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To protect aquatic organisms in ecosystems, each country and continental union has established guidelines for deriving the water quality standards (WQS) of specific substances. These guidelines mandate the use of acute and chronic toxicity data for fish, which are high-trophic-level organisms. However, due to increasing concerns about animal welfare and experimental ethics, there is a growing need for alternative methods to determine substance toxicity in fish. Fish toxicity tests using early life stages, such as embryos or larvae, have been utilized as alternative methods for adult fish toxicity assays. This review of the WQS guidelines and relevant test protocols confirmed the classification of acute and chronic toxicity in fish assays using different developmental stages. Fish toxicity data derived from exposure periods longer than one week using embryonic- or larval-stage organisms can be considered as indicative of chronic toxicity. There is a high correlation between fish embryo toxicity and adult effects, suggesting that fish embryo toxicity tests with appropriate exposure durations could replace adult fish toxicity tests, addressing experimental animal ethics concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an anthropogenic pollutant that is intensifying and expanding in marine environments, but experimental studies of community‐level effects are generally lacking. The inshore, shallow, and clear‐water locations of coral reefs and their diverse photosensitive inhabitants make these ecosystems highly susceptible to biological disturbances; at the same time, their biodiversity and accessibility make them model systems for wider insight. Here, we experimentally manipulated ALAN using underwater LED lights on a Polynesian reef system to investigate the influence on localised nighttime fish communities compared to control sites without ALAN. We collected infrared video censuses of baseline communities prior to manipulation, which we repeated following short‐term (mean of three nights) and prolonged (mean of 25 nights) exposures to ALAN. Short‐term ALAN exposure did not induce any significant alterations to the nighttime fish community, but prolonged ALAN exposure increased nighttime species richness. Species compositions exposed to prolonged ALAN were more dissimilar from their baseline compared to control sites. The difference between community compositions at prolonged ALAN exposure and control sites was not apparent at the family level; instead, it was observed from the composition of trait guilds. Following prolonged ALAN exposure, more diurnal and nocturnal predatory species (piscivores, invertivores, and planktivores)—particularly those that are site‐attached or mobile within reefs—were present in nighttime assemblages. Our experimental findings show that coastal ALAN could cause trophic imbalances and circadian disturbances in localised nighttime reef fish communities. Given that community‐wide consequences were only apparent after prolonged ALAN exposure suggests that management of the duration of artificial lighting could potentially be used to reduce impacts on marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study details how marketing campaigns featuring event-typical ads adapted to sporting events (e.g., a car ad that displays its brand logo on an Olympic podium) affect brand attitudes and incentive-aligned brand choice in more positive ways than proven advertising strategies such as product category consistency. Presenting four field and lab experiments across a total of 3 events and 32 ads, we show that these effects are driven by the combination of 3 mechanisms: event-typical ads' capacity to trigger a sufficient feeling of knowing what the ad is about, provoke curiosity, and transfer attributes from the event to the brand, even with very short ad exposures. Advertisers, brand managers, or event organizers can thus exploit the creative potential around sporting events by using event-typical ads. Furthermore, when these stakeholders know the most typical elements of an event, they can either adapt their marketing activities or register them to avoid ambush marketing (i.e., advertisers willing to associate their brand with the event in the absence of any legitimate link with it). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), poses a significant threat to food security, necessitating effective management strategies. While chemical control remains a primary approach, understanding the toxicity and detoxification mechanisms of different insecticides is crucial. In this study, we conducted leaf-dipping bioassays to assess the toxicity of quinalphos and beta-cypermethrin·emamectin benzoate (β-cyp·EMB) on S. frugiperda larvae. Additionally, we assessed the response of alterations in CarE, GST, MFO, and AChE activities to sublethal concentrations of these insecticides over various treatment durations. Results indicated that β-cyp·EMB exhibited higher toxicity than quinalphos in S. frugiperda. Interestingly, the highest activities of GST, CarE, MFO, and AChE were observed at 6 h exposure to LC10 and LC25 of β-cyp·EMB, surpassing equivalent sublethal concentrations of quinalphos. Subsequently, GST and CarE activities exposure to β-cyp·EMB steadily decreased, while MFO and AChE activities exposure to both insecticides was initially decreased then increased. Conversely, two sublethal concentrations of quinalphos notably enhanced GST activity across all exposure durations, with significantly higher than β-cyp·EMB at 12–48 h. Similarly, CarE activity was also increased at various durations. Our research has exhibited significant alterations in enzyme activities exposure to both concentration and duration. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis showed significant correlations among these enzyme activities at different treatment durations. These findings contribute to a better understanding of detoxification mechanisms across different insecticides, providing valuable insights for the rational management of S. frugiperda populations.

To protect aquatic organisms in ecosystems, each country and continental union has established guidelines for deriving the water quality standards (WQS) of specific substances. These guidelines mandate the use of acute and chronic toxicity data for fish, which are high-trophic-level organisms. However, due to increasing concerns about animal welfare and experimental ethics, there is a growing need for alternative methods to determine substance toxicity in fish. Fish toxicity tests using early life stages, such as embryos or larvae, have been utilized as alternative methods for adult fish toxicity assays. This review of the WQS guidelines and relevant test protocols confirmed the classification of acute and chronic toxicity in fish assays using different developmental stages. Fish toxicity data derived from exposure periods longer than one week using embryonic- or larval-stage organisms can be considered as indicative of chronic toxicity. There is a high correlation between fish embryo toxicity and adult effects, suggesting that fish embryo toxicity tests with appropriate exposure durations could replace adult fish toxicity tests, addressing experimental animal ethics concerns.

