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The purpose of this study is to get an overview of the role of accountants in terms of existing literature in relation to information related to Environmental Social Governance (ESG). In addition to the role of accountants, the role of the audit committee is also needed as an independent party in order to minimize the opportunities for accountants and management to commit fraud. Methods: The research method in this article is qualitative research with a literature review approach obtained from articles and journals from pre-existing research. Literature review is a form of literature research by reading various types of books, journals, and the like related to the topic of discussion in research to produce a scientific paper, such as research articles, dissertations, theses, and others. Results: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) information disclosure practices are one of the good strategies to implement for companies, because disclosure of this information is needed to shape a company's image. In order to care and increase awareness of the social environment and surrounding governance. This makes Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) a tool for companies to gain legitimacy from the community and stakeholders, where it will cause a positive response in the community by giving confidence in the use of company products, and also trust when investing in the company.

The purpose of this study was to determine the results of the analysis of Coliform bacterial contamination in tomato sauce snacks on Jalan Toto Tengah, Gorontalo City.This research method is descriptive observational with a qualitative approach. The method in this study uses the MPN method which consists of the estimator test, reinforcement test and Gram staining and uses the MPN 333 table according to Thomas's formula.The results showed that all samples of tomato sauce tested positive for Coliform bacteria and did not meet the standards based on BPOM Standard number HK.00.06.1.52.4011 in 2009 concerning the maximum limit of microbial and chemical contamination in food with a maximum APM Coliform of 100 APM/g. estimator test all samples change color to yellow. Meanwhile, in the reinforcement test results, 1 sample had metallic green bacterial colonies and 5 other samples had pink colonies and for Gram staining, rod-shaped Gram negative bacteria were obtained.

Dalam rumah tangga yang bahagia dilandasi prinsip saling tanggung jawab hak dan kewajiban suami istri. Namun, kenyataannya rumah tangga tidak selalu bisa damai dan tenang, terkadang ada konflik yang bergejolak di dalamnya. Jika konflik yang terjadi tidak dapat diselesaikan maka dapat berujung pada perceraian. Maraknya perceraian yang terjadi setiap tahun membuat kami melakukan sosialisasi pencegahan perceraian suami istri di beberapa desa di Kabupaten Bone. Memberikan pemahaman dalam membentuk keluarga sakinah, mawaddah, warahmah, dan menghindari perceraian. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini di lakukan dalam rangka mengedukasi masyarakat dalam mencegah dan meminimalisir terjadinya perceraian yang semakin meningkat. Metode yang digunakan adalah dengan penyampaian materi pencegahan konflik perkawinan yang berdampak pada perceraian, kemudian diskusi dan tanya jawab. Hasil penyuluhan yang di lakukan menunjukkan bahwa pemahaman masyarakat tentang pencegahan konflik yang berdampak pada perceraian semakin baik. Sikap masyarakat lebih bijak dalam menyelesaikan konflik karena mereka terdidik dalam konseling yang kami lakukan dan memiliki pandangan yang terbuka terhadap dampak perceraian. Masyarakat diberikan kiat-kiat dalam menyelesaikan konflik perkawinan.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh infusa daun gulma siam (Chromolaena odorata) terhadap pertumbuhan bakteri Escherichia coli dan Staphylococcus aureus dan perbedaan yang signifikan antar perlakuan infusa daun gulma siam (Chromolaena odorata) terhadap pertumbuhan bakteri Escherichia coli dan Staphylococcus aureus. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode eksperimen dengan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) yang terdiri dari 6 perlakuan dan 4 kali ulangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa infusa daun gulma siam (Chromolaena odorata) pada konsentrasi 100% memiliki aktivitas tertinggi dalam menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri Escherichia coli yaitu sebesar 5,8 mm dan pada bakteri Staphylococcus aureus sebesar 7,48 mm. Dari hasil analisis statistik One Way Anova dengan statistik uji F dengan taraf kepercayaan 5% bahwa terdapat pengaruh infusa daun gulma siam (C. odorata) terhadap pertumbuhan bakteri E.coli dan S. aureus. Setelah dilakukan uji lanjut (Uji Duncan) didapatkan hasil bahwa terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan antar perlakuan pada masing-masing konsentrasi yang berbeda.

The purpose of this study was to determine the types of Aspergillus sp that attack pulmonary tuberculosis patients who were currently undergoing advanced treatment at the Kabila Health Center, Bone Bolango Regency. The method used in this research was a qualitative approach with a descriptive type of research. The type of data used was primary data in the form of examination results of Aspergillus sp. at the Microbiology Laboratory of Bina Mandiri University, Gorontalo, while secondary data was in the form of observations in the form of medical records of pulmonary tuberculosis patients who undergo advanced treatment at the Kabila Health Center, Bone Bolango Regency. Sources of data were collected using questionnaires and documentation results. The sampling technique in this study used the Total Sampling technique, with a total sample of 13 people. Based on the results of this study, from 13 sputum samples examined, it is found that 4 pure isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus are isolated.

This research aims to To determine the effect of endophytic bacterial isolates from the leaves of the Chinese Ketepeng plant (Cassia Alata L) on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and to determine the significant difference between each treatment of endophytic bacterial isolates from the leaves of the Ketepeng Cina (Cassia Alata L) plant against Staphylococcus aureus. This research method used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 6 replications. The treatments were: BEKC 1 (Chinese Ketepeng Endophytic Bacteria 1), BEKC 2 (Chinese Ketepeng Endophytic Bacteria 2), Positive Control (Chloramphenicol), and Negative Control (Aquades). The results obtained two isolates of endophytic bacteria, namely isolates BEKC 1 with an inhibition zone of 9mm included in the medium category, and isolates BEKC 2 with an inhibition zone of 10mm included in the strong category. Analysis resultthat there was an effect of endophytic bacterial isolates from the leaves of the Chinese ketepeng plant (Cassia alata L) on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Then from the results of further tests using Duncan's test, it was found that each treatment, namely the negative control treatment was significantly different from BEKC 1, BEKC 2 and positive control, while there was no significant difference between BEKC 1, BEKC 2 and positive control. Keywords : Endophytic Bacteria, Chinese Ketepeng (Cassia alata L), Staphylococcus aureus

This study aims to determine the effect of adding suanggi orange juice (Citrus medica) to the lead content of blood clam shell toothpaste (Anadara granosa). The research was carried out at the Laboratory of the Department of Biology, FMIPA, state University of Gorontalo. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of 4 treatments and 3 replications. Data analysis used One Ways Analysis of Variance and Duncan’s test at 5% level. The result showed that the addition of suanggi orange juice reduced the levels of lead in blood clam shell toothpaste (Anadara granosa). The addition of suanggi orange juice significantly reduced the levels of lead (p=0.000). the lead content of toothpaste added with 6 mL of orange suanggi is 0,036 ppm and is below the limit for Pb contamination on toothpaste according to SNI 8816:2020 which is 20.0 mg/kg.

