Sample records for dimethyl phthalate dmp

  1. Impacts of dimethyl phthalate on the bacterial community and functions in black soils

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Zhi-Gang; Hu, Yun-Long; Xu, Wei-Hui; Liu, Shuai; Hu, Ying; Zhang, Ying

    2015-01-01

    Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), a known endocrine disruptor and one of the phthalate esters (PAEs), is a ubiquitous pollutant. Its impacts on living organisms have aroused great concern. In this study, the impacts of DMP contamination on bacterial communities and functions were tested by using microcosm model in black soils. The results showed that the operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) richness and bacterial diversity were reduced by DMP contamination. The relative percentages of some genera associated with nitrogen metabolism were increased by DMP contamination, while the relative percentages of some other genera that were extremely beneficial to soil health were decreased by DMP contamination. Further, the relative percentages of some genera that possessed the capability to degrade DMP were increased by the DMP treatment at low concentrations (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg), but were decreased by the high concentration DMP treatment (40 mg/kg). Clearly, DMP contamination changed the bacterial community structure and disturbed the metabolic activity and functional diversity of the microbes in black soils. Our results suggest that DMP pollution can alter the metabolism and biodiversity of black soil microorganisms, thereby directly impact fertility and ecosystem functions. PMID:25999932

  2. Treatment of phthalic acid esters by electrocoagulation with stainless steel electrodes using dimethyl phthalate as a model compound.

    PubMed

    Kabdaşli, Işik; Keleş, Asuman; Olmez-Hanci, Tuğba; Tünay, Olcay; Arslan-Alaton, Idil

    2009-11-15

    In this study, treatment of phthalates by electrocoagulation employing stainless steel electrodes was investigated using dimethyl phthalate (DMP) as a model compound. DMP was completely destructed within 30 min up to the high initial concentration of 100mg/L while total mineralization was also obtained within a couple of hours. The applied current density of 22.5 mA/cm(2) and electrolyte (NaCl) concentrations varying between 1000 and 1500 mg/L as chloride resulted in the highest treatment performance. The initial solution pH (2-6) had practically no effect on the process efficiency. Desorption experiments and the reaction rates obtained for DMP, COD and TOC abatements appeared to be a strong evidence of an oxidative removal mechanism. DMP removal fitted first order kinetics. COD and TOC removals began after the total DMP removal and also fitted first order kinetics. Activated sludge inhibition experiments revealed that toxicity could be significantly reduced by electrocoagulation application.

  3. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE TOXICITY OF PHTHALATE ESTERS TO FRESHWATER BENTHOS. 1. AQUEOUS EXPOSURES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Tests were performed with the freshwater invertebrates, Hyalella azteca, Chironomus tentans, and Lumbriculus variegatus to determine the acute toxicity of six phthalate esters, including dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butylbenzyl ph...

  4. Kinetic evaluation and process performance of a fixed film bioreactor removing phthalic acid and dimethyl phthalate.

    PubMed

    Pirsaheb, Meghdad; Mesdaghinia, Ali-Reza; Shahtaheri, Seyed Jamaleddin; Zinatizadeh, Ali Akbar

    2009-08-15

    Phthalate esters are toxic organic contaminants which can enter into the environment through various industrial processes. In this study, a 6-liter fixed film bioreactor was used to examine biodegradation of phthalic acid (PA) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in synthetic wastewater. Effect on the process of two operating factors, namely hydraulic retention time (HRT) (at four levels ranging between 6 and 48 h) and initial phthalate concentrations (at six levels ranging from 10mg to 500 mg/l), was investigated. The process was stable at all operating conditions, except for the condition with influent PA and DMP of 500 mg/l and HRT of 6h. More than 95% removal efficiency was achieved for the conditions with HRT longer than 10h. Remarkable amount of DMP (398 mg/kg of sludge) was adsorbed on the biomass due to its higher hydrophobicity compared to PA (171 mg/kg). The kinetic parameters (mu(m,)K(s), Y and K(d)) were determined and compared for both substrates, PA and DMP.

  5. Biodegradation of Dimethyl Phthalate by Freshwater Unicellular Cyanobacteria.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaohui; Liu, Lincong; Zhang, Siping; Pan, Yan; Li, Jing; Pan, Hongwei; Xu, Shiguo; Luo, Feng

    2016-01-01

    The biodegradation characteristics of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) by three freshwater unicellular organisms were investigated in this study. The findings revealed that all the organisms were capable of metabolizing DMP; among them, Cyanothece sp. PCC7822 achieved the highest degradation efficiency. Lower concentration of DMP supported the growth of the Cyanobacteria; however, with the increase of DMP concentration growth of Cyanobacteria was inhibited remarkably. Phthalic acid (PA) was detected to be an intermediate degradation product of DMP and accumulated in the culture solution. The optimal initial pH value for the degradation was detected to be 9.0, which mitigated the decrease of pH resulting from the production of PA. The optimum temperature for DMP degradation of the three species of organisms is 30°C. After 72 hours' incubation, no more than 11.8% of the residual of DMP aggregated in Cyanobacteria cells while majority of DMP remained in the medium. Moreover, esterase was induced by DMP and the activity kept increasing during the degradation process. This suggested that esterase could assist in the degradation of DMP.

  6. Biodegradation of Dimethyl Phthalate by Freshwater Unicellular Cyanobacteria

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xiaohui; Liu, Lincong; Zhang, Siping; Pan, Yan; Li, Jing; Pan, Hongwei

    2016-01-01

    The biodegradation characteristics of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) by three freshwater unicellular organisms were investigated in this study. The findings revealed that all the organisms were capable of metabolizing DMP; among them, Cyanothece sp. PCC7822 achieved the highest degradation efficiency. Lower concentration of DMP supported the growth of the Cyanobacteria; however, with the increase of DMP concentration growth of Cyanobacteria was inhibited remarkably. Phthalic acid (PA) was detected to be an intermediate degradation product of DMP and accumulated in the culture solution. The optimal initial pH value for the degradation was detected to be 9.0, which mitigated the decrease of pH resulting from the production of PA. The optimum temperature for DMP degradation of the three species of organisms is 30°C. After 72 hours' incubation, no more than 11.8% of the residual of DMP aggregated in Cyanobacteria cells while majority of DMP remained in the medium. Moreover, esterase was induced by DMP and the activity kept increasing during the degradation process. This suggested that esterase could assist in the degradation of DMP. PMID:28078293

  7. Potential toxicity of phthalic acid esters plasticizer: interaction of dimethyl phthalate with trypsin in vitro.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yaping; Zhang, Guowen; Wang, Langhong

    2015-01-14

    Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) is widely used as a plasticizer in industrial processes and has been reported to possess potential toxicity to the human body. In this study, the interaction between DMP and trypsin in vitro was investigated. The results of fluorescence, UV–vis, circular dichroism, and Fourier transform infrared spectra along with cyclic voltammetric measurements indicated that the remarkable fluorescence quenching and conformational changes of trypsin resulted from the formation of a DMP–trypsin complex, which was driven mainly by hydrophobic interactions. The molecular docking and trypsin activity assay showed that DMP primarily interacted with the catalytic triad of trypsin and led to the inhibition of trypsin activity. The dimensions of the individual trypsin molecules were found to become larger after binding with DMP by atomic force microscopy imaging. This study offers a comprehensive picture of DMP–trypsin interaction, which is expected to provide insights into the toxicological effect of DMP.

  8. Biodegradation of dimethyl phthalate by Sphingomonas sp. isolated from phthalic-acid-degrading aerobic granules.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Ping; Moy, Benjamin Yan-Pui; Song, Yong-Hui; Tay, Joo-Hwa

    2008-10-01

    Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) contamination in water, air, and soil is one of the major environmental concerns in many countries. Besides the PAE biodegradation process, the PAE degrading bacteria have become one of the focuses of study. This study reports the successful isolation of one kind of indigenous bacterium PA-02 from phthalic acid (PA)-degrading aerobic granules. Based on its 16S ribosomal DNA sequence, isolate PA-02 was identified as Sphingomonas genus with 100% similarity to Sphingomonas sp. strain D84532. Strain PA-02 was a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium with strong auto-aggregation ability. In particular, the strain PA-02 possessed PAE-degrading ability without acclimation. Results of growth tests showed that strain PA-02 could degrade dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dibutyl phthalate, and diethylhexyl phthalate. The specific degradation rates of DMP and PA were concentration-dependent with maximum values of 0.4 g-DMP g(-1) biomass h(-1) and 1.3 g-PA g(-1) biomass h(-1), respectively. Kinetic studies also revealed that PA-02 was robust under high concentrations of DMP and PA. Even when the PA concentration was increased to 1,000.0 mg l(-1), the specific PA degradation rate was about 0.25 g-PA g(-1) biomass h(-1). The corresponding value for DMP was 0.067 g-DMP g(-1) biomass h(-1) at 1,000 mg l(-1).

  9. Enhanced dimethyl phthalate biodegradation by accelerating phthalic acid di-oxygenation.

    PubMed

    Tang, Yingxia; Zhang, Yongming; Jiang, Ling; Yang, Chao; Rittmann, Bruce E

    2017-12-01

    The aerobic biodegradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) is initiated with two hydrolysis reactions that generate an intermediate, phthalic acid (PA), that is further biodegraded through a two-step di-oxygenation reaction. DMP biodegradation is inhibited when PA accumulates, but DMP's biodegradation can be enhanced by adding an exogenous electron donor. We evaluated the effect of adding succinate, acetate, or formate as an exogenous electron donor. PA removal rates were increased by 15 and 30% for initial PA concentrations of 0.3 and 0.6 mM when 0.15 and 0.30 mM succinate, respectively, were added as exogenous electron donor. The same electron-equivalent additions of acetate and formate had the same acceleration impacts on PA removal. Consequently, the DMP-removal rate, even PA coexisting with DMP simultaneously, was accelerated by 37% by simultaneous addition of 0.3 mM succinate. Thus, lowering the accumulation of PA by addition of an electron increased the rate of DMP biodegradation.

  10. Research on the degradation mechanism of dimethyl phthalate in drinking water by strong ionization discharge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hong, ZHAO; Chengwu, YI; Rongjie, YI; Huijuan, WANG; Lanlan, YIN; I, N. MUHAMMAD; Zhongfei, MA

    2018-03-01

    The degradation mechanism of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in the drinking water was investigated using strong ionization discharge technology in this study. Under the optimized condition, the degradation efficiency of DMP in drinking water was up to 93% in 60 min. A series of analytical techniques including high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, total organic carbon analyzer and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy were used in the study. It was found that a high concentration of ozone (O3) produced by dielectric barrier discharge reactor was up to 74.4 mg l-1 within 60 min. Tert-butanol, isopropyl alcohol, carbonate ions ({{{{CO}}}3}2-) and bicarbonate ions ({{{{HCO}}}3}-) was added to the sample solution to indirectly prove the presence and effect of hydroxyl radicals (·OH). These analytical findings indicate that mono-methyl phthalate, phthalic acid (PA) and methyl ester PA were detected as the major intermediates in the process of DMP degradation. Finally, DMP and all products were mineralized into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) ultimately. Based on these analysis results, the degradation pathway of DMP by strong ionization discharge technology were proposed.

  11. Phthalate induced toxicity in prostate cancer cell lines and effects of alpha lipoic acid.

    PubMed

    Kismali, G; Yurdakok-Dikmen, B; Kuzukiran, O; Arslan, P; Filazi, A

    2017-01-01

    The effects of dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, benzylbutyl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate were investigated on human prostate cancer cell lines DU145 and PC3 in vitro. Standards of dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, di-isobutyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, and di-ethyl hexyl phthalate were used. Alpha lipoic acid was used as antioxidant compound. DU145 and PC3 human prostate carcinoma cells were used. MTT assay were used for cytotoxicity assay. A low dose proliferative effect of phthalates in vitro was observed. With the hypothesis of the inhibition of aerobic glycolysis activity in cancer treatment, α-lipoic acid was applied to cells; where as a contrary to previous studies, no change in the cell proliferation was observed. In combination with ALA, at IC50 and lower doses, an increase of the cytotoxic effect was found for DIBP, DBP and BBP; while for DMP, DEP and DEHP, a decrease was observed for DU145 cells. In PC3 cells, a decrease was observed for DMP, DEP and DBPs; while no significant difference were observed for DEHP, DIBP and BBP. The present study demonstrates preliminary information regarding the low dose proliferative effects of phthalates in prostate cancer in vitro (Tab. 2, Fig. 2, Ref. 65).

