Antigenic cartography using sera from sequence-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern infections reveals antigenic divergence of Omicron

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Colonic In Vitro Model Assessment of the Prebiotic Potential of Bread Fortified with Polyphenols Rich Olive Fiber

The use of olive pomace could represent an innovative and low-cost strategy to formulate healthier and value-added foods, and bakery products are good candidates for enrichment. In this work, we explored the prebiotic potential of bread enriched with Polyphenol Rich Fiber (PRF), a defatted olive pomace byproduct previously studied in the European Project H2020 EcoProlive. To this aim, after in vitro digestion, the PRF-enriched bread, its standard control, and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) underwent distal colonic fermentation using the in vitro colon model MICODE (multi-unit colon gut model). Sampling was done prior, over and after 24 h of fermentation, then metabolomic analysis by Solid Phase Micro Extraction Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (SPME GCMS), 16S-rDNA genomic sequencing of colonic microbiota by MiSeq, and absolute quantification of main bacterial species by qPCR were performed. The results indicated that PRF-enriched bread generated positive effects on the host gut model: (i) surge in eubiosis; (ii) increased abundance of beneficial bacterial groups, such as Bifidobacteriaceae and Lactobacillales; (iii) production of certain bioactive metabolites, such as low organic fatty acids; (iv) reduction in detrimental compounds, such as skatole. Our study not only evidenced the prebiotic role of PRF-enriched bread, thereby paving the road for further use of olive by-products, but also highlighted the potential of the in vitro gut model MICODE in the critical evaluation of functionality of food prototypes as modulators of the gut microbiota.     

用VEF值评价地铁车站内挥发性有机物的污染水平

[目的 ]评价地铁车站内站台和站厅挥发性有机物 (VOCs)的污染水平 ,并判断来源。 [方法 ]用气相色谱质谱联用仪对地铁车站站台和站厅挥发性有机物浓度进行测定 ,并用挥发性有机物富集指数 (VEF)进行分析。 [结果 ]两车站站台和站厅监测点白天及夜晚的CO2 浓度差异存在显著性 (P <0 .0 1) ,监测点白天和夜晚的VOCs浓度差异无显著性 (P >0 .0 5 )。地铁车站内VOCs的主要来源来自其自身室内排放源 ,室外污染物浓度及通风状况等可能对室内VOCs有影响。 [结论 ]地铁车站内存在VOCs污染 ,用VEF评价地铁车站内VOCs污染状况 ,能较简便、准确地反映其污染物来源 ,并可比较不同车站之间VOCs的浓度水平     

Evaluation of a portable gas chromatograph with photoionization detector under variations of VOC concentration,temperature, and relative humidity

The objective of this present study was to evaluate the performance of a portable gas chromatograph-photoionization detector (GC-PID), under various test conditions to determine if it could be used in occupational settings. A mixture of 7 volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—acetone, ethylbenzene, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and o-xylene—was selected because its components are commonly present in paint manufacturing industries. A full-factorial combination of 4 concentration levels (exposure scenarios) of VOC mixtures, 3 different temperatures (25°C, 30°C, and 35°C), and 3 relative humidities (RHs; 25%, 50%, and 75%) was conducted in a full-size controlled environmental chamber. Three repetitions were conducted for each test condition allowing for estimation of accuracy. Time-weighted average exposure data were collected using solid sorbent tubes (Anasorb 747, SKC Inc.) as the reference sampling medium. Calibration curves of Frog-4000 using the dry gases showed R² > 0.99 for all analytes except for toluene (R² = 0.97). Frog-4000 estimates within a test condition showed good consistency for the performance of repeated measurement. However, there was ～41–64% reduction in the analysis of polar acetone with 75% RH relative to collection at 25% RH. Although Frog-4000 results correlated well with solid sorbent tubes (r = 0.808–0.993, except for toluene) most of the combinations regardless of analyte did not meet the <25% accuracy criterion recommended by NIOSH. The effect of chromatographic co-elution can be seen with m, p-xylene when the results are compared to the sorbent tube sampling technique with GC-flame ionization detector. The results indicated an effect of humidity on the quantification of the polar compounds that might be attributed to the pre-concentrator placed in the selected GC-PID. Further investigation may resolve the humidity effect on sorbent trap with micro GC pre-concentrator when water vapor is present. Although this instrument does not fulfill the accuracy criterion specified in the NIOSH technical report No. 2012–162, it can be used as a screening tool for range finding monitoring with dry gases calibration in the occupational setting rather than compliance monitoring.     

