on SMX degradation were systematically studied. The optimum reaction conditions of the Molybdenite@BC/PMS process were as follows: Molybdenite@BC dosage was 100 mg/L, PMS concentration was 0.2 mM, pH value was 6.9 ± 0.2, and initial SMX concentration was 6 mg/L. Under these conditions, the degradation rate of SMX was 97.87% after 60 min and 99.06% after 120 min. The material characterization analysis showed that Molybdenite@BC had a porous structure and rich active sites, which was beneficial to the degradation of pollutants. After the composite material was used, the peaks of MoO₂ and MoS₂ became weaker, which indicated that there was some loss of molybdenum from the material structure. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and radical quenching experiments revealed that Molybdenite@BC effectively catalyzed PMS to generate various reactive oxygen radicals and non-free radicals, including singlet oxygen (¹O₂), hydroxyl radical (^•OH), sulfate radical (SO₄^•−) and superoxide radical (^•O₂⁻). ¹O₂ played a leading role in the degradation of SMX, while ^•OH and SO₄^•− had little influence. The intermediate products of the degradation of SMX in Molybdenite@BC/PMS system were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The results showed that there were nine main intermediate products in the process of degradation, and the overall toxicity tended to decrease during the degradation of SMX. The degradation path analysis showed that with the gradual ring opening and bond breaking of SMX, small molecular compounds were generated, which were finally mineralized into H₂O, CO₂, CO₃²⁻, H₂SO₄ and other substances. The research results confirmed that the Molybdenite@BC/PMS process provided a feasible new method for the degradation of SMX in water. Full article

Road dust resuspension is widely recognized as a major contributor to traffic-related particulate matter (PM) in urban environments. Nevertheless, reported emission factors exhibit substantial variability. These discrepancies stem not only from the intrinsic complexity of the resuspension process but also from limitations in measurement techniques, which often fail to adequately control or characterize the influencing parameters. As a result, the contribution of each parameter remains difficult to isolate, leading to inconsistencies across studies. This study presents an experimental protocol developed to quantify PM10 and PM2.5 emission factors associated with vehicle-induced road dust resuspension. Experiments were conducted on a dedicated test track seeded with alumina particles of controlled mass and size distribution to simulate road dust. A network of microsensors was strategically deployed at multiple upwind and downwind locations to continuously monitor particle concentration variations during vehicle passages. Emission factors were derived through time integration of the mass flow rate of resuspended dust measured by the sensor network. The estimated PM10 emission factor showed excellent agreement, within 2.5%, with predictions from a literature-based formulation, thereby validating the accuracy and external relevance of the proposed protocol. In contrast, comparisons with U.S. EPA formulas and other empirical equations revealed substantially larger discrepancies, particularly for PM2.5, highlighting the persistent limitations of current modeling approaches. Full article

We analyzed the effect of reducing particulate matter in a forest by comparing concentrations and particle number concentrations (PNCs) between urban and background forest areas with the use of aerodynamic particle sizers. PM was observed at forest and urban sites during the high particulate matter events from 22 to 30 April 2019. Comparing the PM concentrations measured, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were 61.6 μg/m³ and 36.9 μg/m³, respectively, in the urban site, while PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were 53.9 μg/m³ and 31.8 μg/m³, respectively, in the forest site. Most PNCs at both sites ranged in particle size from less than 0.5 μm (99%). During high-concentration events, the mass concentration of PM10 was not significantly different, but PNCs of the accumulation mode particles (≤0.5 µm) and coarse mode particles (>0.5 µm) were differed between two sites. The re-duction rate of coarse mode particles (>0.5 µm) was lower 20% at large urban green space. A large urban green space showed the high slope value of decrease at the relationship between aerodynamic diameter and PNC at all times. These results indicate that not only mass concentration but PNC could support to understand the PM traits at large urban green space during the PM pollution of episode. Full article