  12. A pilot study on association between phthalate exposure and missed miscarriage.

    PubMed

    Yi, H; Gu, H; Zhou, T; Chen, Y; Wang, G; Jin, Y; Yuan, W; Zhao, H; Zhang, L

    2016-05-01

    The incidence of missed miscarriage has been increasing during the past decade in China and the etiology of about half of the cases remains unclear. Exposure to phthalates has been considered as a risk factor. The aim of this paper is to assess the association between exposure to phthalates and missed miscarriage. A case-control study was performed including 150 cases of missed miscarriage and 150 matched controls with normal pregnancies. The levels of phthalate exposure were compared between the two groups by measuring 13 phthalate metabolites in urine samples. Blood samples were collected for serum hormone measurement to assess the relationship between serum hormone level and phthalate exposure. The urinary levels of metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were significantly higher in the cases than in the controls. A strong dose-response relationship was observed between urinary metabolite levels and the odds of missed miscarriage. Monomethyl phthalate (MMP), a metabolite of DMP, and mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), a metabolite of DEHP, each had significant negative correlation with maternal serum hormone levels. In the current study, exposure to DEHP and DMP was found to be associated with missed miscarriage. Interruption of hormone synthesis by DMP and DEHP metabolites represents a plausible mechanism of phthalate reproductive toxicity.

  13. The mutual influence of speciation and combination of Cu and Pb on the photodegradation of dimethyl o-phthalate.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xinshu; Wang, Zhe; Zhang, Yiyue; Wang, Fei; Zhu, Mijia; Yao, Jun

    2016-12-01

    Specific industrial application of dimethyl o-phthalate (DMP) in ore flotation has led to DMP-heavy metals combined pollution, which causes the abiotic degradation of DMP in the environment more complex. This study focused on the effect of Cu and Pb on photodegradation of DMP. The major mechanism of inhibiting effect of Cu and Pb on degradation of DMP involved their speciation and combination. It was found that the Cu (5 mg/L, I = 95.4%) and Pb (5 mg/L, I = 100%) could inhibit the photodegradation of DMP. The main species that inhibit the DMP degradation were Cu(OH) + and Pb(OH) + , respectively. The intensity of the UV-Vis absorbance of DMP was obviously related to the concentration of Cu 2+ (R 2  = 0.8655) or Pb 2+ (R 2  = 0.9019) ions. Fluorescence quenching effect of Cu 2+ (R 2  > 0.9946), Pb 2+ (R 2  > 0.6879) on DMP is strongly correlated with the concentration of ions. And the equilibrium membrane dialysis experiment has also verified the combination of DMP and Cu, Pb. These results are useful to understand the effect mechanism of metal species on the photodegradation of organic chemicals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Decomposition and Mineralization of Dimethyl Phthalate in an Aqueous Solution by Wet Oxidation

    PubMed Central

    Ji, Dar-Ren; Chang, Chia-Chi; Chen, Shih-Yun; Chiu, Chun-Yu; Tseng, Jyi-Yeong; Chang, Ching-Yuan; Chang, Chiung-Fen; Chiang, Sheng-Wei; Hung, Zang-Sie; Shie, Je-Lueng; Yuan, Min-Hao

    2015-01-01

    Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) was treated via wet oxygen oxidation process (WOP). The decomposition efficiency η DMP of DMP and mineralization efficiency η TOC of total organic carbons were measured to evaluate the effects of operation parameters on the performance of WOP. The results revealed that reaction temperature T is the most affecting factor, with a higher T offering higher η DMP and η TOC as expected. The η DMP increases as rotating speed increases from 300 to 500 rpm with stirring enhancement of gas liquid mass transfer. However, it exhibits reduction effect at 700 rpm due to purging of dissolved oxygen by overstirring. Regarding the effects of pressure P T, a higher P T provides more oxygen for the forward reaction with DMP, while overhigh P T increases the absorption of gaseous products such as CO2 and decomposes short-chain hydrocarbon fragments back into the solution thus hindering the forward reaction. For the tested P T of 2.41 to 3.45 MPa, the results indicated that 2.41 MPa is appropriate. A longer reaction time of course gives better performance. At 500 rpm, 483 K, 2.41 MPa, and 180 min, the η DMP and η TOC are 93 and 36%, respectively. PMID:26236768

  15. Performance, kinetic, and biodegradation pathway evaluation of anaerobic fixed film fixed bed reactor in removing phthalic acid esters from wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmadi, Ehsan; Yousefzadeh, Samira; Ansari, Mohsen; Ghaffari, Hamid Reza; Azari, Ali; Miri, Mohammad; Mesdaghinia, Alireza; Nabizadeh, Ramin; Kakavandi, Babak; Ahmadi, Peyman; Badi, Mojtaba Yegane; Gholami, Mitra; Sharafi, Kiomars; Karimaei, Mostafa; Ghoochani, Mahboobeh; Brahmand, Masoud Binesh; Mohseni, Seyed Mohsen; Sarkhosh, Maryam; Rezaei, Soheila; Asgharnia, Hosseinali; Dehghanifard, Emad; Jafari, Behdad; Mortezapour, Alireza; Moghaddam, Vahid Kazemi; Mahmoudi, Mohammad Molla; Taghipour, Nader

    2017-02-01

    Emerging and hazardous environmental pollutants like phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are one of the recent concerns worldwide. PAEs are considered to have diverse endocrine disrupting effects on human health. Industrial wastewater has been reported as an important environment with high concentrations of PAEs. In the present study, four short-chain PAEs including diallyl phthalate (DAP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and phthalic acid (PA) were selected as a substrate for anaerobic fixed film fixed bed reactor (AnFFFBR). The process performances of AnFFFBR, and also its kinetic behavior, were evaluated to find the best eco-friendly phthalate from the biodegradability point of view. According to the results and kinetic coefficients, removing and mineralizing of DMP occurred at a higher rate than other phthalates. In optimum conditions 92.5, 84.41, and 80.39% of DMP, COD, and TOC were removed. DAP was found as the most bio-refractory phthalate. The second-order (Grau) model was selected as the best model for describing phthalates removal.

  16. Performance, kinetic, and biodegradation pathway evaluation of anaerobic fixed film fixed bed reactor in removing phthalic acid esters from wastewater.

    PubMed

    Ahmadi, Ehsan; Yousefzadeh, Samira; Ansari, Mohsen; Ghaffari, Hamid Reza; Azari, Ali; Miri, Mohammad; Mesdaghinia, Alireza; Nabizadeh, Ramin; Kakavandi, Babak; Ahmadi, Peyman; Badi, Mojtaba Yegane; Gholami, Mitra; Sharafi, Kiomars; Karimaei, Mostafa; Ghoochani, Mahboobeh; Brahmand, Masoud Binesh; Mohseni, Seyed Mohsen; Sarkhosh, Maryam; Rezaei, Soheila; Asgharnia, Hosseinali; Dehghanifard, Emad; Jafari, Behdad; Mortezapour, Alireza; Moghaddam, Vahid Kazemi; Mahmoudi, Mohammad Molla; Taghipour, Nader

    2017-02-20

    Emerging and hazardous environmental pollutants like phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are one of the recent concerns worldwide. PAEs are considered to have diverse endocrine disrupting effects on human health. Industrial wastewater has been reported as an important environment with high concentrations of PAEs. In the present study, four short-chain PAEs including diallyl phthalate (DAP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and phthalic acid (PA) were selected as a substrate for anaerobic fixed film fixed bed reactor (AnFFFBR). The process performances of AnFFFBR, and also its kinetic behavior, were evaluated to find the best eco-friendly phthalate from the biodegradability point of view. According to the results and kinetic coefficients, removing and mineralizing of DMP occurred at a higher rate than other phthalates. In optimum conditions 92.5, 84.41, and 80.39% of DMP, COD, and TOC were removed. DAP was found as the most bio-refractory phthalate. The second-order (Grau) model was selected as the best model for describing phthalates removal.

  17. Performance, kinetic, and biodegradation pathway evaluation of anaerobic fixed film fixed bed reactor in removing phthalic acid esters from wastewater

    PubMed Central

    Ahmadi, Ehsan; Yousefzadeh, Samira; Ansari, Mohsen; Ghaffari, Hamid Reza; Azari, Ali; Miri, Mohammad; Mesdaghinia, Alireza; Nabizadeh, Ramin; Kakavandi, Babak; Ahmadi, Peyman; Badi, Mojtaba Yegane; Gholami, Mitra; Sharafi, Kiomars; Karimaei, Mostafa; Ghoochani, Mahboobeh; Brahmand, Masoud Binesh; Mohseni, Seyed Mohsen; Sarkhosh, Maryam; Rezaei, Soheila; Asgharnia, Hosseinali; Dehghanifard, Emad; Jafari, Behdad; Mortezapour, Alireza; Moghaddam, Vahid Kazemi; Mahmoudi, Mohammad Molla; Taghipour, Nader

    2017-01-01

    Emerging and hazardous environmental pollutants like phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are one of the recent concerns worldwide. PAEs are considered to have diverse endocrine disrupting effects on human health. Industrial wastewater has been reported as an important environment with high concentrations of PAEs. In the present study, four short-chain PAEs including diallyl phthalate (DAP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and phthalic acid (PA) were selected as a substrate for anaerobic fixed film fixed bed reactor (AnFFFBR). The process performances of AnFFFBR, and also its kinetic behavior, were evaluated to find the best eco-friendly phthalate from the biodegradability point of view. According to the results and kinetic coefficients, removing and mineralizing of DMP occurred at a higher rate than other phthalates. In optimum conditions 92.5, 84.41, and 80.39% of DMP, COD, and TOC were removed. DAP was found as the most bio-refractory phthalate. The second-order (Grau) model was selected as the best model for describing phthalates removal. PMID:28216654

  18. Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate and chlorination disinfection by-product precursors over Ru/AC.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jianbing; Zhou, Yunrui; Zhu, Wanpeng; He, Xuwen

    2009-07-15

    Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in aqueous solution (5mg/L) under various reactions was performed to examine the effect of catalyst dosage, catalyst particle size, ozone dosage, and gas flow rate on the mineralization of DMP. The mineralization of DMP can be achieved via ozonation and the presence of Ru/AC could greatly accelerate the mineralization rate of DMP in ozonation process. In the continuous experiment of the Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of DMP, total organic carbon (TOC) removals were kept stable around 75% during 42 h reaction. No leaching of ruthenium was observed in the treated water samples. The treatment of natural water using Ru/AC+O(3), Ru/AC+O(2) and ozonation alone was studied. In the Ru/AC+O(3) process, TOC removals, the reductions of the haloacetic acid formation potentials (HAAFPs), and the reductions of the trihalomethane formation potentials (THMFPs) of 11 water samples were 22-44%, 39-61% and 50-65%, respectively. Ru/AC+O(3) process was much more effective than ozonation alone for TOC removal and the reduction of disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) in the treatment of natural water. It is a promising water treatment technology.

  19. Degradation of Phthalate Esters by Fusarium sp. DMT-5-3 and Trichosporon sp. DMI-5-1 Isolated from Mangrove Sediments.

    PubMed

    Luo, Zhu-Hua; Pang, Ka-Lai; Wu, Yi-Rui; Gu, Ji-Dong; Chow, Raymond K K; Vrijmoed, L L P

    2012-01-01

    Phthalate esters (PAEs) are important industrial compounds mainly used as plasticizers to increase flexibility and softness of plastic products. PAEs are of major concern because of their widespread use, ubiquity in the environment, and endocrine-disrupting toxicity. In this study, two fungal strains, Fusarium sp. DMT-5-3 and Trichosporon sp. DMI-5-1 which had the capability to degrade dimethyl phthalate esters (DMPEs), were isolated from mangrove sediments in the Futian Nature Reserve of Shenzhen, China, by enrichment culture technique. These fungi were identified on the basis of spore morphology and molecular typing using 18S rDNA sequence. Comparative investigations on the biodegradation of three isomers of DMPEs, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dimethyl isophthalate (DMI), and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), were carried out with these two fungi. It was found that both fungi could not completely mineralize DMPEs but transform them to the respective monomethyl phthalate or phthalate acid. Biochemical degradation pathways for different DMPE isomers by both fungi were different. Both fungi could transform DMT to monomethyl terephthalate (MMT) and further to terephthalic acid (TA) by stepwise hydrolysis of two ester bonds. However, they could only carry out one-step ester hydrolysis to transform DMI to monomethyl isophthalate (MMI). Further metabolism of MMI did not proceed. Only Trichosporon sp. was able to transform DMP to monomethyl phthalate (MMP) but not Fusarium sp. The optimal pH for DMI and DMT degradation by Fusarium sp. was 6.0 and 4.5, respectively, whereas for Trichosporon sp., the optimal pH for the degradation of all the three DMPE isomers was at 6.0. These results suggest that the fungal esterases responsible for hydrolysis of the two ester bonds of PAEs are highly substrate specific.

  20. Toxic effects of several phthalate esters on the embryos and larvae of abalone Haliotis diversicolor supertexta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Zhihui; Zhang, Xiangjing; Cai, Zhonghua

    2009-05-01

    As the most widely used plasticizers in the world, phthalate esters (PAEs) are potential endocrine disruption compounds (EDCs). In the present study, the toxicity of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on embryogenesis and larvae development of the marine univalve Haliotis diversicolor supertexta was examined in laboratory. The results show that the malformation of embryos appeared during the experiment, such as embryos died or lysed, small transparent flocculent rings studded on the periphery of the embryo, and the larvae could failed to hatch. In embryo toxic test, embryos incubated at the highest concentration of DMP, DEP and DBP solutions showed significantly high abnormal rate compared with the control, while DEHP solutions displayed no significant difference. In larval toxic test, in all concentrations of DMP, DEP and DBP solutions, larval settlement rates were low significantly than that of the control. Similarly, DEHP solutions show nearly no effect on the larval settlement. The order of toxicity on embryos and larvae is DBP>DEP>DMP>DEHP. Being a simple and easy stimulation to indoor spawn, sensitive to environmental factors, and short culture time, the embryos of H. diversicolor supertexta can be used to indicate toxicity of the PAEs.

