Olfactory stimulation with volatile terpenes has been associated with modulation of human brain activity; however, sex-dependent neurophysiological responses to terpene-derived aromas remain unclear. This study investigated cortical responses to orange- and pine-derived terpene aromas using relative spectral power analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) rhythms and standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA). Volatile and odor-active compounds were characterized using an electronic nose (E-nose) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O), indicating terpene-dominant profiles in both aroma samples. EEG recordings were obtained before, during, and after aroma inhalation. Significant sex-dependent differences in cortical responses were observed. In males, orange aroma induced significant increases in relative beta- and gamma-band power, particularly in the temporal and occipital regions. In females, pine aroma produced a significant increase in relative beta-band power, mainly in the frontal and occipital regions. sLORETA analysis further revealed distinct cortical activation patterns associated with aroma type and sex. These findings indicate that terpene-based olfactory stimulation differentially modulates cortical EEG responses in males and females, providing neurophysiological evidence for sex-dependent processing of olfactory stimuli.

This study evaluates the potential of daidai flower essential oil (DFEO) (Citrus aurantium var. daidai) as a natural preservative for fresh leafy vegetables. The chemical composition of DFEO was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealing a neroli-type profile dominated by linalool (42.8%), limonene (19.9%), and linalyl acetate (15.3%). The tested batch of DFEO exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, with Gram-positive bacteria showing the highest susceptibility. In situ experiments in model food systems confirmed concentration-dependent antimicrobial effects, with inhibition values reaching up to 89.47%. The application of DFEO in combination with vacuum packaging significantly improved the microbiological quality of fresh arugula during refrigerated storage (4°C, 14 days), reducing coliform bacteria by 1.26 log CFU/g compared with untreated controls. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis of culture-dependent bacterial isolates revealed a dominance of Pseudomonas spp., which are key contributors to spoilage of leafy vegetables. Although DFEO also demonstrated insecticidal activity against stored-product pests, its primary relevance lies in its antimicrobial efficacy in food systems. These findings demonstrate that DFEO has potential as a natural preservative for fresh produce, particularly when combined with vacuum packaging, contributing to improved microbiological quality of minimally processed vegetables during refrigerated storage.

Accumulation of end-of-life plastic is a global environmental problem. Plastics are widely used in oil and gas infrastructure and bring considerable benefits while in service. However, the environmental consequences of end-of-life decommissioning scenarios are largely unknown. Using the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) as a case study we estimate the mass of plastics deployed in subsea pipelines, quantify degradation and estimate the rate of microplastic generation. Recognising that the relatively slow rate of any subsequent mineralisation leads to an accumulation of plastic particles in the marine environment, we then apply a novel approach using Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC) analysis to estimate potential environmental risks of decommissioning in situ. We demonstrate physical and chemical degradation of oil and gas plastics after 22 years in the UKCS. Available data indicated 121,000 tonnes of plastics may be decommissioned in situ, and we estimate that depending on environmental conditions their degradation could generate 4.5-500 tonnes of microplastics annually. Our lowest release scenario is a similar order of magnitude to the annual releases of microplastics to the North Sea from UK rivers and our highest is considerably more than annual microbead releases from cosmetics prior to the UK ban. Moreover, our PNEC analysis indicates microplastics generated from legacy oil and gas plastics have the potential to harm marine life. Despite uncertainties in absolute levels of microplastics generated from oil and gas legacy plastics we recommend they are formally integrated into decommissioning decision-making and into planning and consenting of new installations, including offshore renewable energy infrastructure.

Organ transplantation provides a life-saving intervention for patients with end-stage lung disease; however, access to this treatment remains limited by the shortage of donor organs. Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a platform that enables surgeons to assess extended-criteria for donor lungs prior to transplantation and has safely expanded the donor pool. Yet current EVLP biochemical assessments rely on intermittent manual sampling and fail to capture dynamic metabolic changes. Here we present MetaboSense, a first-of-its-kind microfluidic platform for continuous, real-time, multiplexed monitoring of glucose and lactate-key metabolites that report on donor lung metabolism-during EVLP. The system integrates a bead-based, quantum dot-mediated aptamer assay with modular microfluidics for in-line biomarker measurement. MetaboSense achieves limits of detection of 0.74 mM (glucose) and 1.19 mM (lactate) with analytical precision (R[2] > 0.97). Clinical validation across eleven EVLP cases demonstrates strong correlation with gold-standard arterial blood gas measurements. In-line deployment within an EVLP circuit during perfusion of porcine lungs confirms MetaboSense's ability to track metabolite fluctuations with 60-s temporal resolution. This platform eliminates labor-intensive sampling and provides unprecedented granularity in lung metabolomics during EVLP, representing an important step toward real-time EVLP analytics and improved organ selection and transplant outcomes.

