Genomic Characteristics and Antibiotic Resistance Evolution of Vibrio cholerae O139 - Anhui Province, China, 2013-2024.

What Is Already Known About This Topic?: Cholera, a severe diarrheal disease caused by , remains a major global public health concern. In 2023, the World Health Organization reported 535,321 cholera cases and 4,007 deaths in 45 countries. Sporadic cases and epidemic outbreaks of the cholera serogroup O139 have been documented in various Chinese provinces since 1993.

Exposure assessment for air-to-skin uptake of traditional and emerging organophosphate flame retardants.

Human exposure to organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) via direct air-to-skin uptake that may be comparable to or even exceed inhalation. Previous studies have mainly focused on traditional OPFRs (tOPFRs) without sufficient attentions to emerging OPFRs (eOPFRs), such as isopropylated or tert-butylated triaryl phosphate ester isomers (ITPs or TBPPs). This study aims to further explore the transport of both OPFRs through the skin, specifically the stratum corneum (SC).

Novel insight into quaternary ammonium compounds in combined 13 environmental and human matrices: Occurrence, associations, and exposure pathways.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used as antimicrobials and surfactants, with their potential risks to human health attracting increasing attention. To address the knowledge gap regarding the associations of QACs across multiple environmental and human-associated matrices, as well as the dominant exposure pathways of QACs, 30 QACs were measured in 13 environmental and human-associated matrices. These included hand wipes (median: 26,000 ng/m²), desktop wipes (18,900 ng/m²), wristbands (18,800 ng/m²), back wipes (17,300 ng/m²), floor wipes (9580 ng/m²), tape strips (4660 ng/m²), fingernails (8020 ng/g), hair (6650 ng/g), toenails (2220 ng/g), food (85.

Insights into the Dermal Absorption, Percutaneous Penetration, and Tissue Distribution of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs): Evidence from Human Skin Wipes and Rat Models.

Humans are frequently exposed to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) via direct dermal contact with disinfectants and personal care products. However, the dermal exposure, skin penetration, and tissue distribution behavior of QACs remain unclear. Herein, we used human skin wipe samples and an rat model to explore the dermal absorption, percutaneous penetration, and exposure behaviors of 19 QACs with different physicochemical properties.

Surface electric field-induced molecular modification of pollutants on single-atom manganese catalysts for boosting photocatalytic water purification and simultaneous HO production.

Developing highly efficient photocatalysts for water treatment with simultaneous clean energy production is an ideal strategy to solve environmental pollution and energy crises. Herein, a photocatalyst (SA-Mn-CN) featuring Mn single atoms (SAs) on a graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) was designed to simultaneously degrade the emerging contaminants and generate hydrogen peroxide (HO). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) results demonstrated that the introduction of Mn SAs induced a pronounced charge polarization, resulting in the formation of a surface electric field (SEF) with an intensity of 557.

Evidence for Coordinated Control of PM and O: Long-Term Observational Study in a Typical City of Central Plains Urban Agglomeration.

Fine particulate matter (PM) and Ozone (O) pollution have emerged as the primary environmental challenges in China in recent years. Following the implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan, a substantial decline in PM concentrations was observed, while O concentrations exhibited an increasing trend across the country. Here, we investigated the long-term trend of O from 2015 to 2022 in Xinxiang City, a typical city within the Central Plains urban agglomeration.

Dynamic View Synthesis From Small Camera Motion Videos.

Novel view synthesis for dynamic 3D scenes poses a significant challenge. Many notable efforts use NeRF-based approaches to address this task and yield impressive results. However, these methods rely heavily on sufficient motion parallax in the input images or videos.

Chlorination treatment actuated structural reconstitution and aggravated toxicity of molybdenum disulfide nanosheets to freshwater algae.

The extensive application of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) nanosheets in various fields involving in water treatment inevitably results in their release into wastewater treatment plants, and eventually into aquatic environments following disinfection. However, little is known about the transformations and toxicity evolution of MoS during chlorination. This study discovered that MoS is unstable to NaClO exposure, and more soluble ions are released under UV/NaClO co-treatment due to the generation of •OH and chlorine radicals.

Toxicity enhancement of microplastics released from food containers through thermal aging: Absorbing more serum proteins thus activating the innate immune response via actin polymerization.

This study examined the effects of hot high-fat simulants on the physicochemical properties of microplastics (MPs) from polypropylene (PP)-, low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-, and polylactic acid (PLA)-based single-use food container (SUFC) leachates and those of aging on their immunomodulatory effectors. Scenario studies have demonstrated that MPs were released from these three types of SUFCs. LDPE- and PLA-based SUFCs also released cellulose.

Dual-Camera All-in-Focus Neural Radiance Fields.

We present the first framework capable of synthesizing the all-in-focus neural radiance field (NeRF) from inputs without manual refocusing. Without refocusing, the camera will automatically focus on the fixed object for all views, and current NeRF methods typically using one camera fail due to the consistent defocus blur and a lack of sharp reference. To restore the all-in-focus NeRF, we introduce the dual-camera from smartphones, where the ultra-wide camera has a wider depth-of-field (DoF) and the main camera possesses a higher resolution.

BokehMe++: Harmonious Fusion of Classical and Neural Rendering for Versatile Bokeh Creation.