  1. Removal of dimethyl phthalate from water by ozone microbubbles.

    PubMed

    Jabesa, Abdisa; Ghosh, Pallab

    2017-08-01

    This work investigates the removal of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) from water using ozone microbubbles in a pilot plant of 20 dm 3 capacity. Experiments were performed under various reaction conditions to examine the effects of the initial concentration of DMP, pH of the medium, ozone generation rate, and the role of H 2 O 2 on the removal of DMP. The DMP present in water was effectively removed by the ozone microbubbles. The removal was effective in neutral and alkaline media. Increase in the initial concentration of the target pollutant negatively affected its removal efficiency. The removal efficiency dramatically increased from 1% to 99% when the ozone generation rate was increased from 0.28 to 1.94 mg s -1 at pH 7. The total organic carbon measurements revealed that a complete mineralization of DMP was achieved within 1.8 ks at the high ozone feed rate. The use of t-butyl alcohol as the hydroxyl radical scavenger confirmed that the reaction between the target organic compound and ·OH radical dominated over its direct reaction with ozone. The reaction between DMP and ozone followed an overall second-order kinetics. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient of ozone in the reacting system and the enhancement factor increased with increasing initial concentration of DMP. Very low values of Hatta number were obtained at all initial concentrations of DMP and pH, which show that the mass transfer resistance was small.

  2. Coupling UV-H2O2 to accelerate dimethyl phthalate (DMP) biodegradation and oxidation.

    PubMed

    Chen, Bin; Song, Jiaxiu; Yang, Lihui; Bai, Qi; Li, Rongjie; Zhang, Yongming; Rittmann, Bruce E

    2015-11-01

    Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), an important industrial raw material, is an endocrine disruptor of concern for human and environmental health. DMP exhibits slow biodegradation, and its coupled treatment by means of advanced oxidation may enhance its biotransformation and mineralization. We evaluated two ways of coupling UV-H2O2 advanced oxidation to biodegradation: sequential coupling and intimate coupling in an internal circulation baffled biofilm reactor (ICBBR). During sequential coupling, UV-H2O2 pretreatment generated carboxylic acids that depressed the pH, and subsequent biodegradation generated phthalic acid; both factors inhibited DMP biodegradation. During intimately coupled UV-H2O2 with biodegradation, carboxylic acids and phthalic acid (PA) did not accumulate, and the biodegradation rate was 13 % faster than with biodegradation alone and 78 % faster than with biodegradation after UV-H2O2 pretreatment. Similarly, DMP oxidation with intimate coupling increased by 5 and 39 %, respectively, compared with biodegradation alone and sequential coupling. The enhancement effects during intimate coupling can be attributed to the rapid catabolism of carboxylic acids, which generated intracellular electron carriers that directly accelerated di-oxygenation of PA and relieved the inhibition effect of PA and low pH. Thus, intimate coupling optimized the impacts of energy input from UV irradiation used together with biodegradation.

  3. Biodegradation of phthalate esters by newly isolated Rhizobium sp. LMB-1 and its biochemical pathway of di-n-butyl phthalate.

    PubMed

    Tang, W-J; Zhang, L-S; Fang, Y; Zhou, Y; Ye, B-C

    2016-07-01

    To isolate a novel strain that could degrade many kinds PAEs efficiently and investigate the DBP-degrading pathway in this strain. Based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence, the strain was identified as Rhizobium sp. This strain, named LMB-1, can also utilize phthalates, such as DEHP, DMP, DBP and DEP. During the degradation of DBP, six possible metabolites, diethyl phthalate, mono-ethyl phthalate, di-methyl phthalate, mono-methyl phthalate, phthalic acid and tartaric acid, were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, and the degradation pathway of DBP was also identified in this study. In summary, strain LMB-1, identified as Rhizobium sp., was found to be capable of efficiently degrading PAEs, and it was determined that the strain degraded DMP completely within 45 h. DEP, DMP, MEP, MMP, PA and tartaric acid were detected during the course of DBP degradation by LMB-1. We propose that this strain could completely degrade DBP or other PAEs. Our results offer a novel and potential candidate, Rhizobium sp. LMB-1, for use in the bioremediation of cultivated soil contaminated by PAEs. This is the first report concerning the complete degradation of phthalate esters by Rhizobium sp. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  4. [Analysis of phthalates in plastic food-packaging bags by thin layer chromatography].

    PubMed

    Chen, Hui; Wang, Yuan; Zhu, Ruohua

    2006-01-01

    The method for simultaneous determination of four phthalates, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in plastic food-packaging bags by thin layer chromatography (TLC) was developed. The plastic food-packaging bags were extracted with ethanol by ultrasonication, then the mixture was filtrated through membrane (0.45 microm). The mixture of ethyl acetate-anhydrous ether-isooctane (1 : 4 : 15, v/v) was used as developing agent on the TLC silica gel plate for development. The filtered liquid was spotted on the TLC plate dealt by acetone, and detected with scanning wavelength of 275 nm and reference wavelength of 340 nm. The qualitative analysis of the phthalates was performed using the R(f) values of the chromatogram. The quantitative analysis was performed with external standard method. Good linearities were obtained for DMP, DEP, DBP and DEHP. The detection limits were 2.1 ng for DMP, 2.4 ng for DEP, 3.4 ng for DBP and 4.0 ng for DEHP. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the four phthalates were 2.8% - 3.5%. The recoveries of the four phthalate standards in real sample were 78.58% - 111.04%. The method presented has the advantages of high precision, high sensitivity, small sample size, and simple pretreatment . The method was used to detect the four phthalates in the food-packaging bags. The contents in real samples were close to the results by gas chromatography.

  5. [Characteristics of Adsorption Leaching and Influencing Factors of Dimethyl Phthalate in Purple Soil].

    PubMed

    Wang, Qiang; Song, Jiao-yan; Zeng, Wei; Wang, Fa

    2016-02-15

    The typical soil-purple soil in Three Gorges Reservoir was the tested soil, the characteristics of adsorption leaching of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in contaminated water by the soil, and the influencing factors in the process were conducted using soil column leaching experiment. The results showed that the parabolic equation was the best equation describing adsorption kinetics of DMP by soils. The concentration of DMP in the leaching solution had significant effect on the adsorption amounts of DMP. With the increasing concentration of DMP in the leaching solution, the adsorption capacities of DMP by purple soil increased linearly. The ionic strength and pH in leaching solution had significant effects on adsorption of DMP. On the whole, increasing of the ionic strength restrained the adsorption. The adsorption amounts at pH 5.0-7.0 were more than those under other pH condition. The addition of exogenous organic matter (OM) in purple soil increased the adsorption amount of DMP by purple soil. However, the adsorption amount was less than those with other addition amounts of exogenous OM when the addition of exogenous OM was too high (> or = 30 g x kg(-1)). The addition of surfactant sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (SDBS) in purple soil increased the adsorption amount of DMP by purple soil. The adsorption amount was maximal when the addition amount of SDBS was 50 mg x kg(-1). However, the adsorption amounts decreased with increasing addition amounts of SDBS although the adsorption amounts were still more than that of the control group, and the adsorption amount was almost equal to that of the control group when the addition amount of SDBS was 800 mg x kg(-1). Continuous leaching time affected the vertical distribution of DMP in the soil column. When the leaching time was shorter, the upper soil column adsorbed more DMP, while the DMP concentrations in upper and lower soil columns became similar with the extension of leaching time.

  6. Survey of phthalate pollution in arable soils in China.

    PubMed

    Hu, Xiao-yu; Wen, Bei; Shan, Xiao-quan

    2003-08-01

    The problem of pollution by phthalates is of global concern due to their widespread occurrence, toxicity and endocrine disruption properties. The contamination by phthalates such as dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in 23 arable soils throughout China was investigated to evaluate the present pollution situation. The survey results demonstrated that phthalates were ubiquitous pollutants in soils in China. The total concentrations of phthalates differed from one location to another, and ranged from 0.89 to 10.03 mg kg(-1) with a median concentration of 3.43 mg kg(-1). Among the phthalates, DEHP was dominant and detected in all 23 soils. DEP and DBP were also in abundance, and DMP was rarely detected. Similar contamination patterns were observed in all 23 soils. A distinct feature of phthalate pollution in China was that the average concentration in northern China was higher than that in southern China. In addition, a close relationship was observed between the concentration of phthalates in soils and the consumption of agricultural film. The correlation showed that the application of agriculture film might be a significant pollution source of phthalates in arable soils of China. The potential risk of phthalates in soils was assessed on the basis of current guide values and limits.

  7. Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate over cerium supported on activated carbon.

    PubMed

    Li, Laisheng; Ye, Weiying; Zhang, Qiuyun; Sun, Fengqiang; Lu, Ping; Li, Xukai

    2009-10-15

    Cerium supported on activated carbon (Ce/AC), which was prepared by dipping method, was employed to degrade dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in water. The mineral matter present in the activated carbon positively contributes to its activity to enhance DMP ozonation process. A higher dipping Ce(NO(3))(3) concentration and calcination process increase its microporous volume and surface area, and decreases its exterior surface area. The catalytic activity reaches optimal when 0.2% (w/w) cerium is deposited on activated carbon. Ce/AC catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM and BET. The presence of either activated carbon or Ce/AC catalyst considerably improves their degradation and mineralization in the ozonation of DMP. During the ozonation (50mg/h ozone flow rate) of a 30 mg/L DMP (initial pH 5.0) with the presence of Ce/AC catalyst, TOC removal rate reaches 68% at 60 min oxidation time, 48% using activated carbon as catalyst, only 22% with ozonation alone. The presence of tert-butanol (a well known OH radical scavenger) strongly inhibits DMP degradation by activated carbon or Ce/AC catalytic ozonation. TOC removal rate follows the second-order kinetics model well. In the ozonation of DMP with 50mg/h ozone flow rate, its mineralization rate constant with the presence of Ce/AC catalyst is 2.5 times higher than that of activated carbon, 7.5 times higher than that of O(3) alone. Ce/AC catalyst shows the better catalytic activity and stability based on 780 min sequential reaction in the ozonation of DMP. Ce/AC was a promising catalyst for ozonizing organic pollutants in the aqueous solution.

  8. pH-insusceptible cobalt-manganese immobilizing mesoporous siliceous MCM-41 catalyst for ozonation of dimethyl phthalate.

    PubMed

    Tang, Yiming; Pan, Zhaoqi; Li, Laisheng

    2017-12-15

    Mesoporous siliceous MCM-41 immobilized with Co and Mn metal ions (Co-Mn-MCM-41) was synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The structural regularity and the valence states of the metal species were measured by X-ray diffractometer and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. The resultant bimetallic Co-Mn-MCM-41 catalyst was tested for the degradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) via a catalytic ozonation mechanism, demonstrating that the catalytic properties of Co-Mn-MCM-41 catalyst significantly accelerated the ozonation process. Total organic carbon (TOC) and DMP removal efficiency reached 94% and 99.7% at 15min under the optimal conditions. The oxidation pathways were proposed after identifying the intermediate products from ozonation using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. The enhanced catalytic reactivity was attributed to the highly-dispersive cobalt and manganese species in MCM-41 scaffolds, which promoted the ozone decomposition and hydroxyl radicals' generation in catalytic ozonation and accelerated the degradation of DMP. Bimetallic Co-Mn-MCM-41 catalyst remained stable in mild acidic conditions and continued to show high activity after repeated runs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Occurrence of phthalic acid esters in source waters: a nationwide survey in China during the period of 2009-2012.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiaowei; Shi, Jianghong; Bo, Ting; Zhang, Hui; Wu, Wei; Chen, Qingcai; Zhan, Xinmin

    2014-01-01

    The first nationwide survey of six phthalic acid esters (PAEs) (diethyl phthalate (DEP); dimethyl phthalate (DMP); di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP); butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP); bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)) in source waters was conducted in China. The results showed these PAEs were ubiquitous in source waters. DBP and DEHP were the most frequently detected with high concentrations ranging nd-1.52 μg/L and nd-6.35 μg/L, respectively. These PAEs concentrations (except DBP) in surface water (rivers, lakes and reservoirs) were generally higher than those in groundwater; DBP had high concentrations in groundwater in Northeast China (Liao River Basin) and North China (Hai River Basin). Their concentrations in the northern regions were generally higher than those in the southern and eastern regions; particularly, in North China. Three short-chain PAEs (DMP, DEP and DBP) were detected with high concentrations in Hai River Basin, Pearl River Basin and Yellow River Basin. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. In vitro assessment of phthalate acid esters-trypsin complex formation.