Exposure to ambient and household fine-particulate matter is identified as a substantial contributor to premature mortality in India, according to the Global Burden of Disease Studies. This study examines the impacts of typical Indian cooking practices on indoor air quality characteristics by monitoring the evolution of fine and ultrafine particle (UFP) concentration in the dining facility of a residential educational institute in India. The monitoring area was spread across the kitchen (zone 1) and the dining hall (zone 2). A combination of validated low-cost PM sensors (LCS), DustTrak8433, and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) was utilized for real-time data acquisition while using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as the cooking fuel. PM2.5 and UFP concentrations were monitored at 1.3 m and 1.8 m from the floor to assess the vertical variation of pollutants during cooking activities, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and processes such as preheating, reheating, stir-frying, and deep-frying. It was found that the prolonged cooking durations involved in high-heat cooking methods like stir-frying and deep-frying resulted in a rise in coarser UFP (300–550 nm) and PM2.5, causing a higher exposure to PM and UFP concentration. PM2.5 levels are higher at upper heights during typical cooking processes because of temperature-driven convection currents and hygroscopic growth of particles due to high humidity levels. Air exchange rates (AER) considerably varied by using chimneys and were low during the controlled (closed doors) compared to mixed ventilation (opened doors) conditions. The maximum AER was obtained during lunch (4.3–9.9 h−1) compared to breakfast (-7.8–6.8 h−1) and dinner (0.55–7.9 h−1). The decrement rate of PM2.5 inside zone 1 was highest during lunch (126 µgm−3 h−1), coinciding with the highest AER during mixed ventilation. It is recommended that improving ventilation and better design of the kitchen can reduce the exposure of PM and UFP in commercial and rural area kitchens.

Occupants’ thermal comfort in buildings may be affected by the cool wall and warm wall, which is attributed to the effect of asymmetric radiation. However, the previous majority of the researches on asymmetric radiation were mainly about the comfort limits under thermally neutral condition within 1∼1.5 h but had not considered the effect of exposure duration and the condition beyond neutral. To investigate the human thermal comfort under an asymmetric environment caused by the cool wall and warm wall, forty-four subjects were exposed to neutral air temperature with lateral radiant asymmetries in winter and summer for 3 h. The results indicated that the cool wall caused thermal discomfort easier than the warm wall because the thermal sensation decreased and deviated from neutral with time. Subjects' sensitivity of local parts to asymmetric radiation was affected in the conditions beyond neutral, thus their acceptability to asymmetric radiation decreased. The currently used limits of radiant temperature asymmetry tended to underestimate the local discomfort due to the walls. For the conditions tested, The limits of 5 % dissatisfaction in radiant temperature asymmetry were 4.4 °C (180 min) and 1.8 °C (60 min and 120 min) for the warm wall, and 1.8 °C at 60 min for the cool wall.

BackgroundDelayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS), which seriously affect the daily lives of patients, are the most common complications of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. No uniform screening tool is available for identifying high-risk groups. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore whether conventional laboratory indicators and imaging data from primary hospitals could predict the occurrence of DNS.MethodsThis retrospective observational study was conducted in a single-center primary hospital from January 1, 2021 to May 31, 2023. Participants included patients aged >18 years with acute CO poisoning. Patients with complete recovery in the acute phase were followed up by telephone and outpatient visits, and the presence of DNS was determined according to the occurrence of new neurological symptoms within 6 weeks after discharge. We obtained demographic, laboratory, and imaging data from the medical records and performed a univariate analysis. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify independent clinical predictors of DNS.ResultsA total of 73 patients were included in the study, of whom 25 (34.2%) developed DNS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a longer duration of CO exposure (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.262, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.069–1.490) and the presence of acute brain lesions on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (AOR: 5.117, 95% CI: 1.430–18.315) were independent risk factors for DNS. Receiver operating characteristic analyses of the duration of CO exposure were performed (area under the curve (AUC): 0.825; 95% CI: 0.731–0.918) with a cut-off value of 5.5 h, and DNS was predicted with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 66.7%.ConclusionHigh cranial DWI signal within 24 h and duration of poisoning longer than 5.5 h are independent predictors of DNS. The predictive effects of conventional laboratory indicators require further standardized and large-sample studies.

To explain the duration and dose effects of pollutant exposure on public health and provide scientific data for air pollution prevention and control and disease prevention by examining the influence of PM2.5 concentration and exposure duration on daily outpatient visits among patients with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory diseases in a typical heavy industrial city in China. Daily outpatient data on cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory diseases and regional PM2.5 exposure duration and concentration were collected from a provincial hospital in Taiyuan, China, from 2016 to 2021. The correlations of numeric variables were analyzed using the Pearson correlation method. A generalized additive model (GAMs) was also established to investigate the effects of PM2.5 concentration and exposure duration on outpatient visits. Correlation analysis showed that the outpatient visits in Taiyuan was significantly correlated with the PM2.5 concentration and exposure duration. The longer the exposure time of PM2.5 pollution, the stronger the correlation of PM2.5 with outpatient visits showed. Cardiovascular outpatient visits were extremely significant related with medium to long-term exposure of PM2.5 (exposure with more than 30 days) (p < 0.001). In addition, outpatient visits of cerebrovascular and respiratory disease were extremely significant correlated with PM2.5 (exposures within 0–360 days) (p < 0.001). The results of GAMs showed the linear or the nonlinear relationships between outpatient visits and exposure of PM2.5. Among the linear relationships, when average concentration of PM2.5 (exposure within less than 15 days) increased by 1 mg/m3, the cardiovascular outpatient visits increased most dramatically (by about 440 people). For nonlinear relationships, when the average PM2.5 concentration (exposure with over 30 days or more) increased by 1 mg/m3, the most dramatic increase occurred in cardiovascular outpatient visits (with a maximum increase of 7000), followed by cerebrovascular outpatient visits (with a maximum increase of 1200), and respiratory outpatient visits (with a maximum increase of 250). The GAMs also revealed a dose effect in the relationship between outpatient visits and PM2.5 exposure. In moderately polluted air (based on air quality standards of China, GB3095-2012), when the average concentration of PM2.5 increased by 1 mg/m3, the cardiovascular outpatient visits increased the most (by 1200 people), followed by cerebrovascular outpatient visits (by 200 people) and respiratory outpatient visits (by 20 people). We concluded that outpatient visits in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory disease are closely correlated with the concentration and exposure duration of air pollution. There is a linear relationship between short-term air pollution exposure (exposure within less than 15 days) and outpatient visits. As PM2.5 concentration increases, cardiovascular outpatient visits increase gradually, with its growth trend exceeding that of cerebrovascular and respiratory disease. There is a nonlinear relationship between medium and long-term air pollution exposure (exposure with more than 30 days) and outpatient visits, with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outpatient visits showed a nonlinear but overall upward trend when the atmosphere is moderately polluted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated changes in the interfacial properties of epoxy-coated concrete exposed to various conditions, regarding the epoxy type, coating equipment, and exposure environment and period. The measured coating thickness and pull-off bond strength exhibited diverse trends, depending on the exposure period and conditions. In the real sea (RS) environment, the average bond strengths for bisphenol A (BPA) (E1), BPA with zinc powder (E2), and BPA with cresyl glycidyl ether (E3) were 1.26, 1.93, and 1.92 MPa, respectively. The coating method did not significantly affect the measured coating thickness and strength values. The conventional roller (D1) exhibited the highest thickness variation, with a value of 214.45 μm. The RS condition significantly increased the coating thickness (34% to 158%) compared to the tap water (TW) condition. The exposure conditions had little impact on bond strength except for E3, which showed an increased strength (2.71 MPa) over 7–91 days, especially under RS conditions, while E2 remained constant at approximately 1.82 MPa. This study offers insights into factors influencing marine concrete coating performance and discusses limitations and future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical characteristics of wood members in a fire are reduced as a result of strength loss of the outermost charring layer and strength reduction of the secondary outer layer in high temperature zones. The charring layer has strong oxygen isolation effects. The main mechanical characteristics of larch wood, including modulus of elasticity (MOE), parallel-to-grain compressive (fc), tensile (ft), bending strengths (fb), and ductility coefficient, were determined under oxygen-free conditions at higher temperatures. Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopies (SEM) were used to analyze chemical composition and microscopic changes of wood. The results suggested that hemicellulose softening resulted in decreases in mechanical properties of wood between 20 and 70 °C. From 70 to 190 °C, FT-IR spectroscopy provided evidence that increases in MOE and fc, with relatively minor changes in fb and ft, were associated with cellulose crystallinity and lignin cross-linking/condensation. The use of SEM further indicated degradation of wood composition.