Despite significant advancements in simulating the bokeh effect of Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera (DSLR) from an all-in-focus image, challenges remain in processing highlight points, preserving boundary details for in-focus objects and processing high-resolution images efficiently. To tackle these issues, we first develop a ray-tracing-based bokeh simulator. An innovative pipeline with weight redistribution is introduced to handle highlight rendering.

Mechanisms of haze influencing phase distribution and human exposure to airborne flame retardants with different uses: Emission, partition, and dry deposition.

This study elucidated the mechanisms governing variations in the occurrence and human exposure to flame retardants (FRs) with diverse applications on haze days. The high atmospheric stability on haze days converts the atmospheric environment into a closed system, where local emissions (LM), gas-to-particle transport (GPT), and dry deposition of particles (DP) determine the fate and destination of FRs. When LM < GPT and DP, FRs are removed by DP, thereby decreasing human exposure.

Urinary metabolic alterations associated with occupational exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons based on non-target metabolomics.

Long-term occupational exposure to metals and organics have been reported to be under great health risks. However, limited data are available on the molecular mechanism between combined exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and harmful health effects. In present work, non-target metabolomics study was conducted based on urine samples from nonferrous metal smelting workers (n = 207), surrounding residents (n = 180), and the control residents (n = 187) by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS).

Global human exposure of atmospheric polybrominated diphenyl ethers: Variation patterns of exposure pathways and phase contributions.

At present, there are still certain limitations in the research on the pathways and phase contributions of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) to human exposure in the atmosphere. This study clarified the contribution rates of inhalation and dermal exposure of particulate and gaseous polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) on a global scale, as well as their influencing factors and mechanisms. Data on gaseous PBDEs were collected from 125 cities across 38 countries and regions to predict size-resolved particulate exposure levels, utilizing our previous method for inhalation alongside a size-dependent prediction method for dermal exposure developed in this study.

MoS Nanosheets at Low Doses Induced Cardiotoxicity in Developing Zebrafish via Ferroptosis: Influence of Lateral Size and Surface Modification.

The widespread applications of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) nanosheets inevitably result in their release into aquatic environments, necessitating an exploration of their potential toxic effects on aquatic organisms. This study analyzes the cardiac responses of zebrafish larvae exposed to MoS, with a focus on the influence of size and surface modifications. At higher concentrations (1 and 5 mg/L), MoS nanosheets hampered larval growth without influencing cardiomyogenesis.

Source and bioavailability of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in dust: Implications for Nationwide Exposure in China.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), widely used in various disinfectants products during the COVID-19 Pandemic, raised the concerns on their exposure and health effect. To date, the sources of QACs in indoor environments have been largely ignored. Additionally, there is no information on the nationwide human exposure assessment of QACs in China after the COVID-19.

Infants exposure to chemicals in diapers: A review and perspective.

Diapers are a staple care product for infants, yet concerns persist regarding the potential risks posed by dermal exposure to chemicals through their usage. This review provides a comprehensive summary of reported chemicals, highlighting the frequent detection of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), phthalates (PAEs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bisphenols (BPs), organotins, and heavy metals. Disposable diapers commonly exhibit higher concentrations of VOCs, PAEs, BPs, and heavy metals than other chemicals.

Efficient photocatalytic decomposition of PFOA over BiOI with low power LED light.

In recent years, the academic community has shown significant interest in per- or polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) due to their challenging degradation and potential health risks. Photocatalysis has been investigated for PFAS decomposition due to its environmentally friendly nature. In this study, BiOI with abundant iodine vacancies was synthesized through solvothermal and calcination methods (referred to as BiOI), and was used for PFAS degradation with a low power UV light source.

Human dermal exposure to short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins: Effect of populations, activities, gender, and haze pollution.

Human dermal exposure to chlorinated paraffins (CPs) has not been well documented. Therefore, hand wipes were collected from four occupational populations to analyze short-chain CPs (SCCPs) and medium-chain CPs (MCCPs) in order to estimate dermal uptake and oral ingestion via hand-to-mouth contact. The total CP levels (∑SCCPs and ∑MCCPs) in wipes ranged from 71.

Micro-nano H bubbles enhanced hydrodehalogenation of 3-chloro-4-fluoroaniline: Mass transfer and action mechanism.

3-chloro-4-fluoraniline (FCA) is an important intermediate for the synthesis of antibiotics, herbicides and insecticides, and has significant environmental health hazards. Catalytic hydrogenation technology is widely used in pretreatment of halogenated organics due to its simple process and excellent performance. However, compared with the research of high activity hydrogenation catalyst, the research of efficient utilization of hydrogen source under mild conditions is not sufficient.

Fluoride removal from coal mining water using novel polymeric aluminum modified activated carbon prepared through mechanochemical process.

Defluoridation of coal mining water is of great significance for sustainable development of coal industry in western China. A novel one-step mechanochemical method was developed to prepare polymeric aluminum modified powder activated carbon (PAC) for effective fluoride removal from coal mining water. Aluminum was stably loaded on the PAC through facile solid-phase reaction between polymeric aluminum (polyaluminum chloride (PACl) or polyaluminum ferric chloride (PAFC)) and PAC (1:15 W/W).