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BACKGROUND: Evidence linking gaseous air pollution to late-life brain health is mixed. OBJECTIVE: We explored associations between exposure to gaseous pollutants and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers among Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study participants, with attention to the influence of exposure estimation method and confounding by site. METHODS: We considered data from 1,665 eligible ARIC participants recruited from four US sites in the period 1987-1989 with valid brain MRI data from Visit 5 (2011-2013). We estimated 10-y (2001-2010) mean carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (N[O.sub.2]), nitrogen oxides (N[O.sub.x]), and 8-and 24-h ozone ([O.sub.3]) concentrations at participant addresses, using multiple exposure estimation methods. We estimated site-specific associations between pollutant exposures and brain MRI outcomes (total and regional volumes; presence of microhemorrhages, infarcts, lacunes, and severe white matter hyperintensities), using adjusted linear and logistic regression models. We compared meta-analytically combined site-specific associations to analyses that did not account for site. RESULTS: Within-site exposure distributions varied across exposure estimation methods. Meta-analytic associations were generally not statistically significant regardless of exposure, outcome, or exposure estimation method; point estimates often suggested associations between higher N[O.sub.2] and N[O.sub.x] and smaller temporal lobe, deep gray, hippocampal, frontal lobe, and Alzheimer disease signature region of interest volumes and between higher CO and smaller temporal and frontal lobe volumes. Analyses that did not account for study site more often yielded significant associations and sometimes different direction of associations. DISCUSSION: Patterns of local variation in estimated air pollution concentrations differ by estimation method. Although we did not find strong evidence supporting impact of gaseous pollutants on brain changes detectable by MRI, point estimates suggested associations between higher exposure to CO, N[O.sub.x], and N[O.sub.2] and smaller regional brain volumes. Analyses of air pollution and dementia-related outcomes that do not adjust for location likely underestimate uncertainty and may be susceptible to confounding bias. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13906, Introduction Growing evidence links air pollution to late-life cognitive health. Currently, the strongest evidence supports an effect of particulate matter (PM) air pollution. (1) In comparison with PM, fewer studies [...]

Background: Many approaches to quantifying air pollution exposures have been developed. However, the impact of choice of approach on air pollution estimates and health-effects associations remains unclear. Objectives: Our objective is to compare particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter [less than or equal to]2.5 [micro]m (P[M.sub.2.5]) concentrations and resulting health effects associations using multiple estimation approaches previously used in epidemiologic analyses. Methods: We assigned annual P[M.sub.2.5] exposure estimates from 1999 to 2004 derived from 11 different approaches to Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) participant addresses within the contiguous US. Approaches included geostatistical interpolation approaches, land-use regression or spatiotemporal models, satellite-derived approaches, air dispersion and chemical transport models, and hybrid models. We used descriptive statistics and plots to assess relative and absolute agreement among exposure estimates and examined the impact of approach on associations between P[M.sub.2.5] and death due to natural causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and incident CVD events, adjusting for individual-level covariates and climate-based region. Results: With a few exceptions, relative agreement of approach-specific P[M.sub.2.5] exposure estimates was high for P[M.sub.2.5] concentrations across the contiguous US. Agreement among approach-specific exposure estimates was stronger near P[M.sub.2.5] monitors, in certain regions of the country, and in 2004 vs. 1999. Collectively, our results suggest but do not quantify lower agreement at local spatial scales for P[M.sub.2.5]. There was no evidence of large differences in health effects associations with P[M.sub.2.5] among estimation approaches in analyses adjusted for climate region. Conclusions: Different estimation approaches produced similar spatial patterns of P[M.sub.2.5] concentrations across the contiguous US and in areas with dense monitoring data, and P[M.sub.2.5]-health effects associations were similar among estimation approaches. P[M.sub.2.5] estimates and P[M.sub.2.5]-health effects associations may differ more in samples drawn from smaller areas or areas without substantial monitoring data, or in analyses with finer adjustment for participant location. Our results can inform decisions about P[M.sub.2.5] estimation approach in epidemiologic studies, as investigators balance concerns about bias, efficiency, and resource allocation. Future work is needed to understand whether these conclusions also apply in the context of other air pollutants of interest. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12995, Introduction Routine air pollution monitoring is primarily conducted for regulatory purposes. While existing monitor networks provide useful information on air pollution exposures, they do not necessarily provide the spatial resolution [...]