    PubMed

    Chi, Zhenxing; Zhao, Jing; Li, Weiguo; Araghi, Arash; Tan, Songwen

    2017-10-01

    In this work, interactions of three phthalate acid esters (PAEs), including dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), with trypsin have been studied in vitro, under simulated physiological conditions using multi-spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling. The results show that these PAEs can bind to the trypsin, forming trypsin-PAEs complexes, mainly via hydrophobic interactions, with the affinity order of DMP > DEP > DBP. Binding to the PAEs is found to result in molecular deformation of trypsin. The modeling results suggest that only DBP can bind with the amino acid residues of the catalytic triad and S1 binding pocket of trypsin, leading to potential competitive enzyme inhibition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Unraveling the Relative Importance of Oral and Dermal Contaminant Exposure in Reptiles: Insights from Studies Using the Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

    PubMed Central

    Weir, Scott M.; Talent, Larry G.; Anderson, Todd A.; Salice, Christopher J.

    2014-01-01

    Despite widespread recognition of significant data deficiencies, reptiles remain a relatively understudied taxon in ecotoxicology. To conduct ecological risk assessments on reptiles frequently requires using surrogate taxa such as birds, but recent research suggests that reptiles have significantly different exposure profiles and toxicant sensitivity. We exposed western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, to the same quantities of three model chemicals via oral (gavage) and dermal (ventral skin application) exposure for either 24 or 48 hours. Three phthalate esters (di-methyl phthalate [DMP], di-iso-butyl phthalate [DIBP], and di-n-octyl phthalate [DNOP]) were chosen as model chemicals because they represent a gradient of lipophilicity but are otherwise structurally similar. Overall, the more lipophilic phthalates (DIBP and DNOP) were found to have higher concentrations in tissues than the less lipophilic DMP. Significant differences in tissue concentrations between DIBP and DNOP were tissue-dependent, suggesting that delivery to a site of action following exposure is not only a simple function of lipophilicity. In dermal treatments, DMP usually had fewer detections (except in ventral skin samples), suggesting that lipophilicity (log Kow>2) is a requirement for uptake across the skin. In general, tissue residues were greater in oral treatments than dermal treatments (significant in adipose and liver tissue), but differences were driven strongly by differences in DMP which did not appear to be absorbed well across skin. When differences in tissue residue concentrations between oral and dermal exposure did occur, the difference was not drastic. Taken together these results suggest that dermal exposure should be considered in risk assessments for reptilian receptors. Dermal exposure may be an especially important route for reptiles as their ectothermic physiology translates to lower energetic demands and dietary exposure compared to birds and mammals. PMID:24941063

  12. Unraveling the relative importance of oral and dermal contaminant exposure in reptiles: insights from studies using the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis).

    PubMed

    Weir, Scott M; Talent, Larry G; Anderson, Todd A; Salice, Christopher J

    2014-01-01

    Despite widespread recognition of significant data deficiencies, reptiles remain a relatively understudied taxon in ecotoxicology. To conduct ecological risk assessments on reptiles frequently requires using surrogate taxa such as birds, but recent research suggests that reptiles have significantly different exposure profiles and toxicant sensitivity. We exposed western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, to the same quantities of three model chemicals via oral (gavage) and dermal (ventral skin application) exposure for either 24 or 48 hours. Three phthalate esters (di-methyl phthalate [DMP], di-iso-butyl phthalate [DIBP], and di-n-octyl phthalate [DNOP]) were chosen as model chemicals because they represent a gradient of lipophilicity but are otherwise structurally similar. Overall, the more lipophilic phthalates (DIBP and DNOP) were found to have higher concentrations in tissues than the less lipophilic DMP. Significant differences in tissue concentrations between DIBP and DNOP were tissue-dependent, suggesting that delivery to a site of action following exposure is not only a simple function of lipophilicity. In dermal treatments, DMP usually had fewer detections (except in ventral skin samples), suggesting that lipophilicity (log Kow>2) is a requirement for uptake across the skin. In general, tissue residues were greater in oral treatments than dermal treatments (significant in adipose and liver tissue), but differences were driven strongly by differences in DMP which did not appear to be absorbed well across skin. When differences in tissue residue concentrations between oral and dermal exposure did occur, the difference was not drastic. Taken together these results suggest that dermal exposure should be considered in risk assessments for reptilian receptors. Dermal exposure may be an especially important route for reptiles as their ectothermic physiology translates to lower energetic demands and dietary exposure compared to birds and mammals.

  13. Phthalates residues in plastic bottled waters.

    PubMed

    Al-Saleh, Iman; Shinwari, Neptune; Alsabbaheen, Ammar

    2011-08-01

    This study was conducted to determine the presence of phthalates in 10 different brands of bottled water available in Saudi markets and stored under different conditions. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethylphthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) and diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) were measured by headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography- mass spectrometer detector. Most of these phthalates were detected in the selected bottled water sample that might be either leached from the plastic packaging materials or contamination during bottling processes. Bottled waters stored at 4°C contained higher levels of DMP, DEP, BBP and DEHP than those stored at room temperature and outdoors. On the other hand, the levels of DMP, DEP and BBP were significantly lower in bottled waters stored at room temperature than those outdoor. It seems that temperature and sunlight play a role in the degradation of phthalates within time. The levels of BBP were the highest at 4°C storage (4.592 ± 3.081 µg/l; range: 1.194-21.128 µg/l) and approximately 76% of the bottled waters had BBP above the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.994 µg/l. Apart from DEHP (< 6 µg/l), there are not current legislations for other phthalates. Regardless of storage conditions, all our samples did not exceed the maximum established limit of DEHP. Although, the levels of phthalates in tested bottled waters were low, one should not dismiss that these chemicals may cause endocrine disruption through several mechanisms, especially to potentially vulnerable populations such as infants and pregnant women. Saudi Arabia ranks 12 in bottled water consumption (88 L per capita in 2004) among the 71 reported countries. With this high consumption, a quality assurance scheme for residue monitoring in water is quite important. Although, one cannot avoid phthalates contamination in bottled waters due to manufacturing process but at least special care should be taken regarding their storage conditions.

  14. Study on the Mechanism of Interaction between Phthalate Acid Esters and Bovine Hemoglobin.

    PubMed

    Chi, Zhenxing; Zhao, Jing; You, Hong; Wang, Mingjing

    2016-08-03

    Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are widely used in plastic products as a series of chemical softeners. However, PAEs, which now exist in many environmental media such as the atmosphere, water, and soil, have been shown to be environmental endocrine disruptors. Hemoglobin is a functional protein that carries oxygen in the red blood cells of animals. This study aims at revealing the interactions between bovine hemoglobin (BHb) and PAEs using spectroscopic and molecular modeling methods. The results indicate that the selected representative PAEs-dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP)-can interact with BHb to form BHb-PAE complexes with one binding site, mainly relying on hydrophobic forces, with the affinity order DMP > DEP > DBP, opposite to the order of side-chain length. The binding of PAEs can cause conformational and micro-environmental changes in BHb, which may affect the physiological functions of Hb. Furthermore, molecular docking was applied to define the specific binding sites, the results of which show that all the three PAEs can bind into the central cavity of BHb. The study contributes to expound the toxic mechanism of PAEs in vivo from the point of hematological toxicology.

  15. Highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates based on Ag decorated Si nanocone arrays and their application in trace dimethyl phthalate detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuo, Zewen; Zhu, Kai; Ning, Lixin; Cui, Guanglei; Qu, Jun; Cheng, Ying; Wang, Junzhuan; Shi, Yi; Xu, Dongsheng; Xin, Yu

    2015-01-01

    Wafer-scale three-dimensional (3D) surface enhancement Raman scattering (SERS) substrates were prepared using the plasma etching and ion sputtering methods that are completely compatible with well-established silicon device technologies. The substrates are highly sensitive with excellent uniformity and reproducibility, exhibiting an enhancement factor up to 1012 with a very low relative standard deviation (RSD) around 5%. These are attributed mainly to the uniform-distributed, multiple-type high-density hot spots originating from the structural characteristics of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) decorated Si nanocone (NC) arrays. We demonstrate that the trace dimethyl phthalate (DMP) at a concentration of 10-7 M can be well detected using this SERS substrate, showing that the AgNPs-decorated SiNC arrays can serve as efficient SERS substrates for phthalate acid esters (PAEs) detection with high sensitivity.

  16. The solvent effects on dimethyl phthalate investigated by FTIR characterization, solvent parameter correlation and DFT computation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yi; Zhang, Hui; Zhou, Wenzhao; Deng, Chao; Liao, Jian

    2018-06-01

    This study set out with the aim of investigating the solvent effects on dimethyl phthalate (DMP) using FTIR characterization, solvent parameter correlation and DFT calculation. DMP exposed to 17 organic solvents manifested varying shift in the carbonyl stretching vibration frequency (νCdbnd O). Non-alkanols induced Band I and alkanols produced Band I and Band II. Through correlating the νCdbnd O with the empirical solvent scales including acceptor parameter (AN), Schleyer's linear free energy parameter (G), and linear free salvation energy relationships (LSER), Band I was mainly ascribed to non-specific effects from either non-alkanols or alkanol polymers ((alkanol)n). νCdbnd O of the latter indicated minor red shift and less variability compared to the former. An assumption was made and validated about the sequestering of hydroxyl group by the bulky hydrophobic chain in (alkanol)n, creating what we refer to as "screening effects". Ab initio calculation, on the other hand, provided insights for possible hydrogen binding between DMP and (ethanol)n or between ethanol monomers. The two components of Band I observed in inert solvents were assigned to the two Cdbnd O groups adopting differentiated conformations. This in turn prompted our consideration that hydrogen binding was highly selective in favor of lowly associated (alkanol)n and the particular Cdbnd O group having relatively less steric hindrance and stronger electron-donating capacity. Band II was therefore believed to derive from hydrogen-bond interactions mainly in manner of 1:1 and 1:2 DMP-(alkanol)n complexes.

  17. Indoor phthalate concentration in residential apartments in Chongqing, China: Implications for preschool children's exposure and risk assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bu, Zhongming; Zhang, Yinping; Mmereki, Daniel; Yu, Wei; Li, Baizhan

    2016-02-01

    Six phthalates - dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di(isobutyl) phthalate (DiBP), di(n-butyl) phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) - in indoor gas-phase and dust samples were measured in thirty residential apartments for the first time in Chongqing, China. Monte-Carlo simulation was used to estimate preschool children's exposure via inhalation, non-dietary ingestion and dermal absorption based on gas-phase and dust concentrations. Risk assessment was evaluated by comparing the modeled exposure doses with child-specific benchmarks specified in California's Proposition 65. The detection frequency for all the targeted phthalates was more than 80% except for BBzP. DMP was the most predominant compound in the gas-phase (median = 0.91 μg/m3 and 0.82 μg/m3 in living rooms and bedrooms, respectively), and DEHP was the most predominant compound in the dust samples (median = 1543 μg/g and 1450 μg/g in living rooms and bedrooms, respectively). Correlation analysis suggests that indoor DiBP and DnBP might come from the same emission sources. The simulations showed that the median DEHP daily intake was 3.18-4.28 μg/day/kg-bw in all age groups, suggesting that it was the greatest of the targeted phthalates. The risk assessment indicated that the exposure doses of DnBP and DEHP exceeded the child-specific benchmarks in more than 90% of preschool children in Chongqing. Therefore, from a children's health perspective, efforts should focus on controlling indoor phthalate concentrations and exposures.

  18. Screening of phthalate esters in 47 branded perfumes.

    PubMed

    Al-Saleh, Iman; Elkhatib, Rola

    2016-01-01

    In the last few years, the use of phthalates in perfumes has gained attention because these chemicals are sometimes added intentionally as a solvent and a fixative. Five phthalate esters, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP), were measured in 47 branded perfumes using headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed considerable amounts of phthalate in all 47 brands with detection frequencies > limit of quantitation in the following order: DEP (47/47) > DMP (47/47) > BBP (47/47) > DEHP (46/47) > DBP (23/45). Of the 47 brands, 68.1, 72.3, 85.1, 36.2, and 6.7 % had DEP, DMP, BBP, DEHP, and DBP levels, respectively, above their reported threshold limits. Of these phthalates, DEP was found to have the highest mean value (1621.625 ppm) and a maximum of 23,649.247 ppm. The use of DEP in the perfume industry is not restricted because it does not pose any known health risks for humans. DMP had the second highest level detected in the perfumes, with a mean value of 30.202 ppm and a maximum of 405.235 ppm. Although DMP may have some uses in cosmetics, it is not as commonly used as DEP, and again, there are no restrictions on its use. The levels of BBP were also high, with a mean value of 8.446 ppm and a maximum of 186.770 ppm. Although the EU banned the use of BBP in cosmetics, 27 of the tested perfumes had BBP levels above the threshold limit of 0.1 ppm. The mean value of DEHP found in this study was 5.962 ppm, and a maximum was 147.536 ppm. In spite of its prohibition by the EU, 7/28 perfumes manufactured in European countries had DEHP levels above the threshold limit of 1 ppm. The DBP levels were generally low, with a mean value of 0.0305 ppm and a maximum value of 0.594 ppm. The EU banned the use of DBP in cosmetics; however, we found three brands that were above the threshold limit of 0.1 ppm, and all were manufactured in European countries. The results of this study are alarming and definitely need to be brought to the attention of the public and health regulators. Although some phthalate compounds are still used in cosmetics, many scientists and environmental activists have argued that phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have not been yet proven to be safe for any use, including cosmetics. Phthalates may also have different degrees of estrogenic modes of action. Furthermore, we should not dismiss the widespread use of phthalates in everyday products and exposure to these chemicals from sources such as food, medications, and other personal care products.