Tumbuhan suku Piperaceae merupakan kelompok tumbuhan berbunga yang mempunyai ciri khas aromatik dan hidup di daerah hutan hujan tropika. Berdasarkan survei awal di kawasan air terjun Lombongo Provinsi Gorontalo, wilayah Taman Nasional Bogani Nani Wartabone, didapati berbagai spesies dari suku Piperaceae. Namun belum teridentifikasi jenis Piper apa saja serta bagaimana nilai indeks keanekaragaman di kawasan air terjun tersebut. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana keanekaragaman jenis tumbuhan suku Piperaceae yang ada di kawasan air terjun Lombongo Provinsi Gorontalo. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan metode eksploratif atau jelajah dengan menggunakan teknik sampling Probability Sample. Hasil penelitian menemukan 9 jenis tumbuhan suku Piperaceae dengan dua cara hidup yang berbeda yakni, terstrial dan epifit. Nilai indeks keanekaragaman tumbuhan suku Piperaceae yang terdapat di kawasan air terjun Lombongo adalah 2.17 dengan kriteria sedang yang menunjukan keadaan ekosistem yang cukup stabil.

Katili L, Baderan DWK, Kumaji SS. 2023. Analysis of drinking water quality based on biological, physical and chemical parameters in Lekobalo Village, Gorontalo City, Indonesia. Intl J Bonorowo Wetlands 13: 22-29. Lekobalo Village is a part of the Gorontalo City, Indonesia area, which has not yet received full clean water coverage. Therefore, the community in Lekobalo used the wellsprings as the source of drinking water. An open water tank around the wellspring has been the source of drinking water for people in the surrounding. It becomes a place for household chores such as bathing, doing laundry, and serving as a lavatory. That makes the place look messy due to the household waste around the wellspring, which decreases the drinking water quality there. Hence, a test of the drinking water in Lekobalo is crucially needed. This study is descriptive-qualitative research that was conducted by a direct survey. Sample collection was conducted using sterilized bottles from the laboratory, and the data obtained were analyzed descriptively. This study aims to determine drinking water quality based on biological, physical, and chemical parameters. The research revealed that the quality of drinking water in Lekobali based on the biological parameter was considered polluted by Escherichia coli and coliform bacteria. The findings revealed that the average score of E. coli was 10.3 MPN/100 ml and coliform 200.5 MPN/100 mL. In physical parameters, the drinking water quality is relatively good with an average temperature of 20°C, turbidity NTU, scentless, tasteless, and colorless. The drinking water criterion that did not meet the physical parameters is the TDS (Total Dissolved Solid), which is 1,525 mg/L. According to the chemical parameter, the quality of the drinking water is considered relatively good with some average score of arsenic (As) 0 mg/L, fluoride (F) 1 mg/L, nitrite (NO2) 0.02 mg/L, nitrate (NO3) 3.6 mg/L, iron (Fe) 0.12 mg/L, Power of Hydrogen (pH) 6.6 mg/L and manganese (Mn) 0 mg/L. The chemical parameters that did not meet the standard qualification of drinking water based on the chemical parameters are chromium (Cr), and cadmium (Cd), as the average scores are 0.34 mg/L and 0.047 mg/L. This study can be used as one of the government's databases as an input in developing programs and activities to improve drinking water quality and control water pollution.

Post-operative pain management is a major concern in orthopaedic surgery. Every surgeon has a post-op pain management protocol, though the ideal regimen or combo was always a debate. NSAIDs and Opioids occupy the majority in pain management regimen. In this study, the analgesic efficacy of Tramadol hydrochloride (Opioid) and Diclofenac sodium (NSAID) in patients undergoing a major orthopedic surgery was investigated and compared. A total of 50 randomly selected preoperatively and were grouped into receiving either one of the drug. Postoperative pain was evaluated by using a visual analogue scale (VAS) assessing at 6,12,18,24,32,40,48,56,64,72,80,88,96,104,112,120 hours post-surgery. Tramadol hydrochloride showed significance in the early postoperative period(

Environmental research often relies on urinary biomarkers which require dilution correction to accurately measure exposures. Specific gravity (SG) and creatinine (UCr) are commonly measured urinary dilution factors. Epidemiologic studies may assess only one of these measures, making it difficult to pool studies that may otherwise be able to be combined. Participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2008 cycle were used to perform k-fold validation of a nonlinear model estimating SG from UCr. The final estimated model was applied to participants from the School Inner-City Asthma Intervention Study, who submitted urinary samples to the Children's Health Exposure Analysis Resource. Model performance was evaluated using calibration metrics to determine how closely the average estimated SG was to the measured SG. Additional models, with interaction terms for age, sex, body mass index, race/ethnicity, relative time of day when sample was collected, log transformed 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), and asthma status were estimated and assessed for improvement. The association between monobenzyl phthalate (MBZP) and asthma symptom days, controlling for measured UCr, measured SG, and each estimated SG were compared to assess validity of the estimated SG. The model estimating SG from UCr alone, resulted in a beta estimate of 1.10 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.19), indicating agreement between model-predicted SG and measured SG. Inclusion of age and sex in the model improved estimation (β = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.15). The full model accounting for all interaction terms with UCr resulted in the best agreement (β = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.93,1.09). Associations between MBZP and asthma symptoms days, controlling for each estimated SG, were within the range of effect estimates when controlling for measured SG and measured UCr (Rate ratios = 1.28-1.34). Our nonlinear modeling provides opportunities to estimate SG in studies that measure UCr or vice versa, enabling data pooling despite differences in urine dilution factors.

Blood cockles (Anadara granosa) are filter feeder that can accumulate heavy metals and microbes so that need to pay attention to the maximum intake. The objective of this study was to evaluate the content of Fe, Zn, a total of microbes and maximum tolerable intake value (MTI). The study employed quantitative analysis. The samples were collected from Wonggarasi Timur Village, Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo, Indonesia. The determination of Fe and Zn was carried out through Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer and the microbes total was done by using the Total Plate Count test. Maximum Tolerable Intake value was calculated according to the provisions of JEFCA. The results of the study showed that the Fe and Zn average of blood cockles ranged from 227.85±5.04 ppm – 247.98±6.77ppm and 2.77±0.07ppm-2.82±0.09ppm. Microbes total ranged from 1.7 x 103 colonies/g – 2.4 x 103 colonies/g. The MTI value assumed for person weighing 70 kg based on Fe and Zn content of blood cockle is 0.226kg/day - 0.467kg/day and 24.822kg/day - 24.911kg/day. Blood cockles are a source of Fe, Zn and are safe for consumption according to MTI. Consumption of blood cockles helps reduce the problem of deficiency of Fe and Zn. The content of Fe is higher than the content of Zn in blood cockles. Blood cockles from Pohuwato regency are safe for consumption according to MTI. The microbes total in blood cockles ranged from 1.7x103 colonies/g -2, 4x 103 colonies/g. This total is below the Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan/ Indonesian National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) standard, which is 5 x 105 CFU/g so that the blood cockles are safe for consumption.