Coastal port environments along the Red Sea-Suez Canal corridor face intensifying multi-stressor pressures, yet integrated seawater-sediment-human-health assessments of toxicologically distinct trace elements remain scarce. In this study, arsenic (As), selenium (Se), tin (Sn) and mercury (Hg) were quantified in surface seawater (n = 38) and surficial sediments (n = 19) across six Egyptian ports (Port Tawfiq, Zayteiat, Hurghada, Safaga, Nuweibaa and Sharm El-Sheikh). Six contamination and ecological-risk indices (CF, Igeo, PLI, MPI, Er and RI) were integrated with a USEPA-compliant human health risk assessment and multivariate source apportionment to disentangle natural and anthropogenic signatures. Dissolved As exhibited a pronounced and biogeochemically coherent seasonal inversion, with winter concentrations (8.82 ± 1.04 µg L[-1]) 3.2-fold higher than summer values (2.76 ± 0.53 µg L[-1]; p < 0.001), whereas Se followed the opposite trend (summer > winter; p < 0.001). All stations fell within the "low" ecological-risk category, with sediment-based indices uniformly low (PLI = 0.07-0.47; RI = 3.6-22.4). Critically, non-carcinogenic hazard indices for children exceeded unity at all six ports (HI = 1.13-1.57), driven predominantly (> 92%) by As, an exceedance that would be masked by adult-only assessment (HI = 0.50-0.67). Total carcinogenic risk remained within the acceptable 10[-6]-10[-4] range. Principal component analysis and inter-element correlations (r ≥ 0.84, p < 0.001) resolved two anthropogenic clusters: a legacy antifouling-paint (Sn-As-Hg) signature at high-traffic ports persisting over a decade after the 2008 IMO organotin ban, and petroleum-related Se enrichment at the Zayteiat oil terminal. These findings highlight the necessity of age-stratified exposure assessment and sustained multi-compartment monitoring as Suez Canal traffic intensifies.

Lung cancer ranks among the most prevalent and deadly malignant tumors globally, posing a significant threat to human health. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), as an emerging persistent organic pollutant, has attracted widespread attention due to its extensive presence in the environment. However, the effect of PFNA on lung cancer development and its molecular mechanism have not been reported. This study utilized A549 and H1299 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines to examine the toxicological impact of environmentally relevant PFNA concentrations. The results showed that PFNA exposure significantly enhanced the proliferative capacity of A549 and H1299 cells. Further studies revealed that PFNA promoted fatty acid uptake in lung cancer cells, and detection of fatty acid transporter expression showed that CD36 expression was significantly upregulated. PFNA facilitated the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that PFNA promotes fatty acid uptake by upregulating CD36 expression, thereby activating the mTOR signaling pathway. PFNA notably enhanced lung cancer cells' resistance to cisplatin-induced ferroptosis. In-depth mechanistic studies found that PFNA inhibits cisplatin-induced ferroptosis by promoting GPX4 expression. In vivo animal models confirmed that PFNA exposure promotes lung cancer progression. This study identifies a novel mechanism where environmentally relevant PFNA concentrations affect lung cancer cell proliferation by modulating fatty acid metabolism, offering insights for assessing PFNA-related lung cancer risk and potential targets for prevention and treatment. This study investigates the role of PFNA in lung cancer, focusing on its interaction with CD36 and the mTOR signaling pathway.

A search is presented for massive narrow-width resonances in the mass range of 1-4.5 Te V , decaying into pairs of Higgs bosons (HH). The search uses proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 Te V collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC during 2016-2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb - 1 . The analysis targets final states where one Higgs boson decays into a pair of bottom quarks and the other into a pair of tau leptons, X → HH → b b ¯ τ + τ - . It uses a single large radius jet to reconstruct the H → b b ¯ decay, while the H → τ + τ - decay products can either be contained within a single large radius jet or appear as two isolated tau leptons. The observed data are consistent with standard model background expectations. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section for resonant HHproduction for masses between 1 and 4.5 Te V . This analysis sets the most sensitive limits to date on X → HH → b b ¯ τ + τ - decays in the mass range of 1.4-4.5 Te V .

Commercial instant coffees with different coffee bean varieties (Arabica 100% and Arabica-Robusta) and added sweeteners were analyzed for physicochemical properties and flavor patterns using instrumental and human sensory analyses through chemometric approaches. Analysis of physicochemical properties revealed chlorogenic acid and glucose (scores ≥ 1). Flavor analysis using electronic sensors and chemometric approaches revealed that samples were mainly distinguished by the type of added sweetener, with alcohols, pyrazines, and furans (scores ≥ 1).Odor-active compound (OAC) analysis based on gas chromatography-olfactometry revealed that black coffee exhibited the highest aroma intensity. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), integrating sensory data with taste active values (TAVs) and odor active values (OAVs) clearly separated black coffee from sugar-added samples, and debiased sparse partial correlation (DSPC) algorithm revealed direct chemical-sensory associations driven by sweeteners addition. These findings provide fundamental insights into understanding the effects of sweetener addition on flavor characteristics.