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) negatively affects women’s physical performance, emotional balance, and quality of life. Although pharmacological therapies exist, their side effects and limited effectiveness highlight the need for alternatives. This partially controlled, non-blinded, non-randomized prospective pilot study included 34 women aged 18–40 years and examined the effects of an eight-week structured yoga program. Participants met the same eligibility criteria and were comparable at baseline in age, sociodemographic characteristics, and PMS severity. The study group attended two weekly 90-min hatha yoga sessions and completed a 15-min daily home practice, while controls maintained their usual physical activity. Outcome measures included body composition, hip range of motion, spinal mobility (flexion and lateral flexion), and Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) scores. After eight weeks, the yoga group showed significant reductions in body weight and fat mass and an increase in muscle mass. Hip external rotation improved significantly among yoga participants, while changes in spinal mobility did not reach statistical significance. The intervention group showed a significant reduction in PMS symptom severity, while the control group showed no significant change. The findings suggest that regular yoga practice can enhance physical functioning and alleviate PMS-related symptoms, supporting its role as a movement-based approach for improving women’s health. Full article

Currently, brake particle emissions from traffic are considered one of the dominant sources of particulate matter in the atmosphere. A recent question concerns the contribution to brake particles of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). The present work assesses brake particle emissions by measurements of particle number (PN) and mass (PM) of three light-duty BEVs. One front disc brake of each vehicle has been enclosed in a customized casing with appropriate ventilation for forming the aerosol. All three BEVs have been measured on a two-axis chassis dynamometer. The BEV relying more on electric braking (some 68% of the braking energy was covered by electric braking) had the lowest brake PN emissions over the (emissions) WLTC at 6.4 × 10⁹ km⁻¹ per front brake. This was less than half with respect to the other BEV (where only 52% of the braking energy was electric). PM emissions of the two vehicles were similar at 0.93 mg/km for PM < 12 μm and 0.65 mg/km for PM < 2.5 μm, both for one front brake. However, one of the measured BEVs had extraordinarily high PN emissions, some 23 times higher than the lowest-emitting BEV. The difference in PM was not as high, but was some four times higher. Full article

Iodine deficiency is the leading preventable cause of neurological damage worldwide. Dairy foods represent an important dietary iodine source. This study aimed to assess iodine concentration in milk, ricotta cheese, and yogurt, and to evaluate their contribution toward the recommended daily iodine intake. Whole pasteurized milk (WM; n = 12), partially skimmed pasteurized milk (PM; n = 21), skimmed pasteurized milk (SM; n = 7), ricotta cheese (RC; n = 26), whole yogurt (WY; n = 13), and low-fat yogurt (LY; n = 15) were purchased in local stores. Samples were analyzed through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for iodine quantification. After removing outliers, the final dataset comprised 11 WM, 19 PM, 7 SM, 26 RC, 13 WY and 15 LY samples. Data were investigated through a mixed model with iodine concentration as the dependent variable, product type as fixed effect, and brand as random effect. Low-fat yogurt exhibited the greatest estimated iodine concentration (293.76 µg/kg), while SM and WM exhibited the lowest (211.92 and 197.63 µg/kg, respectively). Based on these results, a serving of milk (250 g) would provide 31.82–39.08% of the average daily iodine requirement, a serving of ricotta (125 g) 21.66%, and a yogurt jar (125 g) 21.54–24.11%. These findings confirm the nutritional relevance of dairy products as primary iodine sources. Full article

The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 is prominently exposed on the surface of both HIV-1 virions and infected host cells, serving as a key marker of infection. gp120 plays a pivotal role in viral entry by interacting with the primary receptor, CD4, on host cells. Therapeutic strategies targeting the HIV-1 reservoir, such as anti-gp120 antibodies that trigger antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells, rely on the presence of gp120 on the surface of infected cells to exert their effects. Consequently, accurate monitoring of gp120 expression on infected cells is essential for evaluating the pharmacological efficacy of these interventions. In this study, a sensitive, specific, and inexpensive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantifying HIV-1 gp120 glycoprotein was developed using a selected pair of anti-gp120 antibodies. The assay achieved a lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 0.16 pM, demonstrating sensitivity comparable to that of the digital single molecule array (Simoa) platform, which exhibited a LLOQ of 0.23 pM and requires specialized instrumentation. The binding specificity of the antibodies used in the novel assay was confirmed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and the assay was pharmacologically validated with lysates obtained from 2D10 and MOLT IIIB cell lines. Furthermore, treatment of HIV-infected human primary CD4⁺ T cells with a targeted activator of cell kill (TACK) compound significantly reduced gp120 concentration in CD4⁺ T cell lysate compared to controls. The gp120 marker from infected cell lysates correlated with the number of gp120-positive cells detected by immunocytochemistry, as well as with HIV-1 p24 levels and cell-associated viral RNA measurements. In summary, a novel, simple, and sensitive HIV-1 gp120 ELISA has been developed and validated. This assay holds potential for investigating HIV-1 persistence and evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic agents targeting infected cells. Full article