Objective The goal of this study was to describe environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure using urinary biomarkers and its correlation with parent report, among children presenting to emergency room. Methods This is a case control study among children aged 3 to 12 years at a tertiary pediatric emergency department in Israel. Children with respiratory (case) or gastrointestinal (control) symptoms were recruited and their accompanying parent completed a short survey. Urine samples were obtained and analyzed for nicotine, cotinine trans-3’-hydroxycotine. Clinical data were extracted from medical records. We compared tobacco exposure using urinary biomarkers, parent report, and Pearson's product-moment correlation, including 95% confidence intervals, between cases and controls. Results Forty-nine cases with respiratory symptoms and 96 controls with gastrointestinal symptoms were enrolled in the study. Parent-reported ETS exposure in the previous month was higher in the cases compared to control (71.4% vs 57.3%), although the difference was not statistically significant. The mean values of detectable biomarkers did not differ by between cases and controls. However, there was a correlation between urinary biomarkers and reported ETS exposure (0.278–0.460 for various biomarkers) only among cases. Conclusions The majority of children in this study had detectable nicotine urinary biomarkers, regardless of their symptoms. However, correlation between parental report and urinary biomarkers was only found among children with symptoms potentially related to ETS. These findings imply that parents of children without respiratory symptoms may underestimate exposure. Efforts to educate parents and caregivers on the risks associated with exposure to ETS should be intensified, regardless of illness.

Eggs are one of the animal products that come from poultry and have been known as a source of high quality protein food. From the many eggs we know, one of the eggs that comes from poultry is quail eggs. Quail eggs have complete nutritional content ranging from protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Even so, quail eggs are also animal food that is easily decreased in quality due to bacterial contamination, contamination of quail eggs by bacteria can affect the quality of the contents of the eggs, bacteria that cause egg contamination, one of which is Escherichia coli. This study aims to determine the presence of Escherichia coli bacteria in quail eggs that are sold in the central market of Gorontalo city. The research method used is descriptive research type with a quantitative research approach, cross sectional research design, a sampling place for the central market of Gorontalo City and a place for researching samples of the Microbiology Laboratory of Gorontalo State University, the number of samples used was 30 samples of quail eggs. Quail eggs were positive for Escherichia coli bacteria with a percentage of 6.7%, and negative egg yields from Escherichia coli bacteria were 28 or 93.3%. It can be concluded that from 30 samples of quail eggs there were 2 quail eggs that were positive for Escherichia coli bacteria, the bacteria contamination factor in eggs was influenced by external factors. Environmental sanitation conditions were not clean, egg storage temperature, egg storage time

BackgroundThe Children’s Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR) program allows researchers to expand their research goals by offering the assessment of environmental exposures in their previously collected biospecimens. Samples are analyzed in one of CHEAR’s network of six laboratory hubs with the ability to assess a wide array of environmental chemicals. The ability to assess inter-study variability is important for researchers who want to combine datasets across studies and laboratories.ObjectiveHerein we establish a process of evaluating inter-study variability for a given analytic method.MethodsCommon quality control (QC) pools at two concentration levels (A and B) in urine were created within CHEAR for insertion into each batch of samples tested at a rate of three samples of each pool per 100 study samples. We assessed these QC pool results for seven phthalates analyzed for five CHEAR studies by three different lab hubs utilizing multivariate control charts to identify out-of-control runs or sets of samples associated with a given QC sample. We then tested the conditions that would lead to an out-of-control run by simulating outliers in an otherwise “in-control” set of 12 trace elements in blood QC samples (NIST SRM 955c).ResultsWhen phthalates were assessed within study, we identified a single out-of-control run for two of the five studies. Combining QC results across lab hubs, all of the runs from these two studies were now in-control, while multiple runs from two other studies were pushed out-of-control. In our simulation study we found that 3–6 analytes with outlier values (5xSD) within a run would push that run out of control in 65–83% of simulations, respectively.SignificanceWe show how acceptable bounds of variability can be established for a given analytic method by evaluating QC materials across studies using multivariate control charts.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), leading to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), is a serious public health issue in the United States and globally. Diagnosis of FASD is crucial in obtaining appropriate care, but it is not always possible when PAE cannot be documented.Deciduous teeth from a child with known PAE and a child with known absence of PAE were analyzed using liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-IDMS/MS) in a multiple-reaction monitoring mode for direct markers and LC-high resolution MS in positive and negative mode with hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and reverse-phase chromatography, respectively, for indirect markers.Direct markers of PAE (ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate) were detected in prenatal and postnatal dentine from a case tooth but not from a control tooth. Indirect biomarker analysis indicated a dysregulation of amino acids and an increase in cholesterol sulfate in the case compared to the control tooth.This proof-of-concept study demonstrates for the first time that direct biomarkers of PAE are detectable and measurable in deciduous teeth which begin forming in utero and are typically naturally shed between 5 and 12 years of age. Further examination of these novel biomarkers may allow diagnosis of FASD where documentation of PAE is otherwise unavailable. Furthermore, because teeth grow incrementally, defined growth zones can be sampled allowing for identification of gestational timing of PAE to help better understand mechanisms underlying alcohol's disruption of perinatal development.

Epidemiological studies often call for analytical methods that use a small biospecimen volume to quantify trace level exposures to environmental chemical mixtures. Currently, as many as 150 polar metabolites of environmental chemicals have been found in urine. Therefore, we developed a multi-class method for quantitation of biomarkers in urine. A single sample preparation followed by three LC injections was optimized in a proof-of-approach for a multi-class method. The assay was validated to quantify 50 biomarkers of exposure in urine, belonging to 7 chemical classes and 16 sub-classes. The classes represent metabolites of 12 personal care and consumer product chemicals (PCPs), 5 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 5 organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), 18 pesticides, 5 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 4 tobacco alkaloids, and 1 drug of abuse. Human urine (0.2 mL) was spiked with isotope-labeled internal standards, enzymatically deconjugated, extracted by solid-phase extraction, and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The methanol eluate from the cleanup was split in half and the first half analyzed for PCPs, PAH, and OPFR on a Betasil C18 column; and pesticides and VOC on a Hypersil Gold AQ column. The second half was analyzed for tobacco smoke metabolites and a drug of abuse on a Synergi Polar RP column. Limits of detection ranged from 0.01 to 1.0 ng/mL of urine, with the majority ≤0.5 ng/mL (42/50). Analytical precision, estimated as relative standard deviation of intra- and inter-batch uncertainty, variabilities, was20%. Extraction recoveries ranged from 83 to 109%. Results from the optimized multi-class method were qualified in formal international proficiency testing programs. Further method customization options were explored and method expansion was demonstrated by inclusion of up to 101 analytes of endo- and exogenous chemicals. This exposome-scale assay is being used for population studies with savings of assay costs and biospecimens, providing both quantitative results and the discovery of unexpected exposures.