Flowering is an integral feature of the life history of seagrasses, and it contributes to the genetic diversity and resilience of meadows. There is some evidence that seagrass flowering is influenced by tidal depth; however, the effects of tidal exposure on the flowering variabilities in patchy intertidal meadows are largely unknown. In the present study, inter and intra-annual variability of flowering was examined using a line transect sampling method across two subtropical intertidal meadows (i.e., Lilley’s Beach and Pelican Banks) of Zostera muelleri on Australia’s east coast. Along each transect, the depth was measured using Leica Geosystems AGS14 RTK, and the plant cover was estimated using a standard scale. The duration of exposure at each depth was computed based on the tidal data and categorised exposure duration by hours. The abundance (i.e., the density of flowering shoots and density of spathes) and the ratio of flowering (i.e., flowering frequency) and morphology of flowering (i.e., the number of spathes per flowering shoot) were estimated at every 10 m along three 100 m fixed transects established perpendicular to the tide monthly in 2020 and 2021. Flowering started in July and extended for approximately six months, with peak flowering observed in September-October at both sites. Generalised linear mixed-effect models showed that approximately 39% of the density of flowering shoots, 36% of the density of spathes and 28% of flowering frequency were explained by plant cover and exposure duration. Similar variation in the spathes per flowering shoot was explained by plant cover only (40%). The density of spathes during peak flowering months was significantly different among exposure categories (3-4 hrs and 5-6 hrs in Lilley’s Beach and 5-6 hrs and 6-7 hrs in Pelican Banks in 2021), where significantly different interannual variability was observed only between the same exposure categories in Pelican Banks. The study offers valuable insights into seed-based restoration projects, including optimal seed harvesting times and the average quantity of harvestable flowers, although some inter-annual variations should be anticipated.

This study aims to compare differential effects of continuous and pulsed BaP exposures on metabolism and antioxidant defense in the liver of large yellow croaker. Fish were subjected to BaP for 4 days and 36 days in three exposure regimes with the same time-averaged concentration of BaP: 4 μg/L BaP continuously, 8 μg/L BaP for 24 h every other day or 16 μg/L BaP for 24 h every 4 days. Our results showed that compared to pulsed BaP exposures, continuous BaP exposure reduced BaP metabolism (CYP1A, CYP3A and AHR transcriptional expressions, GSH content, GSH/GSSG ratio, EROD and GST activities) and antioxidant defense (T-SOD activity) on day 4, resulting to the increases in MDA and PC contents, indicating that continuous BaP exposure induced more severe oxidative damage during the early stage of exposure. But continuous BaP exposure reduced MDA and PC contents by improving BaP metabolism and antioxidant defense during the late stage of exposure. CYP1B transcriptional expression and CAT activity were unsuitable biomarkers of both continuous and pulsed BaP exposures. In conclusion, our results demonstrated differential effects of continuous and pulsed exposures on BaP metabolism and antioxidant responses, which were depend on exposure duration.

Radiant heating and cooling systems inherently exhibit radiant asymmetries. Although many researchers have investigated the thermal comfort effects of asymmetric radiant environments, the exposure duration has not been emphasized, especially under floor heating and cooling scenarios. In this study, we conducted a series of tests in a climate chamber with floor cooling radiant asymmetries with human participants to investigate their thermal comfort effects from short-term (2 h) and long-term (8 h) exposure perspectives. The 2 h exposure test indicates that the floor cooling systems cause discomfort complaints more easily than other radiant systems such as ceiling heating/cooling because of its stronger cooling effects on the lower body parts. The cold floor resulted in significantly colder local thermal sensations and lower local skin temperatures in the foot, calf, and thigh areas. The comparison between the 2 h and 8 h exposures suggests that exposure duration affects both the subjective and physiological thermal comfort responses significantly. Further, 2.5~4 hours are required for the foot and calf temperatures to stabilize in radiant floor cooling asymmetry cases. In accordance with these laboratory tests, we proposed two radiant asymmetry-satisfaction curves and equations for the floor cooling system with consideration of exposure duration. The calculated temperature limits for typical floor cooling room are >18.5 oC at a 2 h exposure and >20.5 oC at an 8 h exposure. These curves and temperature limits can serve as a reference for future guidelines for floor cooling system design and operation.

