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We use a facile high-temperature solid-phase method to coat a layer of Ni-rich ternary material (LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2) on the surface of lithium iron phosphate. This active coating greatly improves the intrinsic conductivity of LiFePO 4. Compared to the conventional carbon material cladding, since this cladding layer is electrochemically active, the problem of decreasing the proportion of active material due to the addition of a cladding layer can be avoided to a certain extent. Compared with the samples capped with conventional organic carbon source (151.2 mAh g−1) and inorganic carbon source (155.9 mAh g−1) at 0.2 C, the discharge specific capacity was as high as 165.7 mAh g−1. Capacity retention after 200 cycles is up to 98 %, which is much higher than that of glucose and graphene oxide (GO)-coated samples (95.9 %, 96.6 %). Even when charging and discharging cycles are performed at different multipliers (2C and 10C), the retention rate remains higher than the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pregnant women were widely exposed to NEOs and 6-CN was the most abundant metabolite. • IMI and ACE were adversely associated with neonatal head circumference. • Maternal 8-OHdG mediated the association between NEOs and neonatal head circumference. An increasing number of studies have reported neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs), the emerging alternatives to conventional insecticides, may increase oxidative stress and cause adverse health effects, but limited is known about the prenatal NEOs exposures and their impact on birth outcomes. We investigated the levels of prenatal exposure to NEOs/metabolites, to assess their associations with birth outcomes, and investigate whether these associations could be mediated by oxidative stress using 8-OHdG as the biomarker. We studied 296 mother-infant pairs recruited from Laizhou Wan Birth Cohort in 2010 – 2013. Two NEOs (IMI and ACE), three metabolites (6-CN, ND-ACE, and 2CTCA), and 8-OHdG were measured in maternal urine collected before delivery. Birth outcomes including birth weight, birth length, ponderal index (PI), head circumference, and gestational age, were acquired. We examined the associations between NEOs/metabolites and birth outcomes using multivariable linear regression. Mediation analysis was conducted to clarify the role of 8-OHdG on the association of NEOs/metabolites exposure and birth outcomes. Highest detection rate was observed for ACE (100.0%), followed by IMI (98.3%) and 6-CN (98.0%), suggesting the common exposure of pregnant women. The highest median concentration was observed for 6-CN with creatinine-adjusted median levels of 9.58 μg/g creatinine. A decrease in newborns' head circumference was observed with a 10-fold increase in IMI (β = -1.83; 95% CI = -3.04, −0.62) and ACE (β = -2.27; 95% CI = -3.56, −0.98). An increase in newborns' PI was observed with a 10-fold increase in IMI (β = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.03, 0.75). Maternal 8-OHdG demonstrated 38.5–65.5% mediating effects in the negative association of IMI, ACE, 2-CTCA with head circumference. These associations might differ between boys and girls. Pregnant women were widely exposed to NEOs/metabolites in China. Results suggested the potential impacts of prenatal exposure to certain neonicotinoid insecticides on head circumference. Urinary 8-OHdG may partly mediate these associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Prenatal PM 2.5 composition exposure was estimated in China with severe pollution. • Infant cognitive and motor functions in five domains were tested at 12 months by ASQ. • The effects of composition-specific PM 2.5 were further evaluated. • PM 2.5 compositions were negatively associated with ASQ scores in all five domains. • All PM 2.5 compositions except OM were associated with lower problem-solving scores. Prenatal fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) exposure has been linked to infant cognitive and motor functions, but the effects of PM 2.5 chemical composition remain unclear. We aimed to explore the associations of prenatal PM 2.5 and its composition exposure with infant cognitive and motor functions. We studied 2,435 mother-infant pairs in the Shanghai Birth Cohort Study. PM 2.5 and its seven compositions [primary particles (black carbon, mineral dust and sea salts) and secondary particles (NH 4 +, NO 3 –, SO 4 2- and organic matter)] during the three trimesters of pregnancy were retrieved from the V4.CH.03 product developed by using a combined geoscience-statistical method. At the 12-month-old follow-up, infant cognitive and motor functions in five domains were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). We used multivariable linear regressions to estimate the effects of PM 2.5 and its composition on the ASQ scores, for all infants and stratifying by sex and breastfeeding duration. PM 2.5 exposure was negatively associated with gross motor, problem-solving and personal-social scores for all infants. PM 2.5 compositions were inversely associated with ASQ scores in all five domains, and the effects of different compositions varied across domains. Specifically, all compositions except organic matter were correlated with lower problem-solving scores [e.g., (β S O 4 2 - = − 10.79, 95 % CI: −17.40, −4.18) ∼ (β N O 3 - = − 4.68, 95 % CI: −7.84, −1.53); for each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM 2.5 compositions during the third trimester]. Primary and some secondary particles (organic matter, NO 3 –) were related to lower gross motor scores. Secondary particles were also inversely associated with communication (organic matter and NO 3 –), fine motor (NH 4 +, NO 3 –, SO 4 2-) and personal-social (NH 4 +) scores. Additionally, boys and infants breastfed for < 6 months appeared to be more susceptible. We found negative associations of PM 2.5 and its compositions with infant cognitive and motor functions over a range of domains, especially the problem-solving domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent and bio-accumulative compounds that have been recognized as important immune hazards by animal studies. However, epidemiological studies regarding the impact on infant infections were inconsistent. We investigated the associations between prenatal exposure to PFASs and acute infectious diseases including common cold, bronchitis/pneumonia, and diarrhea in early childhood. Participating 235 mother–infant pairs were recruited from the Laizhou Wan (Bay) birth cohort (LWBC), a prospective study in Shandong, China between September 2010 and 2013. Ten selected PFASs congeners including PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFDA, PFUA, PFDoA, PFHxS, PFBS, PFHpA, and PFOSA were measured from maternal serum by HPLC-MS/MS. Detailed information on parent-reported frequency of acute infectious diseases was collected from questionnaires at 1-year follow-up, which was confirmed by the medical records. Logistic and Poisson regression models were used on binary health outcomes (yes/no) and the number of episodes of outcomes, which were reported as odds ratio (OR) and incidence rate-ratio (IRR), respectively. The risk of diarrhea increased by 4.99 (95% CI = 1.86, 13.39) per log-unit increase in PFOA. The frequencies of diarrhea increased by 97%–116% for each 10-fold increase in PFOA, PFNA, and PFDA. Moreover, when stratified by exclusively breastfeeding duration (at least 4 months or not), the adverse effects of PFASs exposures on diarrhea were more pronounced among the breastfed infants. There were no associations between prenatal PFASs exposure and common cold or bronchitis/pneumonia. Exposure to PFASs was associated with increased risks of diarrhea during the first year of life, and these effects were stronger among the breastfed infants. Due to the small sample size, our results should be interpreted with caution and additional studies on larger populations are needed to confirm our findings. [Display omitted] • Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used in China and around the world. • We assessed the association between PFASs and acute infectious diseases in infancy. • PFASs especially PFOA was positively associated with the occurrence of diarrhea. • The adverse effects were stronger among the exclusively breastfed infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]