  19. Analysis of phthalate esters in soils near an electronics manufacturing facility and from a non-industrialized area by gas purge microsyringe extraction and gas chromatography.

    PubMed

    Wu, Wei; Hu, Jia; Wang, Jinqi; Chen, Xuerong; Yao, Na; Tao, Jing; Zhou, Yi-Kai

    2015-03-01

    Here, a novel technique is described for the extraction and quantitative determination of six phthalate esters (PAEs) from soils by gas purge microsyringe extraction and gas chromatography. Recovery of PAEs ranged from 81.4% to 120.3%, and the relative standard deviation (n=6) ranged from 5.3% to 10.5%. Soil samples were collected from roadsides, farmlands, residential areas, and non-cultivated areas in a non-industrialized region, and from the same land-use types within 1 km of an electronics manufacturing facility (n=142). Total PAEs varied from 2.21 to 157.62 mg kg(-1) in non-industrialized areas and from 8.63 to 171.64 mg kg(-1) in the electronics manufacturing area. PAE concentrations in the non-industrialized area were highest in farmland, followed (in decreasing order) by roadsides, residential areas, and non-cultivated soil. In the electronics manufacturing area, PAE concentrations were highest in roadside soils, followed by residential areas, farmland, and non-cultivated soils. Concentrations of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) differed significantly (P<0.01) between the industrial and non-industrialized areas. Principal component analysis indicated that the strongest explanatory factor was related to DMP and DnBP in non-industrialized soils and to butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and DMP in soils near the electronics manufacturing facility. Congener-specific analysis confirmed that diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was a predictive indication both in the non-industrialized area (r(2)=0.944, P<0.01) and the industrialized area (r(2)=0.860, P<0.01). The higher PAE contents in soils near the electronics manufacturing facility are of concern, considering the large quantities of electronic wastes generated with ongoing industrialization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Determination of contamination pathways of phthalates in food products sold on the Belgian market.

    PubMed

    Van Holderbeke, Mirja; Geerts, Lieve; Vanermen, Guido; Servaes, Kelly; Sioen, Isabelle; De Henauw, Stefaan; Fierens, Tine

    2014-10-01

    As numerous studies have indicated that food ingestion is the most important exposure pathway to several phthalates, this study aimed to determine possible contamination pathways of phthalates in food products sold on the Belgian market. To do this, concentrations of eight phthalates (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)) were determined in 591 foods and 30 packaging materials. In general, the four most prominent phthalates in Belgian food products were DEHP, DiBP, DnBP and BBP. Special attention was given to the origin of these phthalates in bread, since high phthalate concentrations (especially DEHP) were determined in this frequently consumed food product. Phthalates seemed to occur in Belgian bread samples due to the use of contaminated ingredients (i.e. use of contaminated flour) as well as due to migration from phthalate containing contact materials used during production (e.g. coated baking trays). Also the results of the conducted concentration profiles of apple, bread, salami and two cheese types revealed the important role of processing - and not packaging - on phthalate contents in foods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Effect of cooking at home on the levels of eight phthalates in foods.

    PubMed

    Fierens, T; Vanermen, G; Van Holderbeke, M; De Henauw, S; Sioen, I

    2012-12-01

    Food products can be contaminated with toxic compounds via the environment. Another possibility of food contamination is that toxicants are generated in foods or that chemicals migrate from food contact materials into foods during processing. In this study, the effect of cooking at home on the levels of phthalates - world's most used group of plasticisers - in various food types (starchy products, vegetables and meat and fish) was examined. Eight compounds were considered, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP). Food products were analysed before as well as after cooking (boiling, steaming, (deep-)frying or grilling). In general, phthalate concentrations in foods declined after cooking, except in vegetables, where almost no effect was seen. Several factors influenced the degree of this decline (e.g. weight difference, fat uptake, etc.). Of all phthalates, DEHP, DiBP and BBP were affected the most. In conclusion, cooking at home definitely affected phthalate concentrations in foods and thus needs to be considered in order to correctly assess humans' dietary exposure to these contaminants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Determination of phthalic acid esters in different baby food samples by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Socas-Rodríguez, Bárbara; González-Sálamo, Javier; Herrera-Herrera, Antonio V; Santana-Mayor, Álvaro; Hernández-Borges, Javier

    2018-03-09

    In this work, a new method has been developed for the determination of 14 phthalic acid esters (i.e., benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), bis-2-n-butoxyethyl phthalate (DBEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), bis-2-ethoxyethyl phthalate (DEEP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), bis-isopentyl phthalate (DIPP), bis (2-methoxyethyl) phthalate (DMEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), bis-n-pentyl phthalate (DNPP), dipropyl phthalate (DPP)) and one adipate (bis (2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA)) in different baby foods. Separation was carried out by gas chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry while the previous extraction of the samples was carried out using the QuEChERS method. The methodology was validated for four baby food samples (two fruit compotes of different compositions and two meat and fish purees with vegetables) using dibutyl phthalate-3,4,5,6-d 4 (DBP-d 4 ) as internal standard. Determination coefficients (R 2 ) of matrix-matched calibration curves were above 0.9922 in all cases while relative recovery values ranged between 70 and 120%, with relative standard deviation values below 19%. The limits of quantification of the method ranged between 0.03 and 1.11 μg/kg. Finally, the analysis of commercially available samples was carried out finding the presence of BBP, DEHA, DEP, DIDP, and DPP in some of the studied samples.

  3. Magnetic covalent triazine framework for rapid extraction of phthalate esters in plastic packaging materials followed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection.

    PubMed

    Yan, Zijun; He, Man; Chen, Beibei; Gui, Bo; Wang, Cheng; Hu, Bin

    2017-11-24

    Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs), featuring with high surface area, good thermal, chemical and mechanical stability, are good adsorbents in sample pretreatment. Herein, magnetic CTFs/Ni composite was prepared by in situ reduction of nickel ions on CTFs matrix with a solvothermal method. The prepared CTFs/Ni composite exhibited good preparation reproducibility, high chemical stability, and high extraction efficiency for targeted phthalate esters (PAEs) due to π-π interaction and hydrophobic effect. The porous structure of CTFs/Ni composite benefited the fast transfer of target PAEs from aqueous solution to the adsorbents, and the integrated magnetism contributed to the rapid separation of adsorbents from sample and elution solution. Based on it, a novel method of magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) combined with gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) was developed for the analysis of PAEs including dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di-2-ethylhexl phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP) in plastic packaging materials. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the limits of detection (LODs, S/N=3) for six PAEs were found to be in the range of 0.024-0.085mg/kg. The linear range was 0.32-16mg/kg for DMP, DEP, 0.08-80mg/kg for DBP, 0.16-32mg/kg for BBP, DEHP, and 0.32-32mg/kg for DNOP, respectively. The enrichment factors ranged from 59 to 88-fold (theoretical enrichment factor was 133-fold). The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of PAEs in various plastic packaging materials with recoveries in the range of 70.6-119% for the spiked samples. This method is characterized with short operation time, high sensitivity, low consumption of harmful organic solvents and can be extended to the analysis of other trace aromatic compounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Adsorption Removal of Environmental Hormones of Dimethyl Phthalate Using Novel Magnetic Adsorbent.

    PubMed

    Chang, Chia-Chi; Tseng, Jyi-Yeong; Ji, Dar-Ren; Chiu, Chun-Yu; Lu, De-Sheng; Chang, Ching-Yuan; Yuan, Min-Hao; Chang, Chiung-Fen; Chiou, Chyow-San; Chen, Yi-Hung; Shie, Je-Lueng

    2015-01-01

    Magnetic polyvinyl alcohol adsorbent M-PVAL was employed to remove and concentrate dimethyl phthalate DMP. The M-PVAL was prepared after sequential syntheses of magnetic Fe3O4 (M) and polyvinyl acetate (M-PVAC). The saturated magnetizations of M, M-PVAC, and M-PVAL are 57.2, 26.0, and 43.2 emu g(-1) with superparamagnetism, respectively. The average size of M-PVAL by number is 0.75 μm in micro size. Adsorption experiments include three cases: (1) adjustment of initial pH (pH0) of solution to 5, (2) no adjustment of pH0 with value in 6.04-6.64, and (3) adjusted pH0 = 7. The corresponding saturated amounts of adsorption of unimolecular layer of Langmuir isotherm are 4.01, 5.21, and 4.22 mg g(-1), respectively. Values of heterogeneity factor of Freundlich isotherm are 2.59, 2.19, and 2.59 which are greater than 1, revealing the favorable adsorption of DMP/M-PVAL system. Values of adsorption activation energy per mole of Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm are, respectively, of low values of 7.04, 6.48, and 7.19 kJ mol(-1), indicating the natural occurring of the adsorption process studied. The tiny size of adsorbent makes the adsorption take place easily while its superparamagnetism is beneficial for the separation and recovery of micro adsorbent from liquid by applying magnetic field after completion of adsorption.

  5. Kinetic and isothermal adsorption-desorption of PAEs on biochars: effect of biomass feedstock, pyrolysis temperature, and mechanism implication of desorption hysteresis.

    PubMed

    Jing, Fanqi; Pan, Minjun; Chen, Jiawei

    2018-04-01

    Biochar has the potential to sequester biomass carbon efficiently into land, simultaneously while improving soil fertility and crop production. Biochar has also attracted attention as a potential sorbent for good performance on adsorption and immobilization of many organic pollutants such as phthalic acid esters (PAEs), a typical plasticizer in plastic and presenting a current environmental issue. Due to lack of investigation on the kinetic and thermodynamic adsorption-desorption of PAEs on biochar, we systematically assessed adsorption-desorption for two typical PAEs, dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP), using biochar derived from peanut hull and wheat straw at different pyrolysis temperatures (450, 550, and 650 °C). The aromaticity and specific surface area of biochars increased with the pyrolysis temperature, whereas the total amount of surface functional groups decreased. The quasi-second-order kinetic model could better describe the adsorption of DMP/DEP, and the adsorption capacity of wheat straw biochars was higher than that of peanut hull biochars, owing to the O-bearing functional groups of organic matter on exposed minerals within the biochars. The thermodynamic analysis showed that DMP/DEP adsorption on biochar is physically spontaneous and endothermic. The isothermal desorption and thermodynamic index of irreversibility indicated that DMP/DEP is stably adsorbed. Sorption of PAEs on biochar and the mechanism of desorption hysteresis provide insights relevant not only to the mitigation of plasticizer mobility but also to inform on the effect of biochar amendment on geochemical behavior of organic pollutants in the water and soil.

  6. Influences of DMP on the Fertilization Process and Subsequent Embryogenesis of Abalone (Haliotis diversicolor supertexta) by Gametes Exposure

    PubMed Central

    Cai, Zhong-Hua

    2011-01-01

    Di-methyl phthalate (DMP), a typical endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), is ubiquitously distributed in aquatic environments; yet studies regarding its impact on gametes and the resulting effects on embryogenesis in marine gastropods are relatively scarce. In this study, the influences of DMP on the gametes and subsequent developmental process of abalone (Haliotis diversicolor supertexta, a representative marine benthic gastropod) were assessed. Newborn abalone eggs and sperm were exposed separately to different DMP concentrations (1, 10 or 100 ppb) for 60 min. At the end-point of exposure, the DMP-treated eggs and sperm were collected for analysis of their ultra-structures, ATPase activities and total lipid levels, and the fertilized gametes (embryos) were collected to monitor related reproductive parameters (fertilization rate, abnormal development rate and hatching success rate). Treatment with DMP did not significantly alter the structure or total lipid content of eggs at any of the doses tested. Hatching failures and morphological abnormalities were only observed with the highest dose of DMP (100 ppb). However, DMP exposure did suppress sperm ATPase activities and affect the morphological character of their mitochondria. DMP-treated sperm exhibited dose-dependent decreases in fertilization efficiency, morphogenesis and hatchability. Relatively obvious toxicological effects were observed when both sperm and eggs were exposed to DMP. Furthermore, RT-PCR results indicate that treatment of gametes with DMP changed the expression patterns of physiologically-regulated genes (cyp3a, 17β-HSD-11 and 17β-HSD-12) in subsequent embryogenesis. Taken together, this study proofed that pre-fertilization exposure of abalone eggs, sperm or both to DMP adversely affects the fertilization process and subsequent embryogenesis. PMID:22028799

  7. Assessing human exposure to phthalic acid and phthalate esters from mineral water stored in polyethylene terephthalate and glass bottles.