Additional file 2.

Perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are man-made, persistent organic compounds with immune-modulating potentials. Given that pregnancy itself represents an altered state of immunity, PFAS exposure-related immunotoxicity is an important environmental factor to consider in SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy as it may further affect humoral immune responses.To investigate the relationship between maternal plasma PFAS concentrations and SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in a NYC-based pregnancy cohort.Maternal plasma was collected from 72 SARS-CoV-2 IgG + participants of the Generation C Study, a birth cohort established at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG antibody levels were measured using ELISA. A panel of 16 PFAS congeners were measured in maternal plasma using a targeted UHPLC-MS/MS-based assay. Spearman correlations and linear regressions were employed to explore associations between maternal IgG antibody levels and plasma PFAS concentrations. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was also used to evaluate mixture effects of PFAS. Models were adjusted for maternal age, gestational age at which SARS-CoV-2 IgG titer was measured, COVID-19 vaccination status prior to IgG titer measurement, maternal race/ethnicity, parity, type of insurance and pre-pregnancy BMI.Our study population is ethnically diverse with an average maternal age of 32 years. Of the 16 PFAS congeners measured, nine were detected in more than 60% samples. Importantly, all nine congeners were negatively correlated with SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG antibody levels; n-PFOA and PFHxS, PFHpS, and PFHxA reached statistical significance (p 0.05) in multivariable analyses. When we examined the mixture effects using WQS, a quartile increase in the PFAS mixture-index was significantly associated with lower maternal IgG antibody titers (beta [95% CI] = -0.35 [-0.52, -0.17]). PFHxA was the top contributor to the overall mixture effect.Our study results support the notion that PFAS, including short-chain emerging PFAS, act as immunosuppressants during pregnancy. Whether such compromised immune activity leads to downstream health effects, such as the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, adverse obstetric outcomes or neonatal immune responses remains to be investigated.

Objective: Antiepileptic (AED) drugs are an integral component of the management of seizure disorder; however, they have a wide spectrum of adverse effects. It is important to be aware of these side effects as they have a major impact on the quality of life and are sometimes partially reversible after drug discontinuation. Among them, the influence of AED on thyroid function is an important one. However, there is only limited data available. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of AED on thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1-year duration (march 2017 – march 2018) was conducted among 150 epileptic patients receiving phenytoin, carbamazepine, and sodium valproate for more than 6 months in a tertiary care center in central Kerala. Serum levels of TSH of patients on AED were compared with that of 50 healthy age- and sex-matched control groups. Data regarding the same were analyzed using SPSS version 16 with the Chi-square test, ANOVA, and independent t-test. Results: A total of 150 epileptic patients with a mean age of 35.54 + 10.72, including 66 males (44%) and 84 females (56%) were enrolled in this study. Fifty adults of mean age 36.5+ 8.4 and male to female ratio 1.10:1 formed the control group. It was found that the mean TSH value of patients on phenytoin (3.97+ 1.47), carbamazepine (3.57+ 1.44), and sodium valproate 3.03 + 1.41 significantly higher than that of the control group (1.91 + 0.72). On comparing the mean serum TSH of the drug group significant difference noted between phenytoin and sodium valproate treated group. Among the 12 patients develop subclinical hypothyroidism 65% taking drugs for more than 5 years. Conclusion: There is a positive correlation between the use of anticonvulsants and thyroid dysfunction and the association increases with the duration of therapy. The clinicians should be encouraged for regular monitoring of thyroid function test to impart a better quality of life to the patients.

Despite the unequal burden of environmental exposures borne by racially minoritized communities, these groups are often underrepresented in public health research. Here, we examined racial/ethnic disparities in exposure to metals among a multi-ethnic sample of pregnant women. Our objective was to examine what disparities, if any, exist in metal exposure among a sample of pregnant women. The sample included women enrolled in the PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) pregnancy cohort (N = 382). Urinary metal concentrations (arsenic [As], barium [Ba], cadmium [Cd], cesium [Cs], chromium [Cr], lead [Pb], antimony [Sb]) were measured during mid-pregnancy and information on individual- and neighborhood-level characteristics was ascertained during an in-person interview and from publicly available databases, respectively. Linear regression was used to examine individual and neighborhood characteristics in relation to metal concentrations. Black/Black-Hispanic women had Cd, Cr, Pb, and Sb levels that were 142.0%, 10.9%, 35.0%, and 32.1% higher than White, non-Hispanic women, respectively. Likewise, White-Hispanic women had corresponding levels that were 141.5%, 108.2%, 59.9%, and 38.3% higher. These same metals were also higher among women residing in areas with higher crime, higher diversity, lower educational attainment, lower household income, and higher poverty. Significant disparities in exposure to metals exist and may be driven by neighborhood-level factors. Exposure to metals for pregnant women can be especially harmful. Understanding exposure inequalities and identifying factors that increase risk can help inform targeted public health interventions.

Phthalate exposure is widespread, and studies suggest an adverse relationship with asthma morbidity, including some support for oxidative stress as an underlying pathophysiological mechanism. Urinary phthalate metabolites have been associated with biomarkers of oxidative stress, but data are few in children diagnosed with asthma. We used participant data from the Home Air in Agriculture Pediatric Intervention Trial (HAPI) to examine longitudinal relationships between phthalates and oxidative stress in a cohort of Latino children with asthma residing in an agricultural community. We used linear mixed-effects models to estimate associations between 11 urinary phthalate metabolites (and one summed measure of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites, ∑DEHP) and two urinary biomarkers of oxidative stress: a biomarker of lipid peroxidation via measure of 8-isoprostane and a biomarker of DNA/RNA oxidative damage via combined measure of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHG), and 8-hydroxyguanine. Seventy-nine participants provided 281 observations. In covariate-adjusted models, we observed significant positive relationships between all phthalate metabolites and 8-isoprostane, effect sizes ranging from a 9.3 % (95 % CI: 4.2 %-14.7 %) increase in 8-isoprostane for each 100 % increase (i.e., doubling) of mono-(carboxy-isooctyl) phthalate (MCIOP), to a 21.0 % (95 % CI: 14.3 %-28.2 %) increase in 8-isoprostane for each doubling of mono-n-butyl phthalate (MNBP). For each doubling of mono-(carboxy-isononyl) phthalate (MCINP) and mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), the DNA/RNA oxidative damage biomarker increased by 6.0 % (95 % CI: 0.2 %-12.2 %) and 6.5 % (95 % CI: 1.4 %-11.9 %), respectively. In conclusion, we provide unique data suggesting phthalate exposure is positively associated with oxidative stress in children with asthma. Our repeat measures provide novel identification of a consistent effect of phthalates on oxidative stress in children with asthma via lipid peroxidation. Confirmation in future studies of children with asthma is needed to enhance understanding of the role of phthalates in childhood asthma morbidity.