In this research, experimental and numerical studies were carried out to investigate the performance of encased glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) beams under fire. The test specimens were divided into two peer groups to be tested under the effect of ambient and elevated temperatures. The first group was statically tested to investigate the monotonic behavior of the specimens. The second group was exposed to fire loading first and then statically tested to explore the residual behavior of the burned specimens. Adding shear connectors and web stiffeners to the GFRP beam was the main parameter in this investigation. Moreover, service loads were applied to the tested beams during the fire. Utilizing shear connectors, web stiffeners, and both enhanced the load-carrying capacities of the encased beams by 100.6%, 97.3%, and 130.8%, respectively. Comparisons between the burned and unburned peer beams were presented with losses in the load-carrying capacity of the burned beams. These losses were the highest in the cases of shear connectors and web stiffeners due to the obtained severe damage, which led to more reductions in the residual behavior of the burned beams. Numerical analyses were performed using the general-purpose finite element (FE) ABAQUS package to conduct a parametric study. The investigated parameters included the effect of the exposure duration and the temperature level. The results of the FE analysis showed good agreement with the experimental results. Additional reductions in the residual capacities of the fire-damaged beams were observed due to exposure to longer fire durations. The improvements in the beam capacities due to using shear connectors and web stiffeners relative to the reference beams under the same exposure time decreased as the exposure duration increased. Furthermore, increasing the temperature to 700 °C, 800 °C, 900 °C, and 950 °C caused reductions in the residual capacities by about 25%, 45%, 70%, and 80%, respectively, for the encased beams in comparison to their peers at ambient temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical cooling of the entire mining tunnel, widely used in deep coal mines, has a significant energy-intensive consumption, particularly for intelligent mining tunnels. Therefore, localized cooling would benefit the intelligent mining industry. Current studies on the temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity under localized cooling for working protection are still unclear. A modified predicted heat strain model that is appropriate for warm and humid conditions is presented in this article and calculated using MATLAB. Results reveal that air temperature was the primary factor affecting underground miners' safety. Increasing air velocity would improve the working environment when the thermal humidity index is lower than 32. Reducing total working time and wet bulb temperature would benefit underground miners' security. For the cooling of intelligent mining tunnels, the recommended air velocity would be 2 m/s, and the maximum wet bulb temperature would be 28 °C for the 6-h working period and 26 °C for the 8-h working period. Results would be beneficial to the cooling of intelligent mining in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zebrafish embryotoxicity test (ZET) is widely used in developmental toxicology. The analysis of gene expression regulation in ZET after chemical exposure provides mechanistic information about the effects of chemicals on morphogenesis in the test. The gene expression response magnitude has been shown to change with exposure duration. The objective of this work is to study the effect of the exposure duration on the magnitude of gene expression changes in the all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) signaling pathway in the ZET. Retinoic acid regulation is a key driver of morphogenesis and is therefore employed here as an indicator for the regulation of developmental genes. A teratogenic concentration of 7.5 nM of ATRA was given at 3 hrs post fertilization (hpf) for a range of exposure durations until 120 hrs of development. The expression of a selection of genes related to ATRA signaling and downstream developmental genes was determined. The highest magnitudes of gene expression regulation were observed after 2–24 hrs exposure with an optimal response after 4 hrs. Longer exposures showed a decrease in the gene expression response, although continued exposure to 120 hpf caused malformations and lethality. This study shows that assessment of gene expression regulation at early time points after the onset of exposure in the ZET may be optimal for the prediction of developmental toxicity. We believe these results could help optimize sensitivity in future studies with ZET. • ATRA induced duration-dependent gene expression changes in the ZET assay. • Maximal gene expression responses were observed around 4 hrs after exposure. • Early gene expression changes precede the occurrence of malformations. • Timing is important in optimizing ZET assay gene expression readout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic welding filters are intended to protect the eyes of the welder from optical radiation generated by the welding process. Safety standards for automatic welding filters (AWFs) have been developed worldwide. However, switching time requirements have not been studied considering the exposure limits established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) or the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). The aim of this study is to derive the maximum permissive switching time based on ICNIRP guidelines for exposure to intense optical radiation. The single and cumulative exposures associated with retinal thermal and blue light hazards were assessed in the welding environment. The results show that the maximum switching time is inversely proportional to the exponential function of the shade number difference. The proposed maximum switching time, 1/2 to 1/10 smaller than the current ISO, is derived from the effective blue light radiance limits. In addition, an evaluation of the periodic short circuit welding indicates that AWFs do not transmit hazardous levels of radiation in the dark state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with an increased risk of menstrual disorders and infertility. This study examined the relationships between the levels and duration of air pollution exposure and the risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) using Korean population-based cohort data (2015–2019). Real-time data on PM10, PM2.5, O3, CO, SO2, and NO2 were provided by the Korean Ministry of Environment. The average monthly air pollutant concentration from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018 was analyzed. To assess individual-level exposure to air pollutants, a spatial prediction model and an area-averaging approach were used. In total, 237,582 PCOS cases were analyzed. The annual age-adjusted PCOS incidence was 6.70, 8.28, 9.73, 11.58, and 11.97% from 2015–2019, respectively. The PCOS risk increased 1.29–1.32, 1.43–1.52, and 1.32-fold following exposure to the 2-year and 3-year average levels of PM2.5, O3, and NO2, respectively, compared to their 1-year average levels. The PCOS risk increased 1.75-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.66–1.85) in the fourth-quartile for the NO2 level. Increased SO2 and CO levels in the second- and third-quartiles were also associated with an increased PCOS risk. Exposure to air pollutants thus increased the risk for PCOS in the Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated exposure to airborne particulate matter is linked to deleterious health and well-being outcomes. Exposure assessment can be improved through enhanced understanding of source-receptor relationships, for example as expressed in the inhalation intake fraction metric. This study provides new knowledge about how inhalation intake of airborne particles varies with spatially varying indoor emissions. In a controlled environmental chamber with low background particle levels, we monitored the time- and size-resolved particle concentrations at multiple locations including the subject's breathing zone. We investigated two types of particle emissions: (i) controlled releases from several specific indoor locations; and (ii) natural release from skin and clothing for a range of simulated occupant activities. Findings show that particles released proximate to the human envelope caused a total inhalation intake fraction of 7–10 per thousand, which was 1.5–16 × higher than the intake fraction for other indoor release locations. These outcomes reflect the influence of emissions-receptor proximity combined with the efficient transport of particles by means of the thermal plume to the breathing zone. The results show that the well-mixed representation of an indoor environment could underestimate the inhalation intake by 40–90% for various localized indoor emissions, and by up to 3 × for particles emitted from the human envelope. The post-release exposure period contributed substantially to total inhalation intake. For particles released naturally from the human envelope, inhalation intake fractions varied with activity type and were higher for a subject when seated rather than walking.