    PubMed

    Montuori, P; Jover, E; Morgantini, M; Bayona, J M; Triassi, M

    2008-04-01

    Phthalic acid and phthalate esters are of growing interest due to their significant usage and potential toxicity. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and glass are both widely used materials for bottled drinking water. In this study, phthalic acid (PhA), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiisoBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) were analysed in a large number of Italian bottled water samples. These samples showed different concentrations of phthalates are nearly 20 times higher in samples bottled in PET than those from glass bottles with total levels of phthalates of 3.52 and 0.19 microg l(-1), respectively. However, the observed levels do not represent a significant exposure pathway when considering the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) reference dose (an estimate of a daily oral exposure to the human population, including sensitive subgroups, that is likely to be without an appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime). In addition, no significant correlation was found between the phthalate concentrations and the physicochemical properties of the different water samples, apart from the still/sparkling water parameter for the PET samples. In this instance, slightly higher concentrations were observed for the PET bottled still water samples than for the sparkling water samples, although no explanation has been found yet.

  8. An indirect competitive biotin-streptavidin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in milk and milk products.

    PubMed

    Sun, Rui Y; Zhuang, Hui S

    2015-01-01

    After the "plasticizer event" in Taiwan, phthalic acid esters (PAEs) have been listed in "Inedible materials possibly added into food illegally" and "Commonly abused food additives." As one of the PAEs family, DMP has long been a problem of great concern due to its potential impacts on human health. In order to detect DMP with high sensitivity and specificity, a sensitive indirect competitive biotin-streptavidin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (BA-ELISA) has been established in this study. A high-titer rabbit polyclonal antibody (pAb-DMP) targeting DMP was obtained, and the procedures of BA-ELISA were optimized for the determination of DMP in milk and milk products. Under optimal conditions, good linearity was achieved within a range of 0.024 to 6.027 μg L(-1), with low cross-reactivity values for DMP structural analogues (lower than 10%). The median inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 0.356 μg L(-1) and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.0082 μg L(-1). Finally, the concentrations of DMP in milk and milk products ranged from 1.03 μg kg(-1) to 7.23 μg kg(-1) by BA-ELISA. Satisfactory recoveries (90.26-112.38%) and coefficient of variation (CV) values (5.08-8.46%) were obtained. These results were consistent with those using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which further confirmed that the proposed BA-ELISA was accurate, specific, reliable and rapid for routine monitoring trace DMP residues in foodstuff, especially milk and milk products.

  9. A New Efficient Hybrid Intelligent Model for Biodegradation Process of DMP with Fuzzy Wavelet Neural Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Mingzhi; Zhang, Tao; Ruan, Jujun; Chen, Xiaohong

    2017-01-01

    A new efficient hybrid intelligent approach based on fuzzy wavelet neural network (FWNN) was proposed for effectively modeling and simulating biodegradation process of Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (AAO) wastewater treatment process. With the self learning and memory abilities of neural networks (NN), handling uncertainty capacity of fuzzy logic (FL), analyzing local details superiority of wavelet transform (WT) and global search of genetic algorithm (GA), the proposed hybrid intelligent model can extract the dynamic behavior and complex interrelationships from various water quality variables. For finding the optimal values for parameters of the proposed FWNN, a hybrid learning algorithm integrating an improved genetic optimization and gradient descent algorithm is employed. The results show, compared with NN model (optimized by GA) and kinetic model, the proposed FWNN model have the quicker convergence speed, the higher prediction performance, and smaller RMSE (0.080), MSE (0.0064), MAPE (1.8158) and higher R2 (0.9851) values. which illustrates FWNN model simulates effluent DMP more accurately than the mechanism model.

  10. A New Efficient Hybrid Intelligent Model for Biodegradation Process of DMP with Fuzzy Wavelet Neural Networks

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Mingzhi; Zhang, Tao; Ruan, Jujun; Chen, Xiaohong

    2017-01-01

    A new efficient hybrid intelligent approach based on fuzzy wavelet neural network (FWNN) was proposed for effectively modeling and simulating biodegradation process of Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (AAO) wastewater treatment process. With the self learning and memory abilities of neural networks (NN), handling uncertainty capacity of fuzzy logic (FL), analyzing local details superiority of wavelet transform (WT) and global search of genetic algorithm (GA), the proposed hybrid intelligent model can extract the dynamic behavior and complex interrelationships from various water quality variables. For finding the optimal values for parameters of the proposed FWNN, a hybrid learning algorithm integrating an improved genetic optimization and gradient descent algorithm is employed. The results show, compared with NN model (optimized by GA) and kinetic model, the proposed FWNN model have the quicker convergence speed, the higher prediction performance, and smaller RMSE (0.080), MSE (0.0064), MAPE (1.8158) and higher R2 (0.9851) values. which illustrates FWNN model simulates effluent DMP more accurately than the mechanism model. PMID:28120889

  11. Thermoreversible gelation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) in phthalates: the influence of aliphatic chain length of solvents.

    PubMed

    Yadav, P Jaya Prakash; Ghosh, Goutam; Maiti, Biswajit; Aswal, Vinod K; Goyal, P S; Maiti, Pralay

    2008-04-17

    Thermoreversible gelation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) has been studied in a new series of solvents (phthalates), for example, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and dihexyl phthalate (DHP) as a function of temperature and polymer concentration, both by test tube tilting and dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. The effect of aliphatic chain length (n) of diesters on the gelation kinetics, structure/microstructure and morphology of PVDF gels has been examined. Gelation rate was found to increase with increasing aliphatic chain length of diester. DLS results indicate that the sol-gel transformation proceeds via two-steps: first, microgel domains were formed, and then the infinite three-dimensional (3D) network is established by connecting microgels through polymer chains. The crystallites are responsible for 3D network for gelation in phthalates, and alpha-polymorph is formed during gelation producing higher amount of crystallinity with increasing aliphatic chain length of diester. Morphology of the networks of dried gels in different phthalates showed that fibril thickness and lateral dimensions decrease with higher homologues of phthalates. The scattering intensity is fitted with Debye-Bueche model in small-angle neutron scattering and suggested that both the correlation length and interlamellar spacing increases with n. A model has been proposed, based on electronic structure calculations, to explain the conformation of PVDF chain in presence of various phthalates and their complexes, which offer the cause of higher gelation rate for longer aliphatic chain length.

  12. Fate and transport modeling of phthalate esters from biosolid amended soil under corn cultivation.

    PubMed

    Sayyad, G; Price, G W; Sharifi, M; Khosravi, K

    2017-02-05

    Phthalate esters (PAEs) are prevalent in the environment due to the broad range of industrial, agriculture and domestic applications. The ubiquitous use of PAEs has resulted in their potential to reach groundwater sources through application of agri-chemicals and municipal biosolids. A study was conducted to monitor the fate and transport of seven commonly detected PAEs in the environment including: dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), bis(di-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP), dipentyl phthalate (DPP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP). Biosolids sourced from the Halifax Regional Municipality were applied at three rates on field-based lysimeter cells which were cropped to corn (Zea mays) for one growing season. In the present study, breakthrough curves (BTCs) were established for phthalates leaching from a corn-cultivated agricultural soil profile. The HYDRUS-1D model and a two-site sorption model were applied to predict transport parameters of PAEs using an inverse solution approach. Results of our research revealed that higher PAE adsorption was observed based on increasing carbon chain number. In addition, higher values of F (i.e. the fraction of type-1 sorption sites assumed to be in equilibrium with the solution phase) and lower values of D (i.e. dispersion coefficient) were observed for PAEs with large carbon chains which was validated both through the empirical dataset and the model simulations. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. 40 CFR 464.21 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72... 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72...-ethylhexyl) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl...

  14. 40 CFR 464.21 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72... 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72...-ethylhexyl) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl...

  15. [Application of Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction and Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer to the Phthalic Acid Esters Analysis in Seawater].

    PubMed

    Gao, Chen-chen; Li, Feng-min; Lu, Lun; Sun, Yue

    2015-10-01

    For the determination of trace amounts of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in complex seawater matrix, a stir bar sorptive extraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS) method was established. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) were selected as study objects. The effects of extraction time, amount of methanol, amount of sodium chloride, desorption time and desorption solvent were optimized. The method of SBSE-GC-MS was validated through recoveries and relative standard deviation. The optimal extraction time was 2 h. The optimal methanol content was 10%. The optimal sodium chloride content was 5% . The optimal desorption time was 50 min. The optimal desorption solvent was the mixture of methanol to acetonitrile (4:1, volume: volume). The linear relationship between the peak area and the concentration of PAEs was relevant. The correlation coefficients were greater than 0.997. The detection limits were between 0.25 and 174.42 ng x L(-1). The recoveries of different concentrations were between 56.97% and 124.22% . The relative standard deviations were between 0.41% and 14.39%. On the basis of the method, several estuaries water sample of Jiaozhou Bay were detected. DEP was detected in all samples, and the concentration of BBP, DEHP and DOP were much higher than the rest.

  16. Effects of six priority controlled phthalate esters with long-term low-dose integrated exposure on male reproductive toxicity in rats.

    PubMed

    Gao, Hai-Tao; Xu, Run; Cao, Wei-Xin; Qian, Liang-Liang; Wang, Min; Lu, Lingeng; Xu, Qian; Yu, Shu-Qin

    2017-03-01

    Human beings are inevitably exposed to ubiquitous phthalate esters (PEs) surroundings. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of long-term low-dose exposure to the mixture of six priority controlled phthalate esters (MIXPs): dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), on male rat reproductive system and further to explore the underlying mechanisms of the reproductive toxicity. The male rats were orally exposed to either sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as controls or MIXPs at three different low-doses by gavage for 15 weeks. Testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) in serum were analyzed, and pathological examinations were performed for toxicity evaluation. Steroidogenic proteins (StAR, P450scc, CYP17A1 and 17β-HSD), cell cycle and apoptosis-related proteins (p53, Chk1, Cdc2, CDK6, Bcl-2 and Bax) were measured for mechanisms exploration. MIXPs with long-term low-dose exposure could cause male reproductive toxicity to the rats, including the decrease of both serum and testicular testosterone, and the constructional damage of testis. These effects were related to down-regulated steroidogenic proteins, arresting cell cycle progression and promoting apoptosis in rat testicular cells. The results indicate that MIXPs with long-term low-dose exposure may pose male reproductive toxicity in human. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Dummy molecularly imprinted microbeads as solid-phase extraction material for selective determination of phthalate esters in water.

    PubMed

    Özer, Elif Tümay; Osman, Bilgen; Yazıcı, Tuğçe

    2017-06-02

    The aim of this study was to investigate the usability of newly synthesized dummy molecularly imprinted microbeads (DMIMs) as a solid phase extraction (SPE) material to determine six phthalate esters (PEs) in water by GC-MS analysis. Diethyl phthalate (DEP) was used as a dummy template to prepare poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate N-methacryloyl-l-tryptophan methyl ester) [PEMATrp)] DMIMs by using suspension polymerization. The PEMATrp DMIMs were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Firstly, the adsorption capacities of the DMIMs prepared in different template molecule (DEP) to functional monomer (MATrp) ratios were investigated by using DEP solutions in the concentration range of 1-500mg/L at pH 3.0. Styrene and vanillic acid were used to evaluate the selectivity of the prepared DMIMs towards the template molecule (DEP). Then, the best analytical conditions were investigated for the simultaneous determination of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) in aqueous media by using the PEMATrp DMIMs as SPE material. Validation experiments showed that the PEMATrp DMIMs-SPE method had good linearity at 12.5-250.0μg/L (0.988-0.999), good precision (1.2-5.9%), and limits of detection in a range of 0.31-0.41μg/L. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Assessing the concentration of phthalate esters (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) and the genotoxic potential of treated wastewater (final effluent) in Saudi Arabia.