Bisphenol A (BPA)-free plastic products are widely available. Transient BPA release has been reported in Tritan drinking bottles. This study assessed the effectiveness of common consumer washing methods in removing BPA contamination in Tritan bottles using both ELISA and HPLC-MS/MS assays. BPA release was detected in 2 out of 10 kinds of Tritan drinking bottles tested. Average BPA level was 0.493 μg/L in water samples from a type of Tritan kid drinking bottle following 24-h incubation at room temperature, corresponding to a release rate of 0.015 ng/cm2/h. Of the common consumer cleaning methods identified in an informal survey, dishwashing was the most effective method that significantly reduced, even eliminated BPA release from the tested BPA-positive Tritan bottles, while rinsing with water and handwashing with soap and water were ineffective. The bioactivity of the leached BPA was confirmed using a rodent cardiac myocyte acute exposure model and an invertebrate 7-day exposure model. The BPA release is possibly the result of surface contamination in the manufacturing process. As a case study, our result may be informative for general consumer practice and for better quality control by the manufactures.

Molecular imprinting technique (MIT) with electrochemical sensing provides an attractive tool for the fabrication of sensors. Incorporation of conducting copolymer and surface imprinting strategies in the sensing device improves the conducting properties and poor template accessibility, slow binding kinetics at the same time. Here, this technique was employed with conducting polymers with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) to build an electrochemical sensor for detecting Chlorpyrifos (CPF) in vegetable sample solutions. In this work, we aimed at synthesizing a copolymer of 3-thiophene acetic acid and 3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene on the surface of MWCNT. We further constructed a polymer drop-casted glassy carbon electrode sensor for ultrasensitive detection CPF. Under optimal conditions, the sensor exhibited a very low limit of detection (LOD) of 4.0 × 10

Owing to poor skin permeability, the transdermal (TRD) drug delivery at the required therapeutic rate still remains an arduous task. In the present investigation, a novel TRD enhancement strategy was introduced using the synergistic effect of gold nanoparticle (GNP) and skin electroporation. Diclofenac sodium (DS) was selected as a model drug. An electro-sensitive patch was constructed using skin adhesive matrix, polyvinyl alcohol/poly(dimethyl siloxane)-g-polyacrylate. GNP/carbon nanotube nanocomposite (GNP-CNT) was incorporated into the matrix with GNP and CNT to enhance skin permeability and electrical conductivity, respectively. Varying the concentration of GNP-CNT, alters the thermomechanical properties, water vapor permeability (WVP), drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE) and drug release profile, building a possibility to fine-tune the properties of the device. The membrane constructed with 1.5% GNP-CNT displayed the highest DEE and thermomechanical properties. The TRD DS release study was performed in rat skin at different GNP-CNT contents and variable conditions of applied voltage. Incorporating GNP-CNT enhanced the DS permeation profile with the best performance exhibited by device containing 1.5% nanofillers at an applied bias of 10.0 V. Electroporation in conjugation with GNP remarkably destroys the stratum corneum (SC) barrier by disparate mechanisms involving the breakdown of multilamellar lipid system, generation of new aqueous pathway and thermal effect. Furthermore, the dramatic disruption of lipid barriers generated by applied voltage was efficiently stabilized by GNP in addition to the transient and reversible openings created by them. Finally the safety of the device was confirmed by cell viability assay and environmental stability test. The developed skin permeation approach may open new avenues in TRD drug delivery.

Colorectal cancer is the third most principal reason of death due to cancer. The applicability of the chemo drug, 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is limited due to its non-specificity, low bioavailability and overdose. The efficiency of 5-FU in colorectal cancer therapy could be enhanced by nanoencapsulation and combinatorial approach with Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDC). In the present work, a new pH sensitive bioactive aminated mesoporous silica–alginate/folic acid conjugated o-carboxymethylchitosan-gelatin (AMSN-Alg/FA-CMCT-Gel) nanocomposite system has been developed to construct for the safe loading of 5-FU and BDC and helps to overcome the limitations of colon cancer. The dual drug delivery system (DDDS) was characterized by means of FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, DLS, Zeta potential, and BET adsorption isotherm. The information obtained from the characterization techniques exposed the successful formation of the nanodrug carrier. The 5-FU and BDC loaded DDDS was found to be blood compatible. The in vitro drug release profile in pHs 1.2 and 7.4 showed a sustained release profile over a period of 48 h. The combinatorial approach of 5-FU and BDC in HCT116 cells proved anticancer effects and intracellular uptake of the drug into DDDS was confirmed by Confocal Microscopy.

Kerusakan danau Limboto, Gorontalo, Indonesia telah mempengaruhi fungsi ekologis danau sebagai habitat ikan-ikan native sehingga perlu dilakukan kajian tentang potensi ikan native danau Limboto. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui aktivitas antibakteri dari mucus ikan-ikan native danau Limboto. Pengujian aktivitas antibakteri dilakukan melalui metode diffsion test dengan mengukur diameter zona hambat yang terbentuk pada beberapa bakteri uji. Ekstraksi mucus dilakukan dengan menggunakan pelarut aquadest dan asam asetat sementara bakteri uji yang digunakan yakni Staphylococcus aureus dan Vibrio alginolyticus. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa aktivitas antibakteri mucus tertinggi terhadap bakteri S. aureus dengan pelarut aquadest adalah ikan Giuris cf. margaritacea (Hulu’u) sebesar 7.45 mm sedangkan dengan pelarut asam adalah ikan Stiphodon sp (Manggabai) sebesar 8.67 mm. Selanjutnya aktivitas antibakteri mucus tertinggi terhadap V. alginolyticus pada pelarut aquadest adalah ikan Stiphodon sp. sebesar 6.85 mm dan pada pelarut asam adalah ikan Giuris cf. margaritacea sebesar 8.32 mm. Aktivitas antibakteri dari mucus ikan Stiphodon sp (Manggabai) dan Giuris cf. margaritacea (Hulu’u) memiliki aktivitas antibakteri dengan kriteria sedang terhadap bakteri S. aureus dan V. alginolyticus.