Elevated exposure to airborne particulate matter is linked to deleterious health and well-being outcomes. Exposure assessment can be improved through enhanced understanding of source-receptor relationships, for example as expressed in the inhalation intake fraction metric. This study provides new knowledge about how inhalation intake of airborne particles varies with spatially varying indoor emissions. In a controlled environmental chamber with low background particle levels, we monitored the time- and size-resolved particle concentrations at multiple locations including the subject's breathing zone. We investigated two types of particle emissions: (i) controlled releases from several specific indoor locations; and (ii) natural release from skin and clothing for a range of simulated occupant activities. Findings show that particles released proximate to the human envelope caused a total inhalation intake fraction of 7–10 per thousand, which was 1.5–16 × higher than the intake fraction for other indoor release locations. These outcomes reflect the influence of emissions-receptor proximity combined with the efficient transport of particles by means of the thermal plume to the breathing zone. The results show that the well-mixed representation of an indoor environment could underestimate the inhalation intake by 40–90% for various localized indoor emissions, and by up to 3 × for particles emitted from the human envelope. The post-release exposure period contributed substantially to total inhalation intake. For particles released naturally from the human envelope, inhalation intake fractions varied with activity type and were higher for a subject when seated rather than walking.

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), poses a significant threat to food security, necessitating effective management strategies. While chemical control remains a primary approach, understanding the toxicity and detoxification mechanisms of different insecticides is crucial. In this study, we conducted leaf-dipping bioassays to assess the toxicity of quinalphos and beta-cypermethrin·emamectin benzoate (β-cyp·EMB) on S. frugiperda larvae. Additionally, we assessed the response of alterations in CarE, GST, MFO, and AChE activities to sublethal concentrations of these insecticides over various treatment durations. Results indicated that β-cyp·EMB exhibited higher toxicity than quinalphos in S. frugiperda. Interestingly, the highest activities of GST, CarE, MFO, and AChE were observed at 6 h exposure to LC 10 and LC 25 of β-cyp·EMB, surpassing equivalent sublethal concentrations of quinalphos. Subsequently, GST and CarE activities exposure to β-cyp·EMB steadily decreased, while MFO and AChE activities exposure to both insecticides was initially decreased then increased. Conversely, two sublethal concentrations of quinalphos notably enhanced GST activity across all exposure durations, with significantly higher than β-cyp·EMB at 12–48 h. Similarly, CarE activity was also increased at various durations. Our research has exhibited significant alterations in enzyme activities exposure to both concentration and duration. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis showed significant correlations among these enzyme activities at different treatment durations. These findings contribute to a better understanding of detoxification mechanisms across different insecticides, providing valuable insights for the rational management of S. frugiperda populations. [Display omitted] • β-cyp·EMB exhibited higher toxicity than quinalphos in S. frugiperda. • Different exposure durations and sublethal concentrations of both insecticides affected activities of CarE, GST, MFO, and AChE. • Significant correlations were observed among CarE, GST, MFO, and AChE activities across different exposure durations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension is still a major health problem in the world. One of the factors causing hypertension is exposure to cigarette smoke. Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between cigarette smoke exposure and the incidence of hypertension in housewives in houses in Dampit village. Methods: This research adopted an analytical observational approach. This was a cross-sectional design study. The population for this study was all housewives in Dampit village in March 2020. A total number of 115 housewives was selected using the cluster proportional random sampling technique. The dependent variable was the incidence of hypertension; the independent variables were the duration of cigarette smoke exposure in houses, the number of instances contact was made by being in close proximity to smokers, and the contact duration with smokers. Data collection was done by interviewing respondents using a questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using frequency tables and Epi Info. Results: The study indicated that there was a relationship between the duration of cigarette smoke exposure (over 33 years) in houses with the incidence of hypertension in housewives (p=0.01; OR=3.52; 95%CI=1.53–8.05). Similarly, there was a relationship established between the number of occasions contact was made by being in close proximity to smokers every day (over three times every day) (p=0.01; OR=36; 95%CI=7.64–168.76) and the contact duration with smokers (p=0.01; OR=8.09; 95%CI=3.13–20.87) with the incidence of hypertension in housewives. Conclusion: There was a link between the duration of cigarette smoke exposure in houses, the number of instances of being in close proximity to smokers every day, and the contact duration with smokers with the incidence of hypertension in housewives in Dampit village.

With increasing acceptance of performance-based design principles in the field of fire safety, it is imperative to accurately define the behaviour of materials during fire exposure. Real-world fire events, otherwise referred to as natural fires, are defined by four characteristics: heating rate, maximum temperature, exposure duration, and cooling rate. Each of these four characteristics influences concrete's behaviour in a different manner. In this paper, the available experimental work for concrete, tested at elevated temperatures, is examined to identify the influence of the four natural fire characteristics on concrete compressive strength. This review focuses on normal strength concrete tests only, omitting parameters such as unique additives and confinement. The intent is to provide a fundamental understanding of normal strength concrete. The findings show that maximum temperature and cooling rates have a significant influence on concrete strength. Exposure duration has a moderate impact, particularly at shorter durations. Variable rates of heating have minimal influence on strength. Detailed conclusions are provided along with review limitations, practical considerations for designers, and future research needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tractor is the main element of agricultural mechanization. However, the use of tractors has some problems, including noise emissions. The exhaust system in tractors is responsible in addition to the transmission of gases released from combustion into the atmosphere, reducing engine noise. In this study, a combined resistance exhaust system was used to reduce noise emission in two common tractors in Iran (285 and 299 Massey-Ferguson tractors). Noise emission was measured and compared in ordinary and combined resistance exhaust systems. The tests of this study were carried out based on international standards for product noise emissions (ISO 7216 and ISO 5131) taking into account the type of the exhaust system, the position of the microphone, engine speed (rpm) and gear position. The number of tests for each tractor reached 72, which consisted of 24 treatments replicated three times. The data obtained were analyzed in the form of a factorial test which was based on a completely randomized design. The results showed that the effect of the main factors of engine speed, gear position, type of exhaust and microphone position on the noise emitted from the tractors was significant at 1% probability level. In all treatments, the combined resistance exhaust system reduced the sound pressure level and increased allowable driver exposure time compared to the ordinary exhaust system.