Current understandings and perspectives on non-cancer health effects of benzene: A global concern

Objective

Benzene, as a volatile organic compound, is known as one of the main air pollutants in the environment. The aim of this review is to summarize all available evidences on non-cancerous health effects of benzene providing an overview of possible association of exposure to benzene with human chronic diseases, specially, in those regions of the world where benzene concentration is being poorly monitored.

Methodology

A bibliographic search of scientific databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scirus was conducted with key words of “benzene toxic health effects”, “environmental volatile organic compounds”, “diabetes mellitus and environmental pollutants”, “breast cancer and environmental pollution”, “prevalence of lung cancer”, and “diabetes prevalence”. More than 300 peer reviewed papers were examined. Experimental and epidemiologic studies reporting health effects of benzene and volatile organic compounds were included in the study.

Results

Epidemiologic and experimental studies suggest that benzene exposure can lead to numerous non-cancerous health effects associated with functional aberration of vital systems in the body like reproductive, immune, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, and respiratory.

Conclusion

Chronic diseases have become a health burden of global dimension with special emphasis in regions with poor monitoring over contents of benzene in petrochemicals. Benzene is a well known carcinogen of blood and its components, but the concern of benzene exposure is more than carcinogenicity of blood components and should be evaluated in both epidemiologic and experimental studies. Aspect of interactions and mechanism of toxicity in relation to human general health problems especially endocrine disturbances with particular reference to diabetes, breast and lung cancers should be followed up.     

Environmental Impact on VOCs Emission of a Recycled Asphalt Mixture with a High Percentage of RAP

Recycling of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) has gradually emerged as a hot topic in the current research of building materials. Manufacturing the recycled asphalt mixture with a high RAP content still remains a major challenge due to the problem of inferior water damage resistance and fatigue cracking resistance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the servicing performance of recycled asphalt mixture with high percentage of RAP and assess its environmental impact on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission. To further explore the intrinsic factor on the performance of a recycled asphalt mixture, the mixed asphalt binder with a different content of extracted RAP binder was firstly investigated. The results show that the larger the content of RAP binder, the lower the mechanical indexes and VOCs emission. There exists an internal relationship between the chemical composition and VOCs release behavior with the variation of the recycled asphalt binder content. Based on the results of mixed recycled asphalt binder, the road servicing performance of a rather high utilization of RAP (i.e., 50%, 60%, and 70%) was assessed. It was found that the reuse of RAP aggregates has little influence on the volume performance of recycled asphalt mixture, and servicing performances still meet the construction requirements in spite of a descending trend. Moreover, a significant reduction effect on VOCs emission was found in the mixing stage of recycled asphalt mixture, indicating that the VOCs emission can be decreased by 94.82% when the content of RAP aggregates increases to 70%. The recycling of RAP with a high content contributes to the sustainable development of road engineering and the construction of green pavements.     

Predicting age-appropriate pharmacokinetics of six volatile organic compounds in the rat utilizing physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling.

The capability of physiologically based pharmacokinetic models to incorporate age-appropriate physiological and chemical-specific parameters was utilized to predict changes in internal dosimetry for six volatile organic compounds (VOCs) across different ages of rats. Typical 6-h animal inhalation exposures to 50 and 500 ppm perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, benzene, chloroform, methylene chloride, or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) were simulated for postnatal day 10 (PND10), 2-month-old (adult), and 2-year-old (aged) rats. With the exception of MEK, predicted venous blood concentrations of VOCs in the aged rat were equal or up to 1.5-fold higher when compared to the adult rat at both exposure levels, whereas levels were predicted to be up to 3.8-fold higher in the case of PND10 at 50 ppm. Predicted blood levels of MEK were similar in the adult and aged rat, but were more than 5-fold and 30-fold greater for PND10 rats at 500 and 50 ppm, respectively, reflecting high water solubility along with lower metabolic capability and faster ventilation rate per unit body weight (BW) of PND10 animals. Steady-state blood levels of VOCs, simulated by modeling constant exposure, were predicted to be achieved in the order PND10 > adult > aged, largely due to increasing fat volume. The dose metric, total amount metabolized per unit liver volume was generally much lower in PND10 than in adult rats. The blood:air partition coefficient, fat volume, and fat blood flow were identified as critical determinants for the predicted differences in venous blood concentrations between the adult and aged. The lower metabolic capability, largely due to a smaller liver size, and faster ventilation rate per unit BW of PND10 animals contribute the most to the differences between PND10 and adult rats. This study highlights the pharmacokinetic differences and the relevant parameters that may contribute to differential susceptibility to the toxic effects of VOCs across life stages of the rat.     