Skin is an attractive route for drug delivery. However poor permeation of drugs across the skin due to the presence of extremely ordered architecture of outermost layer of skin, led to several investigation to improve the permeability of drugs. Polysaccharides remain widely studied biomaterial for the sustained delivery of drug molecules across the skin. The advance of hyaluronic acid (HA) chemistry with multiple benefits has improved the attention of research groups for its application in the skin transportation of drug molecules. Beginning from the advantages of transdermal route, the present review details the application of HA in transdermal drug delivery. In the last few decades, substantial investigation in the domain has improved the requirement for an outline of all the developments, which is depicted in the review. The review also presented different types of HA based transdermal devices such as transferosomes, nanoemulsions, microneedle etc and their potential to improve the transdermal drug delivery. Furthermore the application of HA through chemical modification as a potential transdermal device is also presented. Keywords: Hyaluronic acid, transdermal drug delivery, microneedles, nanoemulsion, hydrogel

Transdermal drug delivery system has been developed or being developed to vanquish the downsides associated with conventional strategies as it avoids first pass hepatic metabolism, improved patient compliances, easy termination of therapy, possibility of self-administration etc. The main challenge in designing transdermal patch is to overcome the low permeability of skin. Several strategies have been developed to overcome the barrier properties and to enhance the transportation of drug molecules across the skin. In the last decades numerous transdermal patches fabricated from polysaccharides have been reported. There has been a growing interest in using chitosan in transdermal formulations thanks to their biocompatibility, non-toxicity, film forming ability, non- skin irritancy etc. This article highlights the application of chitosan in the development of transdermal drug delivery systems such as microneedles, films etc. Keywords: Transdermal drug delivery, first pass hepatic metabolism, low permeability, microneedles

Phthalates are a class of widely used synthetic chemicals found in commonly used materials and products. Epidemiological studies suggest phthalate exposure is associated with asthma outcomes, though most studies have not investigated phthalates as triggers of exacerbations in children diagnosed with asthma. This study used data from the Home Air in Agriculture Pediatric Intervention Trial (HAPI) to examine relationships between phthalate exposure and outcomes related to childhood asthma exacerbation. We used measures of phthalate metabolites and respiratory health measures including fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), the Asthma Control Test (ACT), caregiver report of symptoms, and urinary leukotriene E

A consortium of laboratories established under the Children's Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR) used a multifaceted quality assurance program to promote measurement harmonization for trace organics analyses of human biospecimens that included: (1) participation in external quality assurance (EQA)/proficiency testing (PT) programs; (2) analyses of a urine-based CHEAR common quality control (QC) pool with each analytical batch across all participating laboratories; (3) method validation against NIST Standard Reference Materials® (SRMs); and (4) analyses of blinded duplicates and other project-specific QC samples. The capability of five CHEAR laboratories in organic chemical analysis increased across the 4-year period, and performance in the external PT program improved over time – recent challenges reporting >90% analytes with satisfactory performance. The CHEAR QC pools were analyzed for several classes of organic chemicals including phthalate metabolites and environmental phenols by the participating laboratories with every batch of project samples, which provided a rich source of measurement data for the assessment of intra- and inter-laboratory variance. Within-laboratory and overall variabilities in measurements across laboratories were calculated for target chemicals in urine QC pools; the coefficient of variation (CV) was generally below 25% across batches, studies and laboratories and indicated acceptable analytical imprecision. The suite of organic chemicals analyzed in the CHEAR QC pool was broader than those reported for commercially available reference materials. The accuracy of each of the laboratories' methods was verified through the analysis of several NIST SRMs and was, for example, 97 ± 5.2% for environmental phenols and 95 ± 11% for phthalates. Analysis of blinded duplicate samples showed excellent agreement and reliability of measurements. The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for phthalate metabolites analyzed in various batches across three CHEAR laboratories showed excellent reliability (typically >0.90). Overall, the multifaceted quality assurance protocols followed among the CHEAR laboratories ensured reliable and reproducible data quality for several classes of organic chemicals. Increased participation in external PT programs through inclusion of additional target analytes will further enhance the confidence in data quality.

Background: Human exposures to bisphenol A (BPA) are widespread. The current study addresses uncertainties regarding human pharmacokinetics of BPA following dermal exposure. Objective: To examine the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of BPA in humans following dermal administration. Methods: We dermally administered deuterated BPA (d6-BPA) to 10 subjects (6 men and 4 women) at a dose of 100 µg/kg over a 12-hour period and conducted blood and urine analysis from the beginning of dosing through a three- or six-day period. We present time-course serum and urine concentrations of total and unconjugated (“free”) d6-BPA and used this information to calculate terminal half-life and area under the curve. Results and Conclusions: Detectable serum levels of total d6-BPA were observed at 1.4 h after the start of dosing, and a maximum serum concentration (Cmax) of 3.26 nM was observed. Free d6-BPA was detectable in serum 2.8 h after start of dermal administration, with Cmax of 0.272 nM. Beginning at approximately seven hours and continuing to 12 h (which corresponds to cessation of exposure), the concentration of free and total serum d6-BPA plateaued. The terminal half-lives of total d6-BPA and free d6-BPA in the body were 21.4 ± 9.81 h and 17.6 ± 7.69 h, respectively. Elimination from the body was rate-limited by kinetics in the dermal compartment. Free d6-BPA was a greater percentage of the area under the curve of total serum BPA (8.81%) compared to the 0.56% observed in our previously published oral study. Recovery of total d6-BPA in urine was

Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) have attracted ample attention as a transdermal (TND) drug delivery platform for improving the skin permeability of drug molecules. Herein a novel TND device formed from AuNP and oleylamine functionalized nanodiamond (AuD) has been developed successfully for the TND delivery of Ketoprofen (KP), a model drug. Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Polybutyl methacrylate (PVA/PBMA) film has been selected as the matrix of the TND device, as they furnish excellent skin adhesion properties. The PVA/PBMA membranes loaded with different concentrations of AuD have been characterized in terms of surface morphology, thermomechanical properties, water vapor permeability (WVP), optical transmittance, cosmetic attractiveness, skin adhesion behavior, and drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE). The matrix loaded with 3.0% AuD displayed enhanced thermomechanical and DEE due to the uniform distribution of nanofillers in the membrane. The in vitro skin permeation test proved that a higher amount of KP was delivered by AuD incorporated films, suggesting improved TND behavior. The synergistic management of AuNP and nanodiamonds (ND) has caused the enhanced skin permeation behavior of the device. The obtained results revealed that AuD may be employed as an effective carrier to substitute NDs for TND delivery. Additionally, while investigating the storage stability of the device we observed that the membrane kept at low temperature presented stability over time. More importantly, the results from cell viability assay and environmental fitness test revealed that the AuD based TND system is a high security device, as it is noncytotoxic and microbe-resistant. The developed device provides a novel and handy approach to the TND delivery of drug molecules.

Sanitation is a basic need in our day to day life. It is a way of promoting hygiene by preventing human contact with hazardous wastes. Non-availability of proper sanitation is the major issue in developing countries like India. Many national and international efforts have been made over the past few decades to improve the sanitation habits of people in developing countries. The usage of sanitary pads by women during menstruation is one such example of proper sanitation. The health of women and girls is of prime concern because as a mother, her role is as the creator and educator of her child and they form the significant unit of the society influencing the course of social change in society. To maintain her health and hygiene, proper sanitation is important. Presently, the sanitary pads available in the market are not affordable to millions of women in India due to its cost. As a part of an initiative to produce low cost sanitary pads, this paper discuses a novel method for designing and fabricated an automated low-cost sterilisation and packing unit.