Diamond color centers have been widely studied in the field of quantum optics. The negatively charged silicon vacancy (SiV−) center exhibits a narrow emission linewidth at the wavelength of 738 nm, a high Debye–Waller factor, and unique spin properties, making it a promising emitter for quantum information technologies, biological imaging, and sensing. In particular, nanodiamond (ND)-based SiV− centers can be heterogeneously integrated with plasmonic and photonic nanostructures and serve as in vivo biomarkers and intracellular thermometers. Out of all methods to produce NDs with SiV− centers, ion implantation offers the unique potential to create controllable numbers of color centers in preselected individual NDs. However, the formation of single color centers in NDs with this technique has not been realized. We report the creation of single SiV− centers featuring stable high-purity single-photon emission through Si implantation into NDs with an average size of ∼20 nm. We observe room temperature emission, with zero-phonon line wavelengths in the range of 730–800 nm and linewidths below 10 nm. Our results offer new opportunities for the controlled production of group-IV diamond color centers with applications in quantum photonics, sensing, and biomedicine.

Simple Summary: As a filter-feeding and sessile invertebrate living in estuaries and intertidal areas, Crassostrea gigas must cope with and adapt to a dynamic and changeable environment. Vibrio alginolyticus is a Gram-negative bacterium that is widespread in oceans and estuaries, and is one of the main Vibrio species that cause oyster disease. In this study, we used transcriptome sequencing to help us better understand how the giant oyster adapts to pathogen-rich environments. By focusing on the gills, which play a crucial role in the immune response, we aimed to shed light on the molecular processes underlying the interaction between the oyster and the pathogen. Over the years, oysters have faced recurring mass mortality issues during the summer breeding season, with Vibrio infection emerging as a significant contributing factor. Tubules of gill filaments were confirmed to be in the hematopoietic position in Crassostrea gigas, which produce hemocytes with immune defense capabilities. Additionally, the epithelial cells of oyster gills produce immune effectors to defend against pathogens. In light of this, we performed a transcriptome analysis of gill tissues obtained from C. gigas infected with Vibrio alginolyticus for 12 h and 48 h. Through this analysis, we identified 1024 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 12 h post-injection and 1079 DEGs at 48 h post-injection. Enrichment analysis of these DEGs revealed a significant association with immune-related Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. To further investigate the immune response, we constructed a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network using the DEGs enriched in immune-associated KEGG pathways. This network provided insights into the interactions and relationships among these genes, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms of the innate immune defense mechanism in oyster gills. To ensure the accuracy of our findings, we validated 16 key genes using quantitative RT-PCR. Overall, this study represents the first exploration of the innate immune defense mechanism in oyster gills using a PPI network approach. The findings provide valuable insights for future research on oyster pathogen control and the development of oysters with enhanced antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many societies around the world are rapidly aging and this has implications for social and economic development. We collect data on NEEQ-listed enterprises from 2010 to 2021 in China and empirically test the effect of population aging on the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The findings show that population aging has a significant positive impact on SME digital transformation, and private enterprises and enterprises in eastern regions of China tend to benefit more than other regions. The mechanism studies find that population aging positively impacts SME digital transformation by increasing labor costs, facilitating human capital accumulation, and raising savings rates. Furthermore, the threshold effect analyses find that the marginal promotion effect of population aging will weaken with greater aging and will strengthen with a higher level of marketization. Finally, we provide policy recommendations for promoting digital transformation in SMEs against the background of population aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]