Structural evolution driven by coalification is an essential force regulating the development of nanopores in coal matrices and CO2 adsorption behavior. However, bridging the characterization gap from the atomic-scale skeleton to macroscopic pore heterogeneity and elucidating the driving mechanism by which structural evolution governs gas occurrence remain core challenges for gas-solid multiscale interactions under complex geological conditions. In this study, three coal samples representing typical evolutionary stages (lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite) were selected to establish a multiscale research framework combining experimental characterization and molecular simulation. Atomic-scale three-dimensional macromolecular models were constructed using elemental analysis, 13C NMR, and XPS. Nanopores were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and low-temperature (273 K) CO2 adsorption, and pore evolution was quantitatively analyzed on the basis of the Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) model and multifractal theory. Furthermore, grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to unravel the coupled adsorption-diffusion mechanism of CO2 at the molecular scale. The results show that coalification is essentially a synergistic restructuring of the macromolecular skeleton through aromatization and deoxygenation, driving a topological transition of nanopores from "open and connected" to "microporous-dominated, dense, and isolated". With increasing coal rank, micropore volume and specific surface area exhibit a U-shaped evolution, and anthracite develops abundant ultramicropores (<0.7 nm) but with a strong size-exclusion effect due to "bottleneck" pores. The CO2 adsorption capacity follows a U-shaped curve, with the mechanism shifting from the chemical affinity of functional groups in low-rank coals to the micropore confinement-induced "anchoring effect" in high-rank coals, where the adsorption characteristic energy reaches 7.16 kJ/mol. Diffusion dynamics are controlled by the competition between "spatial gain" and "energy trap", and the self-diffusion coefficient D shows a nonmonotonic "high-low-medium" variation. This study reveals, at the molecular scale, the differential regulation of gas-solid interactions by coal rank evolution, providing key physical criteria for deep coalbed CO2 storage and efficient coalbed methane development.

Lead (Pb) exposure remains a persistent environmental health concern even after the global phase-out of leaded gasoline. This study synthesized 27,780 vegetable Pb concentration records from 71 countries (1981-2023), integrating peer-reviewed literature, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Food Safety Collaborative Platform (FOSCOLLAB) database, and national Total Diet Studies under a unified analytical framework. Spatial and temporal patterns of vegetable Pb contamination were characterized before and after leaded gasoline phase-out across four vegetable groups (fruiting, leafy, legumes, and root, tuber, and stem vegetables). Statistical associations between vegetable Pb concentrations and 16 macro-scale environmental and anthropogenic variables were examined using Pearson correlation and multivariable regression. Dietary exposure was assessed using the Margin of Exposure approach with population-specific consumption data. The compiled data revealed a pronounced monitoring imbalance: monitoring records were concentrated in high-income regions, while many low- and middle-income countries were represented mainly by literature-derived data. Post-ban vegetable Pb concentrations remained spatially heterogeneous, with low median values in North America, Western Europe, and Oceania but localized elevated concentrations in parts of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Among the macro-scale predictors, PM2.5 showed the most consistent positive association with vegetable Pb concentrations across all vegetable groups. In the available post-ban dataset, exposure-based assessment identified five countries where the estimated daily intake (EDI) for adults exceeded the adult point-of-departure (POD) value of 1.2 μg·kg[-1]·bw·day[-1], and one country where child EDI exceeded the child POD value of 0.6 μg·kg[-1]·bw·day[-1]. Temporal comparison further showed that concentration reductions did not necessarily translate into proportional reductions in dietary exposure when vegetable consumption patterns changed. These findings support complementing concentration-based standards with exposure-based surveillance that accounts for evolving dietary patterns and highlight the need for strengthened food-contaminant monitoring in underrepresented regions.

Studying organochlorinated compounds in coastal sediments is necessary because these substances are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic, and still detectable decades after their ban, whereas sediments act as long-term archives of pollution and as secondary sources that can remobilize contaminants into marine ecosystems. Herein, we provide for the first time a comprehensive overview of pollution levels and potential sources of a broad range of organochlorine pesticides (24 substances) and polychlorinated biphenyls (25 substances) in coastal sediments of Greece. Surface sediments from 48 coastal areas were collected during March 2023 and March 2024 and analyzed for a wide range of chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls using gas chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry. The results revealed a significant spatial variability in pollution levels consistent with the heterogeneous anthropogenic pressures along the Greek coastline. Total pesticide concentrations varied between 0.01 and 0.75 ng g[-1], while total polychlorinated biphenyls ranged from 0.01 to 50.7 ng g[-1]. The Saronikos Gulf was by far the most polluted region, while stations in the Aegean Sea and southern Crete were found to be the least affected ones, and could be accounted as representative of background organochlorine levels. Considering the fact that the studied legacy organic contaminants remain detectable in Greek coastal sediments decades after their prohibition, the current dataset provides a valuable baseline for monitoring their temporal trends in future sampling surveys, ensuring long-term environmental management, ecosystem quality protection and sustainable coastal development, especially in urbanized and industrialized embayments of Greece and beyond.