Risk of breast cancer among enlisted Army women occupationally exposed to volatile organic compounds

BACKGROUND: The military presents a unique opportunity to study the incidence of disease in a population with complete knowledge of person-time and occupation. Women in the Army are employed more frequently in non-traditional, industrial jobs such as auto mechanic and motor transport operators than in the general US population, increasing the probability of exposure to industrial chemicals. A cohort to investigate the risk of breast cancer among active duty Army women occupationally exposed to volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) was constructed. METHODS: Age-adjusted incidence rates for breast cancer were calculated for more than 270,000 enlisted women who served between 1980-1996. Twenty-one VOCs, described in previously published literature as having a potential risk of breast cancer, were identified in an Army industrial hygiene survey database. Job title histories were linked to workplace chemical evaluations conducted by Army industrial hygienists, which included a subjective exposure potential rating (high, medium, low, and none) for each VOC. Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the exposure rating by job title and breast cancer. RESULTS: The incidence of breast cancer in the cohort was significantly elevated in women younger than 35 years of age, especially among black women, when compared to the age-specific rates in the general population. Women who worked in occupations with a moderate to high exposure potential to at least one VOC had a 48% increased risk (P < 0.05) of breast cancer while on active duty between 1980-1996 when compared to those women with low to no exposure potential. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence that exposure to one or more of the study VOCs is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Further substance-specific, quantitative analyses are warranted.     

Exposure to volatile organic compounds in residences adjacent to dyeing industrial complex

Objectives The present study was designed to evaluate residential exposure to selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) relative to the proximity of the Daegu dyeing industrial complex (DDIC).Methods A series of surveys was conducted to measure the concentrations of five aromatic VOCs (toluene, benzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and o-xylene) and methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in the industrial outdoor air within the DDIC and in residential outdoor and indoor air based on the relative proximity of the DDIC.Results The geometric mean (GM) toluene value for the outdoor air samples from residential area R1 located near the DDIC (255 g/m³) was about seven-times higher than that from residential area R2 located further away from the DDIC (36.9 g/m³), whereas no significant difference was found in the outdoor air concentrations of the other target compounds between the two residential areas. Moreover, the elevated outdoor toluene levels outweighed the indoor sources with respect to the environmental exposure of residents near the DDIC. However, for the other target VOCs there was no significant difference between the residential exposure of residents living close to and a certain distance away from the DDIC.Conclusions The present study confirmed that residents in neighborhoods near the DDIC were exposed to elevated outdoor toluene levels compared with residents living further away from such a source. Furthermore, it appeared that the DDIC was a potential contributor to the nearby residential outdoor toluene levels.Essential results have not been and will not be published elsewhere     

装修材料销售场所室内空气污染状况调查

目的了解装修材料销售场所室内空气中有害物质污染状况,为制订防治对策提供依据。方法检测30家装修材料销售店,分别对其室内空气中甲醛、挥发性有机物（VOCs）进检测。结果各类装修材料销售店室内空气中甲醛、VOCs浓度均高于室外对照（P〈0.05）;甲醛最高值约为室外对照的70倍,VOCs最高值为室外对照的20倍。通风状态甲醛、挥发性有机物低于不通风状态（P〈0.05）,尤其是甲醛相差悬殊。面积50 m2以下的销售店甲醛、挥发性有机物的超标率高于面积50 m2以上的销售店（P〈0.05）。结论装修材料销售场所室内空气中甲醛、挥发性有机物污染严重,其污染的程度与销售装修材料的类型、店面大小、通风状况等有关。