Transdermal (TD) drug delivery is a more attractive technique for drug delivery compared to oral and intravenous injection. However, the permeation of drug molecules across the skin is difficult due to the presence of highly ordered lipid barrier. This study details the development of a novel TD system, which has the potential to simultaneously enhance the skin permeability and adhesion behavior. Ibuprofen (IP) was selected as model drug. The ability of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) and hydrophobic titanium nanotube (TNT) to enhance the skin permeability was explored. Additionally, β-cyclodextrin (βCD), which can exceptionally encapsulate poorly water-soluble drugs, is grafted with methacrylates to improve the skin adhesion property. Finally, Au-TNT nanocomposite was deposited onto methacrylate-grafted βCD matrix. The developed material was characterized through NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The characteristics of the film, including water vapor permeability (WVP), thermomechanical properties, etc., were examined in terms of Au-TNT content. The TD delivery of IP with different concentrations of Au-TNT was evaluated via an in vitro skin permeation study through rat skin. It is revealed that the prepared TD film exhibited an improved drug-delivery performance due to the synergistic action of AuNP and hydrophobic TNT. The cumulative percent of IP delivered across the skin is extremely depending on nanofiller content, lipophilicity, and thickness of the membrane, and the device incorporated with 4.0% Au-TNT displayed the best performance. In addition, a study on storage stability was performed by storing the films for 2 months at different temperatures. The study revealed that the device possessed excellent storage stability when stored at low temperature. The developed film offers excellent WVP, drug encapsulation efficiency, thermomechanical properties, and skin adhesion behavior. Moreover, the device was cosmetically attractive, noncytotoxic, and resistant to microbial growth and hence extremely reliable for skin application. The developed skin permeation strategy may open new avenues in TD drug delivery.

Solang M, Lamondo D, Kumaji SS. 2017. Zinc, calcium, protein, lead, mercury, and the sensorics quality of cireng snacks supplemented with blood cockle (Anadara granosa). Nusantara Bioscience 9: 385-391. Blood cockle (Anadara granosa) is a potential nutritious food with high economic value. This study aims at evaluating the level of zinc, calcium, protein, mercury, lead, and the sensorics quality of cireng (traditional Indonesian snack made from fried-tapioca flour dipped into sauces) supplemented with blood cockle. This study used complete randomised design, where the treatment factors consisted of flour made from blood cockles to supplement the flour used in making the cireng snacks. The concentration of the treatment factors were 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The data were analyzed using the One Way ANOVA test and LSD test. This study shows that blood cockles’ supplementation significantly increases the level of protein (p=0.05), zinc (p=0.031), calcium (p= 0.016), lead (0.000), mercury (p= 0.022) of the cireng snacks. Supplementation of blood cockles has increased the preference toward cireng’s flavor, aroma, and color by 10%, whereas the level of preference toward the texture of cireng which used the blood cockle has increased by 20% compared to cireng product with non-supplemented flour. The level of lead (Pb), and Mercury (Hg) are below the Indonesian National Standard (SNI). Supplementation of blood cockles from Gorontalo in the flour used in making the cireng snacks produced snacks with a better nutrition value and safe to consume. Also, the flavor, color, texture, and aroma are acceptable.

Transdermal (TD) route of diltiazem hydrochloride (DH) administration attracts ample attraction, but remains strenuous due to slower penetration of drug across the skin. In the present investigation, we studied the possibility of using gold nanoparticle (GNP) to enhance the skin permeation of DH. A novel TD device was fabricated from polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) reinforced with nanogold-nanocellulose (GNP-NC) composites and characterized using NMR, FTIR, XRD, TEM and SEM. The PEC membrane was designed using the electrostatic interaction between cationic guar gum (CGG) and borate modified poly(vinyl alcohol). The hybrid filler deposited films have been prepared at different loading levels and the influence of loading on drug encapsulation efficiency, tensile properties, thermal stability, water vapor permeability, and skin permeability were evaluated. The effect of storage time and temperature on the drug release behavior was investigated. The devices were also examined for in vivo skin adhesion and irritation in human subjects, cell viability and environmental fitness to assess its application in pharmaceutical field. The results of the investigation suggested that the developed film may serve as a potential device for the TD delivery of DH.

Global profiling of xenobiotics in human matrices in an untargeted mode is gaining attention for studying the environmental chemical space of the human exposome. Defined as the study of a comprehensive inclusion of environmental influences and associated biological responses, human exposome science is currently evolving out of the metabolomics science. In analogy to the latter, the development and applications of high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has shown potential and promise to greatly expand our ability to capture the broad spectrum of environmental chemicals in exposome studies. HRMS can perform both untargeted and targeted analysis because of its capability of full- and/or tandem-mass spectrum acquisition at high mass accuracy with good sensitivity. The collected data from target, suspect and non-target screening can be used not only for the identification of environmental chemical contaminants in human matrices prospectively but also retrospectively. This review covers recent trends and advances in this field. We focus on advances and applications of HRMS in human biomonitoring studies, and data acquisition and mining. The acquired insights provide stepping stones to improve understanding of the human exposome by applying HRMS, and the challenges and prospects for future research.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Background: Prenatal exposure to metals has been associated with a range of adverse neurocognitive outcomes; however, associations with early behavioral development are less well understood. We examined joint exposure to multiple co-occurring metals in relation to infant negative affect, a stable temperamental trait linked to psychopathology among children and adults. Methods: Analyses included 308 mother-infant pairs enrolled in the PRISM pregnancy cohort. We measured As, Ba, Cd, Cs, Cr, Pb, and Sb in urine, collected on average during late pregnancy, by ICP-MS. At age 6 months, we assessed negative affect using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire—Revised. We used Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression with repeated holdout validation to estimate the joint association between the metals and global negative affectivity, as well as four subdomains (Fear, Sadness, Distress to Limitations, and Falling Reactivity). We also tested for a sex interaction with estimated stratified weights. Results: In adjusted models, urinary metals were associated with higher scores on the Fear scale (βWQS = 0.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.09, 0.30), which captures behavioral inhibition, characterized by startle or distress to sudden changes in the environment and inhibited approach to novelty. We observed a significant sex interaction (95% CI for the cross-product term: −0.19, −0.01), and stratified weights showed girls (61.6%) contributed substantially more to the mixture effect compared with boys (38.4%). Overall, Ba contributed the greatest mixture weight (22.5%), followed by Cs (14.9%) and As (14.6%). Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to metals was associated with increased infant scores on the temperamental domain of fear, with girls showing particular sensitivity. Key words: Prenatal; Metals; Mixtures; Temperament; Infancy; Negative affect

The exposome concept proposes a comprehensive assessment of environmental exposures from the prenatal period onwards. However, determining exposure timing, especially over the prenatal period, is a major challenge in environmental epidemiologic studies.For decades, teeth have been used to estimate long-term cumulative exposure to metals. Recently developed high-dimensional analytical methods, which combine sophisticated histological and chemical analysis to precisely sample tooth layers that correspond to specific life stages, have the potential to reconstruct the exposome in the second and third trimesters of prenatal development and during early childhood.A retrospective temporal exposomic approach that precisely measures exposure intensity 'and timing' during prenatal and early childhood development would substantially aid epidemiologic investigations, particularly case-control studies of rare health outcomes.

