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This study leverages data from a pilot randomized controlled trial to investigate whether the effectiveness of a text-delivered mHealth intervention targeting adolescent depression and anxiety differs according to residential- and activity space-based measures of exposure to community-level socioeconomic disadvantage. For depression, we find that intervention efficacy is significantly stronger for youth residing in more disadvantaged neighborhoods, even after controlling for individual level socioeconomic status, as well as marginal moderating effects of activity space-based neighborhood disadvantage on treatment efficacy. We do not find evidence of treatment efficacy moderation by neighborhood disadvantage regarding anxiety. While the generalizability of our findings is restricted to this sample and for this intervention, this research serves as a motivating example and initial evidence for how mHealth intervention efficacy can vary by characteristics of the environment, in particular community-level disadvantage. Future clinical research should investigate whether the effectiveness of mHealth interventions may be enhanced by personalization based on an individual's contextual environmental exposures., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Water total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are disinfectant byproducts found in municipal water supplies. TTHM exposure has been linked to cancer and may be associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. A non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota and low cervicovaginal beta-defensin-2 levels are associated with increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Whether TTHM exposure increases the risk of spontaneous preterm birth or alters the cervicovaginal microbial or immune state is unknown., Objective: Investigate associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth, a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota, and beta-defensin-2 levels in a completed, diverse, urban pregnancy cohort. We hypothesized that higher TTHM levels would be associated with spontaneous preterm birth, a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota, and lower beta-defensin-2 levels., Design: Methods: This was a secondary analysis of participants (n = 474) in the Motherhood & Microbiome (M&M) study (n = 2000), who lived in Philadelphia and had cervicovaginal samples analyzed for cervicovaginal microbiota composition and beta-defensin-2 levels. The microbiota was classified into community state types (CSTs). CST IV (non-optimal microbiota) is characterized by a paucity of Lactobacillus species and wide array of anaerobes. Municipal water TTHM levels were obtained from 16 sites monthly across the city of Philadelphia to establish mean residential water supply levels for each participant for the first four months of pregnancy (prior to vaginal swab collection at 16-20 weeks' gestation). Associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth and a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota birth were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable linear regression was used to model associations of water TTHM levels with log-transformed cervicovaginal beta-defensin-2 levels. Since water TTHM levels vary by season and beta-defensin-2 levels have been shown to differ by race, stratified models by warm (April-September) and cold (October-March) seasons as well as by self-identified race were utilized., Results: Participants' water supply TTHM levels (mean μg/L [SD]) were higher in the warm (53.5 [9.4]) than cold (33.4 [7.5]) season (p < 0.0001). TTHM levels were non-significantly higher among Black participants than non-Black participants (44.8 [13.5] vs. 41.8 [11.8], p = 0.07). No associations were detected between TTHM with spontaneous preterm birth (per SD increment of TTHM, aOR 0.94, 95%CI: 0.66, 1.34) or with CST IV (aOR 0.94, 95%CI: 0.86, 1.16). Counter to our hypothesis, we observed positive associations of water TTHM with log-transformed cervicovaginal beta-defensin-2 levels in unadjusted models (β 0.20 [95%CI: 0.02, 0.39]) per SD increment of TTHM), but the association was null after adjustment for season. However, in models adjusted for covariates including season and stratified by race, TTHM was significantly associated with lower beta-defensin-2 levels among non-Black participants (β -0.75 [95%CI: -1.43, -0.08]) but not among Black participants (β 0.17 [95%CI: -0.15, 0.49]), interaction p = 0.013)., Conclusion: We did not detect associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth or the structure of the cervicovaginal microbiota. However, the finding of a significant interaction between TTHM and race on beta-defensin-2 levels suggest that environmental exposures may contribute to differences in reproductive tract innate immune function by race. Future studies to delineate environmental contributions to the cervicovaginal microbial-immune state, a potentially important biologic underpinning for preterm birth, are warranted., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pollution from heavy metals in urban environments is a topic of growing concern because many metals, including Pb and Cr, are a human health hazard. Exposure to Pb and Cr has been linked to the inhibition of neurological development as well as toxic effects on many organs. Yellow traffic paint (YTP) is a mixture that contains organic polymers, binders, and pigments, which in some cases consist of crocoite (PbCrO 4 ) that may be coated by silica. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of the crocoite pigment grains within YTP and their silica coatings in simulated environmental and human body conditions. To do this, both YTP and asphalt were collected in Philadelphia, PA, USA. These samples as well as a standard PbCrO 4 were investigated with powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Using this multi-analytical approach, mineral phases were determined in the YTP, their shape, dimensional distributions, crystallinity, and chemical composition, as well as elemental distributions before and after experimental interactions. Three batch dissolution experiments with YTP, asphalt, and standard PbCrO 4 were performed to simulate ingestion, inhalation, and environmental interaction with rainwater. Elemental releases were determined with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, and results indicated that little (ingestion) to no (environmental and inhalation) Pb and Cr were leached from the YTP during the three experimental procedures. This is likely due to the silica coating that encapsulates the crocoite particles, which persisted during all interactions. The ESEM results for YTP showed dimensional reductions after interactions with all three fluids. The silica coating must be further explored to determine how it breaks down in real environmental conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)