    PubMed

    Al-Saleh, Iman; Elkhatib, Rola; Al-Rajoudi, Tahreer; Al-Qudaihi, Ghofran

    2017-02-01

    Plasticizers such as phthalate esters (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) are highly persistent organic pollutants that tend to bio-accumulate in humans through the soil-plant-animal food chain. Some studies have reported the potential carcinogenic and teratogenic effects in addition to their estrogenic activities. Water resources are scarce in Saudi Arabia, and several wastewater treatment plants (WTPs) have been constructed for agricultural and industrial use. This study was designed to: (1) measure the concentrations of BPA and six PAEs, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP), in secondary- and tertiary-treated wastewater collected from five WTPs in three Saudi cities for four to five weeks and (2) test their potential genotoxicity. Three genotoxicological parameters were used: % tail DNA (%T), tail moment (TM) and percentage micronuclei (%MN). Both DBP and DEHP were detected in all treated wastewater samples. DMP, DEP, BBP, DOP, and BPA were found in 83.3, 84.2, 79, 73.7 and 97.4% of the samples, respectively. The levels of DMP (p<0.001), DOP (p<0.001) and BPA (p=0.001) were higher in tertiary- treated wastewater than secondary-treated wastewater, perhaps due to the influence of the molecular weight and polarity of the chemicals. Both weekly sampling frequency and WTP locations significantly affected the variability in our data. Treated wastewater from Wadi Al-Araj was able to induce DNA damage (%T and TM) in human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells that was statistically higher than wastewater from all other WTPs and in untreated TK6 cells (negative control). %MN in samples from both Wadi Al-Araj and Manfouah did not differ statistically but was significantly higher than in the untreated TK6 cells. This study also showed that the samples of tertiary-treated wastewater had a higher genotoxicological potential to induce DNA damage than the samples of secondary-treated wastewater. BPA and some PAEs in the treated wastewater might have the potential to induce genetic damage, despite their low levels. Genotoxicity, however, may also have been due to the presence of other contaminants. Our preliminary findings should be of concern to Saudi agriculture because long-term irrigation with treated wastewater could lead to the accumulation of PAEs and BPA in the soil and ultimately reach the human and animal food chain. WTPs need to remove pollutants more efficiently. Until then, a cautious use of treated wastewater for irrigation is recommended to avoid serious health impacts on local populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Phthalate esters in the environment: A critical review of their occurrence, biodegradation, and removal during wastewater treatment processes.

    PubMed

    Gao, Da-Wen; Wen, Zhi-Dan

    2016-01-15

    Phthalate esters are one of the most frequently detected persistent organic pollutants in the environment. A better understanding of their occurrence and degradation in the environment and during wastewater treatment processes will facilitate the development of strategies to reduce these pollutants and to bioremediate contaminated freshwater and soil. Phthalate esters occur at measurable levels in different environments worldwide. For example, the concentrations of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in atmospheric particulate matter, fresh water and sediments, soil, and landfills are N.D.-10.4 ng/m(3), N.D.-31.7 μg/L, N.D.-316 μg/kg dry weight, and N.D.-200 μg/kg dry weight, N.D.-43.27 μg/L, respectively. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) are primary phthalate ester pollutants. Urbanization has increased the discharge of phthalate esters to atmospheric and aquatic environments, and the use of agricultural plastics has exacerbated soil contamination by phthalate esters in rural areas. Aerobic biodegradation is the primary manner of phthalate ester mineralization in the environment, and this process has been widely studied. Phthalate esters can be removed during wastewater treatment processes. The combination of different wastewater treatment technologies showed greater efficiency in the removal of phthalate esters than individual treatment steps, such as the combination of anaerobic wastewater treatment with a membrane bioreactor would increase the efficiency of phthalate ester removal from 65%-71% to 95%-97%. This review provides a useful framework to identify future research objectives to achieve the mineralization and elimination of phthalate esters in the environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Structural characteristics of biochar-graphene nanosheet composites and their adsorption performance for phthalic acid esters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghaffar, Abdul; Zhu, Xiaoying; Chen, Baoliang

    2017-04-01

    The nonuniform and unhomogenous structure of biochar including defects could affect the adsorption performance of biochars. Biochar and graphene nanosheet (GNS) composites (BG) were prepared by simple dip coating method following thermal route of bamboo wood biomass at three different temperatures (300, 500, 700°C), in addition to biochars. The morphology and structural composition of biochars and BG composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface area with N2 and CO2, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transformed Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis and CHN elemental analysis. It was found that GNS ( 1µm, 0.1% mass) provided higher thermal stability, porous structure, and relatively higher surface area (N2 and CO2), to BG composites. BG composites portrayed the existence of GNS bearing cavities and evidently increased the graphitic structure. The adsorption capabilities of biochars and BG composites towards dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as model phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were examined by batch sorption technique. The BG composites exhibited the increased adsorption capacity comparatively to biochars. The aromatic sheets of biochars and GNS on biochars dominated the π-π EDA (electron donor-acceptor) interaction for ring structure of DMP molecule in addition to pore-diffusion mechanism, whereas adsorption of DBP was attributed to hydrophobicity. Our results suggest that surface composition and morphology of biochars can be regulated with GNS and may enhance their adsorption capacity, thus could be considered for effective environmental remediation of various organic contaminants.

  1. Adsorption and desorption of phthalic acid esters on graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide as affected by humic acid.

    PubMed

    Lu, Lun; Wang, Jun; Chen, Baoliang

    2018-01-01

    The implications of humic acid (HA) regarding surface properties of graphene materials and their interactions with phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are not vivid. We report the role of HA on graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) for sorption-desorption behavior of PAEs. Besides higher surface area and pore volume, the hydrophobic π-conjugated carbon atoms on RGO ensured prominent adsorption capacity towards PAEs in comparison to hydrophilic GO, highlighting the hydrophobic effect. After adjusting for the hydrophobic effect by calculating the hexadecane-water partition coefficient (K HW ) normalized adsorption coefficient (K d /K HW ), the dimethyl phthalate (DMP) molecule portrayed a higher adsorption affinity towards RGO by π-π electron donor-acceptor (EDA) interaction for active sites on graphene interface via sieving effect. In contrast to RGO, the weak π-π EDA interactions and H-bonding was observed between the carbonyl groups of PAEs and oxygen containing functional groups on GO. There was no obvious change in morphologies of GO and RGO before and desorption as revealed by SEM and TEM images, as desorption hysteresis did not occur in all conditions. The presence of HA also resulted in shielding effect thereby decreasing the adsorption rate and capacity of diethyl phthalate (DEP) on GO and RGO, while it had little effect on DMP, probably due to the adsorbed HA as new active sites. The desorption of DMP and DEP on RGO in presence of HA was quick and enhanced. These results should be important for evaluating the fate and health risk of graphene materials and PAEs in the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The concentrations of phthalates in settled dust in Bulgarian homes in relation to building characteristic and cleaning habits in the family

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolarik, Barbara; Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf; Naydenov, Kiril; Sundell, Jan; Stavova, Petra; Nielsen, Ole Faurskov

    Phthalate esters are chemical compounds with a broad range of applications. Recently, we have shown that significantly higher dust concentration of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was found in Bulgarian homes of children with asthma or allergies compared to healthy children. The concentration of DEHP was found to be significantly associated with wheezing in the last 12 months as reported by parents. The objective of the current study was to examine the associations between concentrations of phthalates in settled dust collected in Bulgarian homes and building characteristics and cleaning habits. Dust samples from the child's bedroom were collected in 177 homes and analysed for the content of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), di- n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) and DEHP. Information on building characteristics and family habits were collected from parental reports in questionnaires and from inspectors' observations in the homes. Significantly higher concentrations of BBzP, DEHP and DnOP in indoor dust were found in homes where polishing agents were used, compared to homes where such products were not used. The highest concentrations of DEHP, BBzP and DnOP were found in homes with the combination of a low frequency of dusting and the use of polish. There was no difference in phthalate concentrations between inspector-observed balatum flooring (PVC or linoleum) and wood flooring as well as between PVC, as determined by Raman spectra, and wood flooring. However, in a sub-group of homes with no use of polish, the concentration of DEHP was higher in homes with inspector-observed balatum compared with wood flooring but the difference was not significant may be due to a too small sample size.

  3. Comparative toxicity, oxidative stress and endocrine disruption potential of plasticizers in JEG-3 human placental cells.

    PubMed

    Pérez-Albaladejo, Elisabet; Fernandes, Denise; Lacorte, Silvia; Porte, Cinta

    2017-02-01

    Plasticizers are suspected to be toxic and/or to modulate or disrupt the endocrine system of humans and to cross the placental barrier, being embryonic and fetal development a particularly vulnerable period. This work investigates the comparative toxicity and ability to interfere with the synthesis of steroids and to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) of a selected number of plasticizers, including bisphenol A (BPA), nonyl- (NP) and octylphenol (OP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP), in the human placenta JEG-3 cells. Moreover, the bioavailability of chemicals in culture medium has been investigated. After 24h exposure, OP and NP showed the highest cytotoxicity (EC 50 : 36-40μM) followed by BPA (138-219μM), whereas no significant toxicity was observed for phthalates. Notwithstanding, BBP and DBP significantly decreased P450 aromatase activity (experimental IC 50 : 14-15μM), while NP and OP (20μM) increased the activity. Overall, this study evidences the differential toxicity and ability to modulate placental aromatase activity of some of the compounds nowadays used as plasticizers, and highlights the need of an accurate determination of the bioavailability of chemicals to improve the sensitivity of in-vitro tests. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Phthalic acid esters in soils from vegetable greenhouses in Shandong Peninsula, East China.

    PubMed

    Chai, Chao; Cheng, Hongzhen; Ge, Wei; Ma, Dong; Shi, Yanxi

    2014-01-01

    Soils at depths of 0 cm to 10 cm, 10 cm to 20 cm, and 20 cm to 40 cm from 37 vegetable greenhouses in Shandong Peninsula, East China, were collected, and 16 phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All 16 PAEs could be detected in soils from vegetable greenhouses. The total of 16 PAEs (Σ16PAEs) ranged from 1.939 mg/kg to 35.442 mg/kg, with an average of 6.748 mg/kg. Among four areas, including Qingdao, Weihai, Weifang, and Yantai, the average and maximum concentrations of Σ16PAEs in soils at depths of 0 cm to 10 cm appeared in Weifang, which has a long history of vegetable production and is famous for extensive greenhouse cultivation. Despite the different concentrations of Σ16PAEs, the PAE compositions were comparable. Among the 16 PAEs, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) were the most abundant. Compared with the results on agricultural soils in China, soils that are being used or were used for vegetable greenhouses had higher PAE concentrations. Among PAEs, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and DnBP exceeded soil allowable concentrations (in US) in more than 90% of the samples, and DnOP in more than 20%. Shandong Peninsula has the highest PAE contents, which suggests that this area is severely contaminated by PAEs.

  5. Phthalic Acid Esters in Soils from Vegetable Greenhouses in Shandong Peninsula, East China

    PubMed Central

    Chai, Chao; Cheng, Hongzhen; Ge, Wei; Ma, Dong; Shi, Yanxi

    2014-01-01

    Soils at depths of 0 cm to 10 cm, 10 cm to 20 cm, and 20 cm to 40 cm from 37 vegetable greenhouses in Shandong Peninsula, East China, were collected, and 16 phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All 16 PAEs could be detected in soils from vegetable greenhouses. The total of 16 PAEs (Σ16PAEs) ranged from 1.939 mg/kg to 35.442 mg/kg, with an average of 6.748 mg/kg. Among four areas, including Qingdao, Weihai, Weifang, and Yantai, the average and maximum concentrations of Σ16PAEs in soils at depths of 0 cm to 10 cm appeared in Weifang, which has a long history of vegetable production and is famous for extensive greenhouse cultivation. Despite the different concentrations of Σ16PAEs, the PAE compositions were comparable. Among the 16 PAEs, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) were the most abundant. Compared with the results on agricultural soils in China, soils that are being used or were used for vegetable greenhouses had higher PAE concentrations. Among PAEs, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and DnBP exceeded soil allowable concentrations (in US) in more than 90% of the samples, and DnOP in more than 20%. Shandong Peninsula has the highest PAE contents, which suggests that this area is severely contaminated by PAEs. PMID:24747982

  6. Biodegradation of phthalic acid esters by a newly isolated Mycobacterium sp. YC-RL4 and the bioprocess with environmental samples.

    PubMed

    Ren, Lei; Jia, Yang; Ruth, Nahurira; Qiao, Cheng; Wang, Junhuan; Zhao, Baisuo; Yan, Yanchun

    2016-08-01

    Bacterial strain YC-RL4, capable of utilizing phthalic acid esters (PAEs) as the sole carbon source for growth, was isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil. Strain YC-RL4 was identified as Mycobacterium sp. by 16S rRNA gene analysis and Biolog tests. Mycobacterium sp. YC-RL4 could rapidly degrade dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) under both individual and mixed conditions, and all the degradation rates were above 85.0 % within 5 days. The effects of environmental factors which might affect the degrading process were optimized as 30 °C and pH 8.0. The DEHP metabolites were detected by HPLC-MS and the degradation pathway was deduced tentatively. DEHP was transformed into phthalic acid (PA) via mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and PA was further utilized for growth via benzoic acid (BA) degradation pathway. Cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) assays illuminated that the strain YC-RL4 was of higher hydrophobicity while grown on DEHP and CSH increased with the higher DEHP concentration. The degradation rates of DEHP by strain YC-RL4 in different environmental samples was around 62.0 to 83.3 % and strain YC-RL4 survived well in the soil sample. These results suggested that the strain YC-RL4 could be used as a potential and efficient PAE degrader for the bioremediation of contaminated sites.

