Cardiovascular Health Effects and Synthetic Cooling Agents in E-Cigarettes Labeled as "Clear" Marketed in Massachusetts After the Tobacco Product Flavoring Ban.

Background: After Massachusetts enacted regulation on flavored tobacco products in 2020, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) labeled "clear" emerged in the state. We studied their acute hemodynamic impact and chemical composition.

Methods: In participants (age 18-45 years) in the Cardiovascular Injury due to Tobacco Products 2.

EnvironMental Health: A Framework for an Emerging Field at the Intersection of the Environment and Mental Health Crises.

Understanding how the environment shapes our mental and cognitive health is imperative to support efforts that promote healthy and sustainable living conditions. The etiology of mental health conditions remains often unclear, and social factors have received more scrutiny than natural or built environments. We present a conceptual framework illustrating the emerging intersection between the environment and neuropsychological health, intended to structure and guide research and funding, as well as public health and environmental initiatives.

Joule-Heated Layered Double Hydroxide Sponge for Rapid Removal of Silica from Water.

Dissolved silica is a major concern for a variety of industrial processes owing to its tendency to form complex scales that severely deteriorate system performance. In this work, we present a pretreatment technology using a Joule-heated sponge to rapidly remove silica from saline waters through adsorption, thereby effectively mitigating silica scaling in subsequent membrane desalination processes. The adsorbent sponge is fabricated by functionalizing two-dimensional layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets on a porous, conductive stainless-steel sponge.

Role of Reverse Divalent Cation Diffusion in Forward Osmosis Biofouling.

We investigated the role of reverse divalent cation diffusion in forward osmosis (FO) biofouling. FO biofouling by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was simulated using pristine and chlorine-treated thin-film composite polyamide membranes with either MgCl2 or CaCl2 draw solution. We related FO biofouling behavior-water flux decline, biofilm architecture, and biofilm composition-to reverse cation diffusion.

Surface functionalization of thin-film composite membranes with copper nanoparticles for antimicrobial surface properties.

Biofouling is a major operational challenge in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination, motivating a search for improved biofouling control strategies. Copper, long known for its antibacterial activity and relatively low cost, is an attractive potential biocidal agent. In this paper, we present a method for loading copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) on the surface of a thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide RO membrane.