Agricultural machineries as one of the main inputs in producing agricultural materials are associated with some problems on occupational health such as vibrations. At the lowest level, vibrations cause different diseases such as those affecting blood vessels, nerves, muscles, etc. The aim of this study was to determine and investigate the seat vibrations in John Deere 1055I combine harvester at different conditions. The experiments were carried out based on ISO 2631 and the Iranian standard number 14133. The tests were done at different engine revolutions and gear ratios with three replications. The collected data were analyzed considering factorial experiments based on completely randomized design. The results of variance analysis related to the effect of the main factors on combine seat vibrations showed a significant difference at the probability level of 1%. Effect of engine revolutions on vibration of the combine seat was higher than that of shifting gears. By calculating the allowable exposure time, there was concluded that for the first and second gears at the engine revolution of 1800 rpm and the first gear at the revolution of 2500 rpm, operators can easily drive the combine harvester for eight hours every day without any problems. The results of this study can be used to optimize the components affecting the vibration of the combine seat.

The aim of the present study is to highlight the effect of two commonly used plastics, polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), on the quality and health indices of soil. To this end, a pot experiment was carried out using two soils, one acidic and one alkaline. The soil samples were collected from rural areas of central and Northern Greece and had similar particle size composition and almost equal copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) concentrations. PE and PET microplastics (MPs) were added into the soil samples in two ratios (2% and 4% v/v) and remained in the soils for 20, 60 and 120 days. Then, the changes in the properties, nutrients, potentially toxic elements and health indicators of the soil samples were measured. PE addition at 4% v/v caused the maximum increase in trace element availability when it remained in the soil sample for 120 days. In contrast, PET addition caused a maximum decrease in the DTPA-extractable concentration of toxic elements (Cd and Pb), after 120 days of incubation in acid and alkaline soil. The present work provides a fresh perspective evaluating MPs from unwanted waste to materials with potential positive benefits, enhancing the circular economy approach to soil systems. Knowledge of the MPs present in soils, along with physicochemical soil properties, including their nutrient and toxic element content, are critical aspects that need to be addressed to ensure that soil quality and health are not adversely affected., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This research demonstrates the importance of thin slices of information in ad and brand evaluation, with important implications for advertising research and management. Three controlled experiments, two in the behavioral lab and one in the field, with exposure durations ranging from very brief (100 msec) to very long (30 sec), demonstrate that advertising evaluation critically depends on the duration of ad exposure and on how ads convey which product and brand they promote, but in surprising ways. The experiments show that upfront ads, which instantly convey what they promote, are evaluated positively after brief but also after longer exposure durations. Mystery ads, which suspend conveying what they promote, are evaluated negatively after brief but positively after longer exposure durations. False front ads, which initially convey another identity than what they promote, are evaluated positively after brief exposures but negatively after longer exposure durations. Bayesian mediation analysis demonstrates that the feeling of knowing what the ad promotes accounts for these ad-type effects on evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with an increased risk of menstrual disorders and infertility. This study examined the relationships between the levels and duration of air pollution exposure and the risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) using Korean population-based cohort data (2015–2019). Real-time data on PM10, PM2.5, O3, CO, SO2, and NO2 were provided by the Korean Ministry of Environment. The average monthly air pollutant concentration from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018 was analyzed. To assess individual-level exposure to air pollutants, a spatial prediction model and an area-averaging approach were used. In total, 237,582 PCOS cases were analyzed. The annual age-adjusted PCOS incidence was 6.70, 8.28, 9.73, 11.58, and 11.97% from 2015–2019, respectively. The PCOS risk increased 1.29–1.32, 1.43–1.52, and 1.32-fold following exposure to the 2-year and 3-year average levels of PM2.5, O3, and NO2, respectively, compared to their 1-year average levels. The PCOS risk increased 1.75-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.66–1.85) in the fourth-quartile for the NO2 level. Increased SO2 and CO levels in the second- and third-quartiles were also associated with an increased PCOS risk. Exposure to air pollutants thus increased the risk for PCOS in the Korean population.

Tulving and colleagues (1964) pioneered the study of word recognition by investigating the influence of exposure duration and context length on accurate word identification. The present experiment aimed to replicate the original methodology with modern technology and a demographically heterogeneous sample. Male and female participants (n = 58) between 18-69 years with varying levels of education and who identified English or French as their dominant language were randomly assigned to a context length condition containing either 0, 2, 4, or 8 words from specific sentences. Participants were shown 18 target words for 16.67 ms and asked to type the target word after each one was presented. Participants were then instructed to type each target word in a corresponding fragmented sentence which varied in length according to the number of context words presented (0-, 2-, 4-, or 8-word context). The procedure was repeated for 6 subsequent exposure durations (33.33, 50.00, 66.67, 83.33, 100.00, and 116.67 ms). Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated a significant effect of exposure duration and context length on accurate recall (p < .002). These results corroborate those found by Tulving et al. (1964). No significant interaction was observed between these two variables on recall accuracy (p > .05) compared to what was demonstrated by Tulving et al. (1964). This suggests that the robust memory enhancing effects of longer exposure durations during encoding and longer context lengths during retrieval are reliably observed across a diverse participant sample. To improve generalizability, follow-up studies should use a larger participant sample to determine how demographic factors, including age, sex, education, and language, may influence the effects of exposure duration and context length on word recognition in recall tasks.

Background: The ability of cooling period to adjust muscle strength between gender and BMI (Body Mass Index) classification is not well understood, and the use of local cooling as a muscle strength technique is not well acknowledged. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of local cooling for 30s to 15 min with an ice pack technique on hand grip strength in healthy young adults depending on their gender and BMI classification. Methods: Total participants in this study were 62 active young adults (aged 20.08 ±0.5 years old, BMI of 20.30 ±1.9 kg/m²) to evaluate the effect of an ice pack (10-15°C) on their dominant wrist flexor muscles (1/3 proximal part). Grip strength (kg) was measured with a hand-held dynamometer before cooling as a baseline, at 30s and 15 min after cooling. The variations in grip strength depending on time were evaluated using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Grip strength was determined to be slightly lower in females after 30s and 15 min of cooling differentiated to the baseline (p < 0.001); this was not found in males. After cooling, BMI classification revealed association to changes in grip strength; specifically, a significant lowering in grip strength was monitored in the normal-weight category (p < 0.001). Limitations: In this study, subject's skin temperature was not controlled, and the menstrual cycle in female participants was not monitored even though it could have affected the results. Conclusion: Grip strength was significantly correlated with cooling in the female and normal-weight groups. This result suggests that the effects of ice pack cooling on grip strength are dependent on the characteristics of the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether implicit detection occurs uniformly during change blindness with single or combination feature stimuli, and whether implicit detection is affected by exposure duration and delay, two one-shot change detection experiments are designed. The implicit detection effect is measured by comparing the reaction times (RTs) of baseline trials, in which stimulus exhibits no change and participants report “same,” and change blindness trials, in which the stimulus exhibits a change but participants report “same.” If the RTs of blindness trials are longer than those of baseline trials, implicit detection has occurred. The strength of the implicit detection effect was measured by the difference in RTs between the baseline and change blindness trials, where the larger the difference, the stronger the implicit detection effect. In both Experiments 1 and 2, the results showed that the RTs of change blindness trials were significantly longer than those of baseline trials. Whether under set size 4, 6, or 8, the RTs of the change blindness trials were significantly longer than those in the baseline trials. In Experiment 1, the difference between the baseline trials’ RTs and change blindness trials’ RTs of the single features was significantly larger than that of the combination features. However, in Experiment 2, the difference between the baseline trials’ RTs and the change blindness trials’ RTs of single features was significantly smaller than that of the combination features. In Experiment 1a, when the exposure duration was shorter, the difference between the baseline and change blindness trials’ RTs was smaller. In Experiment 2, when the delay was longer, the difference between the two trials’ RTs was larger. These results suggest that regardless of whether the change occurs in a single or a combination of features and whether there is a long exposure duration or delay, implicit detection occurs uniformly during the change blindness period. Moreover, longer exposure durations and delays strengthen the implicit detection effect. Set sizes had no significant impact on implicit detection.