Using MODIS-Aqua satellite observations, this study analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of particulate organic carbon (POC) in China’s marginal seas from 2003 to 2024. The statistical relationships between various marine environmental variables, including sea surface temperature (SST), nutrients, and primary production (PP), and POC concentrations are explored using partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM). Finally, a box model approach is conducted to assess the POC budget in the study area. The results indicate that the POC concentration in the marginal seas of China generally exhibits a characteristic of being high in spring and low in summer. The highest concentration of POC is observed in the Bohai Sea, followed by the Yellow Sea, and the lowest in the East China Sea, with coastal waters exhibiting higher POC concentrations compared to the central areas. The spatial distribution and seasonal changes in POC are jointly influenced by PP, water mass exchange, resuspended sediments, and terrestrial inputs. Large-scale climate modes show statistical associations with POC concentration in the open waters of China’s marginal seas. PP and respiratory consumption are identified as the predominant input and output fluxes, respectively, in China’s marginal seas. This study enriches the understanding of carbon cycling processes and carbon sink mechanisms in marginal seas. Full article

Background/Objectives: Overweight and obesity is a continuing health concern for preadolescent youth. We assessed associations between sleep timing and sleep duration and body mass index/body composition in Latine youth. Methods: Participants were 119 Latine youth (mean age 11.53 year; 58.8% girls) and their mothers living in the rural Midwestern U.S. Youth reported their average bedtime and waking time. Heights and weights for children and mothers were measured by trained research assistants and were used to calculate BMI scores (in mothers), as well as BMI percentiles and overweight status (in youth). Mothers completed surveys for demographic variables. Results: Youth who went to bed before 9:30 PM (mean bedtime) obtained more sleep than those with later bedtimes (9.73 h vs. 8.63 h, respectively, t(117) = 7.88, p < 0.001). Each extra hour of sleep duration was associated with a decreased risk of being overweight (OR = 0.53 for weeknight sleep, OR = 0.67 for weekend night sleep), and each hour later to bed was related to increased risk for being overweight (OR = 2.35 on weeknights, and OR = 1.66 on weekend nights). To replicate previous work, we broke the youth up into four sleep timing groups: early-to-bed and early-to-rise (EE), early-to-bed and late-to-rise (EL), late-to-bed and early-to-rise (LE), and late-to-bed and late-to-rise (LL). Youth with LL sleep patterns on weeknights were much more likely to be overweight compared to youth with EE patterns (OR = 4.94). On weekend nights, compared to EE weekend youth, LE and LL weekend youth were more likely to be overweight (OR = 3.45 and OR = 3.32, respectively). Wake times were not significantly related to overweight risk. Conclusions: Sleep timing patterns, especially sleep duration and earlier bedtimes, may be important to address in future research on obesity interventions. Findings suggest that earlier bedtimes may play an important and complimentary role in health, in addition to sleep duration alone, and this study highlights the need for more research in underserved, minoritized populations. Full article

Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) are major components of PM_2.5 and play a prominent role in atmospheric acidification. Previous studies have mainly focused on urban areas, whereas research pertaining to county-level cities remains comparatively limited. To fill this gap, PM_2.5 samples were collected from March 2018 to February 2019 in Botou, a county-level city in the Jing–Jin–Ji region. Seasonal variation of WSII were studied, and their sources was apportioned by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model. Annual PM_2.5 concentrations were 79.15 ± 48.44 mg/m³, which is 2.26 times of the Level II standard limit specified the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Nitrate (NO₃⁻) was the most abundant ion, followed by ammonium (NH₄⁺) and sulfate (SO₄²⁻). The secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA, i.e., SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, and NH₄⁺) constituted 35.1± 4.7% of PM_2.5 mass. PM_2.5 mass, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺, K⁺, and Cl⁻ showed highest concentrations in winter. Ammonium salts were existed as ammonium sulfate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) and ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) in spring, summer, and autumn, while it also can be existed as ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) in winter. PMF analysis shows that the sources of WSIIs dominated by secondary source and followed by biomass burning. These results highlight the need for improved controls on gaseous precursors (NH₃, NO₂ and SO₂) and biomass burning to effectively reduce PM_2.5. Full article