-
Camacho Lundberg posted an update 2 months ago
Acrylamide (AA) has recently been recognized as an immediate hazardous chemical compound owing to its various toxicities and unavoidable contamination of certain daily foods prepared at a high temperature. AA in foods is thus a worldwide concern; however, its toxicity at the dietary relevant concentration has yet to be experimentally elucidated. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/imidazole-ketone-erastin.html To determine whether dietary AA intake causes adverse health effects, adult zebrafish were fed a diet containing AA at a relevant dose for one month. Although AA-fed zebrafish showed no superficial abnormalities, their spleen was severely swollen. Therefore, their spleen was analyzed histologically and pathologically and the changes in cytokine expression in their spleen were also examined. Based on our findings, the intake of AA-containing food caused splenic damages, including cyst formation, hemorrhage, and inflammation, which were accompanied by immune responses as indicated by the appearance of a melanomacrophage center, activation of macrophages, and upregulation of major inflammatory cytokines in the spleen. Collectively, for the first time, we provided experimental evidence of the splenic toxicity caused by dietary AA intake.Although nitrogen (N) transformations have been widely studied under oxic or anoxic condition, few studies have been carried out to analyze the transformation accompanied with NO2–N accumulation. Particularly, the control of mixed N species in N-transformation remains unclear in an oxic-anoxic transition zone (OATZ), a unique and ubiquitous redox environment. To bridge the gap, in this study, OATZ microcosms were simulated by surface water and sediments of a shallow lake. The N-transformation processes and rates at different NH4+-N/NO3–N ratios, and NO2–N accumulations in these processes were evaluated. N-transformation process exhibited a turning point. Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification occurred in its early stage (first 10 days, dissolved oxygen (DO) ≥ 2 mg/L) and then denitrification dominated (after 10 days, DO less then 2 mg/L), which were not greatly affected by the NH4+-N/NO3–N ratio, on the contrary, the transformation rates of NH4+-N and NO3–N were distinctly affected. The NH4+-N transformation rates were positively correlated with the NH4+-N/NO3–N ratio. The highest NO3–N transformation rate was observed at an NH4+-N/NO3–N ratio of 11 with organic carbon/NO3–N of 3.09. The NO2–N accumulation, which increased with the decrease in NH4+-N/NO3–N ratio, was also controlled by organic carbon concentration and type. The peak concentration of NO2–N accumulation occurred only when the NO3–N transformation rate was particularly low. Thus, NO2–N accumulation may be reduced by adjusting the control parameters related to N and organic carbon sources, which enhances the theoretical insights for N-polluted aquatic ecosystem bioremediation.Excessive exposure to ambient light at night is a well-documented hazard to human health, yet analysts have not examined it from an environmental justice (EJ) perspective. We conducted the first EJ study of exposure to light pollution by testing for socially disparate patterns across the continental United States (US). We first calculated population-weighted mean exposures to examine whether ambient light pollution in the US differed between racial/ethnic groups. We then used multivariable generalized estimating equations (GEEs) that adjust for geographic clustering to examine whether light pollution was distributed inequitably based on racial/ethnic composition and socioeconomic status across US neighborhoods (census tracts). Finally, we conducted a stratified analysis of metropolitan core, suburban, and small city-rural tracts to determine whether patterns of inequity varied based on urban-rural context. We found evidence of disparities in exposures to light pollution based on racial/ethnic minority and low-to-mid socioeconomic statuses. Americans of Asian, Hispanic or Black race/ethnicity had population-weighted mean exposures to light pollution in their neighborhoods that were approximately two times that of White Americans. GEEs indicated that neighborhoods composed of higher proportions of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, or renter-occupants experienced greater exposures to ambient light at night. Stratified analyses indicated that those patterns of inequity did not substantially vary based on urban-rural context. Findings have implications for understanding environmental influences on health disparities, raise concerns about the potential for a multiple environmental jeopardy situation, and highlight the need for policy actions to address light pollution.
Ambient temperature events are increasing in frequency and intensity. Our prior work in a U.S. nationwide study suggests a strong association between both chronic and acute temperature extremes and stillbirth risk.
We attempted to replicate our prior study by assessing stillbirth risk associated with average whole-pregnancy temperatures and acute ambient temperature changes in a low-risk U.S.
Singleton deliveries in the NICHD Consecutive Pregnancies Study (Utah, 2002-2010; n=112,005) were identified using electronic medical records. Ambient temperature was derived from the Weather Research and Forecasting model. Binary logistic regression determined the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for stillbirth associated with whole-pregnancy exposure to extreme cold (<10th percentile) and hot (>90th percentile) versus moderate (10th-90th percentiles) average temperature, adjusting for maternal demographics, season of conception, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and gestatioith odds of stillbirth in this low-risk population, similar to our prior nationwide findings. Future increases in temperature extremes are likely and the observed risk in a low-risk population suggests this association merits attention.The impact of COVID-19 outbreak has been unequal across Spanish regions. The epidemic wave has been smoother in the Region of Murcia (RM) (6 deaths/100,000 residents). Physical distance from health centers from day 0 is an additional social distancing measure that confers an advantageous starting position in the fight against COVID-19. Late healthcare distancing measures are not as powerful as the early ones.