Non-iodo-containing trihalomethanes (TTHM) are frequently detected in chlorinated tap water and currently regulated against their carcinogenic potential. Iodinated THM (ITHM) may also form in disinfected with chlorine waters that are high in iodine content, but little is known about their magnitude and variability within the drinking-water pipe distribution network of urban areas. The main objective of this study was to determine the magnitude and variability of ITHM and TTHM levels and their corresponding daily intake estimates within the drinking water distribution systems of Limassol and Nicosia cities of Cyprus, using tap samples collected from individual households (n=37). In Limassol, mean household tap water ITHM and TTHM levels was 0.58 and 38 μg L(-1), respectively. Dichloroiodomethane (DCIM) was the dominant species of the two measured ITHM compounds accounting for 77% of total ITHM and in the range of 0.032 and 1.65 μg L(-1). The range of DCIM concentrations in Nicosia tap water samples was narrower (0.032 - 0.848 μg L(-1)). Mean total iodine concentration in tap water samples from the seaside city of Limassol was 15 μg L(-1) and approximately twice to those observed in samples from the mainland Nicosia city. However, iodine concentrations did not correlate with the ITHM levels. The calculated chronic daily intake rates of ITHM were low when compared with those of TTHM, but because of their widespread occurrence in tap water and their enhanced mammalian cell toxicity, additional research is warranted to assess the magnitude and variability of human ITHM exposures.

Background Telomere length (TL) predicts the onset of cellular senescence and correlates with longevity and age-related disease risk. While telomeres erode throughout life, adults display fixed ranking and tracking of TL, supporting the importance of the early environment in determining inter-individual variability across the life course. Given their guanine-rich structure, telomeres are highly susceptible to oxidative stress (OS). We examined maternal metal exposure, which can induce OS, in relation to newborn TL. We also considered the modifying role of maternal antioxidant intake. Methods Analyses included 100 mother-newborn pairs enrolled in the Boston and New York City-based PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) pregnancy cohort. We measured As, Ba, Cd, Ni, and Pb in maternal late-pregnancy urine by ICP-MS and quantified relative leukocyte TL (rLTL) in cord blood using qPCR. We used Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression to estimate the metal mixture - rLTL association and conducted repeated holdout validation to improve the stability of estimates across data partitions. We examined models stratified by high (>median) versus low (≤median) maternal antioxidant intake, estimated from Block98 Food Frequency Questionnaires. We considered urinary creatinine, week of urine collection, maternal age, and race/ethnicity as covariates. Results In adjusted models, urinary metals were inversely associated with newborn rLTL (βWQS = −0.50, 95% CI: −0.78, −0.21). The top metals contributing to the negative association included Ba (weight: 35.4%), Cd (24.5%) and Pb (26.9%). In models stratified by antioxidant intake, the significant inverse association between metals and rLTL remained only among mothers with low antioxidant intake (low: βWQS = −0.92, 95% CI: −1.53, −0.30; high: βWQS = −0.03, 95% CI: −0.58, 0.52). Results were similar in unadjusted models. Conclusions Relative LTL was shorter among newborns of mothers with higher exposure to metals during pregnancy. Higher maternal antioxidant intake may mitigate the negative influence of metals on newborn rLTL.

Chitosan of ark clams shell is regarded as untapped waste; it has potential as a heavy metal chelating agent and anti-bacterial. The objective of this research is to examine the effect of chitosan of the ark clams shell as a chelating agent to decrease of Pb and Hg level in the blood cockles meatball. This research is also aimed at exploring the capability of chitosan of the shell in decreasing the bacteria within blood cockle meatball. This research conducted complete randomized design with the provision of five-level of chitosan concentration, i.e., 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2.0%. Atomic-Absorbent Spectrophotometric (AAS) method used to examine the level of Pb and Hg within the meatball, while the total of bacteria was determined by using Total Plate Count (TPC) method. The data were analyzed by using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Least Significant Difference (LSD) test. The results reveal that the administration of chitosan of ark clam on blood cockle meatballs reduced Pb levels from 0.195 ppm to 0.168 ppm, while Hg levels reduced from levels of 0.018 to 0.008 ppm, and the number of bacteria from 2.4 × 102 to 1.4 × 102 colony/g. In conclusion, the chitosan of the ark clams shell can ensure the safety of the meatball product.

Rationale Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are a class of flame retardants widely found in environmental and biological matrices that have been extensively studied due to their adverse health effects in humans. OPFRs are loosely bound chemicals that can detach from treated products and be released into indoor and outdoor environments, where they have the potential to further undergo transformation and degradation processes, in particular the chlorinated OPFRs (Cl-PFRs). Their detection remains a moving target for analysts, and traditional targeted mass spectrometry methods are suitable only for those compounds with authentic standards. Methods Mass defect filter (MDF) is a strategy to filter molecular features using thresholds applied to the mass defect value of a target ion or molecular feature of interest. We have developed an MDF strategy for the detection and tentative identification of twelve potential Cl-PFR transformation products in a study mixture of six known Cl-PFRs using MS/MS data acquired on a high-resolution mass spectrometer. Most compounds in the Cl-PFRs family share a ClO4 P group as a core structure, of which modification results in a significant shift in the exact masses of the resulting compounds but show only a minimal shift in their mass defects. Subsequently, the MDF strategy was employed to tentatively identify Cl-PFRs retrospectively in six human urine samples that had previously been analyzed. Results MDF in combination with product ion filtering for the characteristic [H2 O3 P]+ and [H4 O4 P]+ ions and neutral loss filtering for the characteristic Cn H2n-x Clx group resulted in revealing suspects and homologues in the Cl-PFRs family. Furthermore, the MDF of the product ions detected additional Cl-PFR-related compounds that differed significantly in the exact masses of both precursor and product ions but had minimal shift in the mass defects of product ions. The mass defect of one or more common product ions helped to detect a few Cl-PFR analogs that had not been identified by MDF of the core structure precursor ion. Conclusions MDF helped to detect some Cl-PFRs present in lower concentrations, which went undetected without data filters. MDF also helped to detect chromatographic peaks for Cl-PFR homologues that are likely structural analogs that resulted from impurities and/or derivatives and transformation products. The methodology was applied to demonstrate and tentatively detect known and suspect Cl-PFRs in human urine samples retrospectively.