To investigate whether implicit detection occurs uniformly during change blindness with single or combination feature stimuli, and whether implicit detection is affected by exposure duration and delay, two one-shot change detection experiments are designed. The implicit detection effect is measured by comparing the reaction times (RTs) of baseline trials, in which stimulus exhibits no change and participants report "same," and change blindness trials, in which the stimulus exhibits a change but participants report "same." If the RTs of blindness trials are longer than those of baseline trials, implicit detection has occurred. The strength of the implicit detection effect was measured by the difference in RTs between the baseline and change blindness trials, where the larger the difference, the stronger the implicit detection effect. In both Experiments 1 and 2, the results showed that the RTs of change blindness trials were significantly longer than those of baseline trials. Whether under set size 4, 6, or 8, the RTs of the change blindness trials were significantly longer than those in the baseline trials. In Experiment 1, the difference between the baseline trials' RTs and change blindness trials' RTs of the single features was significantly larger than that of the combination features. However, in Experiment 2, the difference between the baseline trials' RTs and the change blindness trials' RTs of single features was significantly smaller than that of the combination features. In Experiment 1a, when the exposure duration was shorter, the difference between the baseline and change blindness trials' RTs was smaller. In Experiment 2, when the delay was longer, the difference between the two trials' RTs was larger. These results suggest that regardless of whether the change occurs in a single or a combination of features and whether there is a long exposure duration or delay, implicit detection occurs uniformly during the change blindness period. Moreover, longer exposure durations and delays strengthen the implicit detection effect. Set sizes had no significant impact on implicit detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tractor is the main element of agricultural mechanization. However, the use of tractors has some problems, including noise emissions. The exhaust system in tractors is responsible in addition to the transmission of gases released from combustion into the atmosphere, reducing engine noise. In this study, a combined resistance exhaust system was used to reduce noise emission in two common tractors in Iran (285 and 299 Massey-Ferguson tractors). Noise emission was measured and compared in ordinary and combined resistance exhaust systems. The tests of this study were carried out based on international standards for product noise emissions (ISO 7216 and ISO 5131) taking into account the type of the exhaust system, the position of the microphone, engine speed (rpm) and gear position. The number of tests for each tractor reached 72, which consisted of 24 treatments replicated three times. The data obtained were analyzed in the form of a factorial test which was based on a completely randomized design. The results showed that the effect of the main factors of engine speed, gear position, type of exhaust and microphone position on the noise emitted from the tractors was significant at 1% probability level. In all treatments, the combined resistance exhaust system reduced the sound pressure level and increased allowable driver exposure time compared to the ordinary exhaust system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to identify experimental limits of the general reciprocity hypothesis that the same photo-cure outcomes will result from applying essentially constant energy densities, despite reciprocal variations in the irradiance and irradiation time-period, for a representative set of bulk fill (BF) and non-BF resin composites. Six BF and two non-BF resin-composites were selected. The unset pastes were inserted into white acetal molds (5 mm id) with (n = 6) depths (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 mm). Three light curing units (LCUs) of increasing radiant emittance capability: 1200, 2000 and 3200 mW/cm2 were used. Composite specimen groups (n = 3, per depth, per LCU) were irradiated on the upper surface only. For each specific composite, the irradiation times for each LCU were reduced reciprocally, as the LCU irradiance increased, to deliver a constant energy density (J/cm2) to that composite. However, the required energy density for a given composite differed in accordance with each composite manufacturer recommendations. After storing for 24 h at 37 °C, light transmission measurements were made through each specimen and re-expressed as Apparent Absorbance (A ′). Vickers hardness (H V) measurements (n = 10) were made on both top and bottom surfaces, for each specimen, and H V versus "depth" profile plots created. From the top-surface data, a Depth-of-Cure parameter could be derived. Data were statistically evaluated for differences between top and bottom H V values and for other predefined variables of interest. Irradiation with the LCU of 1200 mW/cm2 generally gave the highest H V /depth for most materials tested compared to the other curing lights with higher power output, regardless of top and bottom measurements (p < 0.001). However, this difference was material-dependent. With one BF composite, 1200 and 2000 mW/cm2 irradiance did not show a significant difference between top and bottom H V. Composites with higher translucency showed reduced differences in top/bottom H V than more opaque composites. Reciprocity was found to be limited with most materials examined, such that irradiance periods of 10 s, gave generally better H V outcomes than by using LCUs of superior radiant emittance while reciprocally reducing irradiance time to maintain constant dose of energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effects of pre-heating time and exposure duration on the degree of conversion (DC), maximum rate of polymerization (RP max), polymerization shrinkage strain (PS) and surface micro-hardness (VHN) of Viscalor. Viscalor syringes were pre-heated using a Caps Warmer (VOCO, Germany) in T3 mode (at 68 °C) for 30 s (T3-30s) and 3 min (T3-3min) and then the composite paste was extruded into appropriately sized molds. Light irradiation was applied at zero distance from the upper surface with a LED-LCU of mean irradiance 1200 mW/cm2 for either 20 or 40 s. The real-time polymerization kinetics and DC at 5 min and 24 h post-irradiation (DC 5min and DC 24h) were measured using ATR-FTIR (n = 3). PS was obtained with the bonded-disk technique (n = 3). Top and bottom Vickers micro-hardness (VHN top and VHN bottom) were measured at 5 min post-irradiation and after 24 h dry storage (n = 5). Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, independent t -test and Tukey post hoc tests (p < 0.05). Polymerization kinetic curves of Viscalor from 0 to 15 min were similar for different pre-heating times and exposure durations. Pre-heated Viscalor (T3-30s and T3-3min) with 40 s exposure had greater VHN top and VHN bottom than for Viscalor (no heat) (p < 0.05). Exposure duration did not significantly affect DC, RP max and PS (p > 0.05). After 24 h storage, DC and VHN increased. Pre-heating did not increase the DC 24h , relative to no pre-heating (p > 0.05). Two-way ANOVA showed that there was no significant interaction between pre-heating time and exposure duration (p > 0.05). Increasing irradiation time from 20 to 40 s did not affect DC, RP max or PS, but increased VHN top. Composite pre-heating had no adverse effect through any premature polymerization. For Viscalor , 3 min pre-heating and 20 s irradiation were sufficient to provide adequate hardness, without increasing PS or compromising polymerization kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spilled into an aquatic environment produces oil droplet and dissolved component concentrations and compositions that are highly variable in space and time. Toxic effects on aquatic biota vary with sensitivity of the organism, concentration, composition, environmental conditions, and frequency and duration of exposure to the mixture of oil-derived dissolved compounds. For a range of spill (surface, subsea, blowout) and oil types under different environmental conditions, modeling of oil transport, fate, and organism behavior was used to quantify expected exposures over time for planktonic, motile, and stationary organisms. Different toxicity models were applied to these exposure time histories to characterize the influential roles of composition, concentration, and duration of exposure on aquatic toxicity. Misrepresenting these roles and exposures can affect results by orders of magnitude. Well-characterized laboratory studies for <24-hour exposures are needed to improve toxicity predictions of the typically short-term exposures that characterize spills. • Oil spills produce highly variable water column oil and dissolved concentrations. • Differential weathering and partitioning yields highly variable compositions. • Duration of exposure to aquatic biota is typically on the time scale of hours. • Oil transport, fate and exposure modeling demonstrates dynamic exposures. • Toxicity predictions ignoring dynamics and based on total measured compounds are inaccurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Doppler mode ultrasound is widely used in prenatal scanning and known to produce a higher acoustic output which later leads to higher heat energy conversion compared to other ultrasound modes. It has been reported that the use of Doppler imaging might increase the temperature of tissues, thus, when Doppler is used in combination with 2D ultrasound, the risks of bioeffects tend to increase more. It is also known that prolonged exposure to ultrasound during pregnancy can cause irreversible biological destructions to the fetus. Despite the benefits of using Doppler ultrasound, its potential adverse effects have received scant attention in the research literature. Therefore, this study aimed to examine a correlation between gestational stages (GS) and newborn rabbit's body weight at different prenatal Doppler ultrasound exposure durations. Methods: Twelve pregnant New Zealand white rabbits (NZWR) were exposed once using three different Doppler ultrasound exposure durations (30, 60, 90 minutes exposure) at three different GSs (1st, 2nd, and 3rd GS). After delivery, the mean weights of the 62 newborns were statistically analysed. Results: Strong negative and positive correlation between newborn's body weight at different GSs and Doppler ultrasound exposure durations with a significant result found in 60 minutes exposure (p = <0.01) and 90 minutes exposure (p = <0.01), respectively. Conclusion: It can be concluded that longer Doppler ultrasound exposure may lead to significant results onto the newborn rabbits' body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many years scientist try to explore the connection between air pollution and its influence on human health and after numerous conducted researches they came up with the clear evidence that air pollution has a significant impact on overall health and especially on stroke. In the Global Burden of Disease Study, it has emerged as a significant contributor to the global stroke burden, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, these and some other researches have suggested a closer link between air pollution and ischemic stroke, due to huge diversity of the results of numerous other studies, for drawing definitive conclusions, further research is still needed. Due to the complexity of stroke with its types and subtypes, the results of their reaction to air pollution differ. Some studies have shown the link between cardioembolic stroke and AP, others with SAH but not with intracerebral haemorrhage. There was a suggestion that nitrogen dioxide exposure might be associated with stroke caused by small vessel disease, while other studies are not reporting any association of AP and the risk of ischemic stroke. In some studies, AP was more affecting young adults and in some, it was more pronounced in women. Some studies reported a more clear link between AP and recent stroke in patients with other risk factors like diabetes and previous stroke. Studies have varied by the concentration and types of pollutants studied, which vary geographically, as well as by duration to AP exposure being short- or long-term, and in some studies being present only during warm seasons. Regulations have improved air quality in many countries in Europe and the United States, resulting in greater life expectancy, which highlights the continued importance of further efforts in that direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming appears to favour smaller-bodied organisms, but whether larger species are also more vulnerable to thermal extremes, as suggested for past mass-extinction events, is still an open question. Here, we tested whether interspecific differences in thermal tolerance (heat and cold) of ectotherm organisms are linked to differences in their body mass and genome size (as a proxy for cell size). Since the vulnerability of larger, aquatic taxa to warming has been attributed to the oxygen limitation hypothesis, we also assessed how body mass and genome size modulate thermal tolerance in species with contrasting breathing modes, habitats and life stages. A database with the upper (CTmax) and lower (CTmin) critical thermal limits and their methodological aspects was assembled comprising more than 500 species of ectotherms. Our results demonstrate that thermal tolerance in ectotherms is dependent on body mass and genome size and these relationships became especially evident in prolonged experimental trials where energy efficiency gains importance. During long-term trials, CTmax was impaired in larger-bodied water-breathers, consistent with a role for oxygen limitation. Variation in CTmin was mostly explained by the combined effects of body mass and genome size and it was enhanced in larger-celled, air-breathing species during long-term trials, consistent with a role for depolarization of cell membranes. Our results also highlight the importance of accounting for phylogeny and exposure duration. Especially when considering long-term trials, the observed effects on thermal limits are more in line with the warming-induced reduction in body mass observed during long-term rearing experiments. This article is part of the theme issue 'Physiological diversity, biodiversity patterns and global climate change: testing key hypotheses involving temperature and oxygen'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]