  7. Occurrence and risk assessment of phthalate esters (PAEs) in vegetables and soils of suburban plastic film greenhouses.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jun; Chen, Gangcai; Christie, Peter; Zhang, Manyun; Luo, Yongming; Teng, Ying

    2015-08-01

    Phthalate esters (PAEs) are suspected of having adverse effects on human health and have been frequently detected in soils and vegetables. The present study investigated their occurrence and composition in plastic film greenhouse soil-vegetable systems and assessed their potential health risks to farmers exposed to these widespread pollutants. Six priority control phthalates, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP), were determined in 44 plastic film greenhouse vegetables and corresponding soils. Total PAEs ranged from 0.51 to 7.16mgkg(-1) in vegetables and 0.40 to 6.20mgkg(-1) in soils with average concentrations of 2.56 and 2.23mgkg(-1), respectively. DnBP, DEHP and DnOP contributed more than 90% of the total PAEs in both vegetables and soils but the proportions of DnBP and DnOP in vegetables were significantly (p<0.05) higher than in soils. The average concentrations of PAEs in pot herb mustard, celery and lettuce were >3.00mgkg(-1) but were <2.50mgkg(-1) in the corresponding soils. Stem and leaf vegetables accumulated more PAEs. There were no clear relationships between vegetable and soil PAEs. Risk assessment indicates that DnBP, DEHP and DnOP exhibited elevated non-cancer risk with values of 0.039, 0.338 and 0.038, respectively. The carcinogenic risk of DEHP was about 3.94×10(-5) to farmers working in plastic film greenhouses. Health risks were mainly by exposure through vegetable consumption and soil ingestion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Method development for determination of migrated phthalate acid esters from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging into traditional Iranian drinking beverage (Doogh) samples: a novel approach of MSPE-GC/MS technique.

    PubMed

    Kiani, Amin; Ahmadloo, Mahsa; Shariatifar, Nabi; Moazzen, Mojtaba; Baghani, Abbas Norouzian; Khaniki, GholamReza Jahed; Taghinezhad, Ali; Kouhpayeh, Amin; Mousavi Khaneghah, Amin; Ghajarbeygi, Peyman

    2018-05-01

    In the current study, a novel magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) technique combined with a gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) was developed to determine the phthalate ester content of bottled Doogh samples. Doogh is a yogurt-based drinking beverage, which is frequently consumed in Middle East and Balkans. It is produced by stirring yogurt in Chern separation machine and consists of substances such as water, yogurt, and salt in addition to aqueous extracts of native herbs. The magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-Fe 3 O 4 ) were used as adsorbents of phthalate acid esters (PAEs) due to a superior adsorption capability of hydrophobic compounds. In this context, the quantity of the extractable migrated phthalate esters (dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-N-octyl phthalate (DNOP), and bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into Doogh samples was measured. The correlation between the concentration of migrated PAEs and some factors such as the type of Doogh (gaseous and without gas), difference in brand (five brands), volume (1500 and 300 mL), and the storage time also was investigated. The migration level into Doogh samples was increased by incorporating of gas as well as increasing the volume of PET bottles. Also, with elaborating of storage time, the migration of some phthalates such as DEHP (the mean from 2419.85 ng L -1 in the first week to 2716.15 ng L -1 in the second month), DEP, and total phthalate was increased. However, no significant difference in concentrations of migrated phthalate esters among different examined brands was noted. Finally, the concentration of migrated PAEs from bottle into all the examined Doogh samples was below the defined standards by EPA; 6 μg/L for DEHP in drinking water. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

  9. Indoor phthalate concentration and exposure in residential and office buildings in Xi'an, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xinke; Tao, Wei; Xu, Ying; Feng, Jiangtao; Wang, Fenghao

    2014-04-01

    Indoor phthalate levels were investigated in 28 buildings, including 14 office and 14 residential buildings in Xi'an, China. Phthalate esters in the gas-, particle-, and dust- phase were measured separately. Four phthalates including dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were detected. The detection frequency of DnBP and DEHP was more than 90%. The concentrations of total phthalate esters ranged from 0.20 to 8.29 μg m-3 for the gas- phase, from 0.09 to 14.77 μg m-3 for the particle- phase and from 123 to 9504 μg g-1 for the dust- phase. The individual phthalate with the highest concentrations of 6.17 μg m-3, 7.97 μg m-3 and 7228 μg g-1 respectively for gas-, particle- and dust- phase in all investigated rooms is all DiBP. The median concentration of the gas- and particle-phase DiBP (0.52 and 0.72 μg m-3) and dust-phase DEHP (582 μg g-1) were the highest. It was also found that the average concentrations of individual phthalates in residential buildings were often higher than in office buildings, and correlation analysis indicated that DiBP, DnBP and DEHP might come from the same sources. Based on the gas- and particle-phase concentrations measured, the particle-air partition coefficients of phthalates were estimated, and their logarithm values were found to be linearly correlated with the logarithm values of their octanol-air partition coefficients. Finally, the total daily exposure to indoor phthalates in air and dust was calculated, and ranged from 2.6 μg kg-1 day-1 (for adults) to 7.4 μg kg-1 day-1 (for toddlers).

  10. 40 CFR 464.21 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    .... pentachlorophenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate (2) Dust Collection Scrubbers (§ 464.25(c...-dimethylphenol 55. naphthalene 58. 4-nitrophenol 64. pentachlorophenol 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72...

  11. 40 CFR 464.21 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    .... pentachlorophenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate (2) Dust Collection Scrubbers (§ 464.25(c...-dimethylphenol 55. naphthalene 58. 4-nitrophenol 64. pentachlorophenol 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72...

  12. Contamination of Phthalate Esters (PAEs) in Typical Wastewater-Irrigated Agricultural Soils in Hebei, North China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yuan; Liang, Qiong; Gao, Rutai; Hou, Haobo; Tan, Wenbing; He, Xiaosong; Zhang, Hui; Yu, Minda; Ma, Lina; Xi, Beidou; Wang, Xiaowei

    2015-01-01

    The Wangyang River (WYR) basin is a typical wastewater irrigation area in Hebei Province, North China. This study investigated the concentration and distribution of six priority phthalate esters (PAEs) in the agricultural soils in this area. Thirty-nine soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected along the WYR to assess the PAE residues in soils. Results showed that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants in the topsoil obtained from the irrigation area. The concentrations of Σ6PAEs range from 0.191 μg g-1 dw to 0.457 μg g-1 dw with an average value of 0.294 μg g-1 dw. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are the dominant PAE species in the agricultural soils. Among the DEHP concentrations, the highest DEHP concentration was found at the sites close to the villages; this result suggested that dense anthropogenic activities and random garbage disposal in the rural area are possible sources of PAEs. The PAE concentrations were weakly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon and soil enzyme activities; thus, these factors can affect the distribution of PAEs. This study further showed that only dimethyl phthalate (DMP) concentrations exceeded the recommended allowable concentrations; no remediation measures are necessary to control the PAEs in the WYR area. However, the PAEs in the topsoil may pose a potential risk to the ecosystem and human health in this area. Therefore, the exacerbating PAE pollution should be addressed.

  13. Contamination of Phthalate Esters (PAEs) in Typical Wastewater-Irrigated Agricultural Soils in Hebei, North China

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Yuan; Liang, Qiong; Gao, Rutai; Hou, Haobo; Tan, Wenbing; He, Xiaosong; Zhang, Hui; Yu, Minda; Ma, Lina; Xi, Beidou; Wang, Xiaowei

    2015-01-01

    The Wangyang River (WYR) basin is a typical wastewater irrigation area in Hebei Province, North China. This study investigated the concentration and distribution of six priority phthalate esters (PAEs) in the agricultural soils in this area. Thirty-nine soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected along the WYR to assess the PAE residues in soils. Results showed that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants in the topsoil obtained from the irrigation area. The concentrations of Σ6PAEs range from 0.191 μg g−1 dw to 0.457 μg g−1 dw with an average value of 0.294 μg g−1 dw. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are the dominant PAE species in the agricultural soils. Among the DEHP concentrations, the highest DEHP concentration was found at the sites close to the villages; this result suggested that dense anthropogenic activities and random garbage disposal in the rural area are possible sources of PAEs. The PAE concentrations were weakly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon and soil enzyme activities; thus, these factors can affect the distribution of PAEs. This study further showed that only dimethyl phthalate (DMP) concentrations exceeded the recommended allowable concentrations; no remediation measures are necessary to control the PAEs in the WYR area. However, the PAEs in the topsoil may pose a potential risk to the ecosystem and human health in this area. Therefore, the exacerbating PAE pollution should be addressed. PMID:26360905

  14. Health risk assessment of phthalate esters (PAEs) in drinking water sources of China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Wen-Long; Wu, Qian-Yuan; Wang, Chao; He, Tao; Hu, Hong-Ying

    2015-03-01

    Phthalate esters (PAEs) with endocrine disruption effects and carcinogenicity are widely detected in water environment. Occurrences of PAEs in source water and removal efficiencies of PAEs by drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in China were surveyed from publications in the last 10 years. Concentration of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in source water with median value of 1.3 μg/L was higher than that of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP). If the removal efficiencies of DEHP and DnBP reached 60 and 90 %, respectively, the calculated PAE concentration in drinking water can generally meet Standards for Drinking Water Quality in China. The health risks of PAEs, including non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks via the "water source-DWTP-oral ingestion/dermal permeation" pathway, were evaluated with Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis under certain removal efficiencies from 0 to 95 %. The carcinogenic risk of DEHP was lower than the upper acceptable carcinogenic risk level (10(-4)), while the probability of DEHP's carcinogenic risk between lower (10(-6)) and upper (10(-4)) acceptable carcinogenic risk level decreased from about 21.2 to 0.4 % through increasing DEHP removal efficiency from 0 to 95 %. The non-carcinogenic risk of DEHP was higher than that of DEP and DnBP. In all cases, the total non-carcinogenic risk of DEP, DnBP, and DEHP was lower than 1, indicating that there would be unlikely incremental non-carcinogenic risk to humans. Both carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk of PAEs in drinking water to female were a little higher than those to male.

  15. Preparation and properties of high storage stability polyester polyol dispersion for two-component waterborne polyurethane coating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hao, H.; Hu, J. Q.; Wang, F.; Tu, W. P.

    2017-01-01

    A new type of polyester polyol dispersion with good storage stability was prepared based on a hydrophilic monomer 5-sodium sulfodimethyl isophthalate (5-SIPM), and frequently-used monomers such as neopentyl glycol (NPG), dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and trimethylolpropane (TMP) by the transpolycondensation and polycondensation method. The polyester polyol dispersion was characterized by FTIR and GPC. The proper content of these monomers were determined by the performance of polyester dispersion: the content of TMP was 15wt%, the content of NPG was 7.5wt% and the hydrophilic monomer 5-SIPM content was 5wt%. Two-component waterborne polyurethane (2K-WPU) coatings were prepared by Bayhydur® XP2487/1 and polyester polyol dispersions, which were stored before and after at 40 ° for 6 weeks, the prepared films have no differences in drying time, adhesion, pencil hardness, gloss and chemical resistance, the result also reveals that the polyester polyol dispersion have excellent storage stability resistance.

  16. Characterization of a di-n-butyl phthalate-degrading bacterial consortium and its application in contaminated soil.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jing; Guo, Chuling; Liu, Shasha; Liu, Weiting; Wang, Han; Dang, Zhi; Lu, Guining

    2018-04-17

    Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), as a plasticizer, is widely used in China, and it is easily released into diverse environments. In this study, we have obtained a stable bacterial consortium (B1) enriched from municipal sewage treatment plant activated sludge. The obtained bacterial consortium B1 was capable of degrading DBP and was mainly composed of Pandoraea sp. and Microbacterium sp. From the initial concentrations of 35-500 mg L -1 , DBP was efficiently degraded by the consortium, with the degradation rates above 92% within 3 days. The optimal temperature for DBP degradation was 30 °C and consortium B1 could adapt to a wide range of pH (5.5-8.5). The analysis of Illumina sequencing further showed that the relative abundance of Pandoraea was increased at the beginning of the degradation, while Microbacterium was decreased. In the later stage of the degradation, the change of the relative abundance of Pandoraea and Microbacterium was opposite. Apart from DBP, consortium B1 could also utilize dimethyl phthalate (DMP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and phthalic acid (PA) as the sole carbon. Moreover, adding B1 to DBP-contaminated soil could greatly improve the removal rate of DBP, suggesting that B1 has a great potential for the bioremediation of DBP-contaminated environments.

  17. 40 CFR 463.33 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... BAT effluent limitations guidelines for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) The Agency has determined that, with the exception of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate, there are no toxic pollutants in treatable...

  18. 40 CFR 463.33 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... BAT effluent limitations guidelines for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) The Agency has determined that, with the exception of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate, there are no toxic pollutants in treatable...

  19. Absolute vibrational excitation cross sections for 1-18 eV electron scattering from condensed dimethyl phosphate (DMP)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemelin, V.; Bass, A. D.; Wagner, J. R.; Sanche, L.

    2017-12-01

    Absolute cross sections (CSs) for vibrational excitation by 1-18 eV electrons incident on condensed dimethyl phosphate (DMP) were measured with a high-resolution electron energy loss (EEL) spectrometer. Absolute CSs were extracted from EEL spectra of DMP condensed on multilayer film of Ar held at about 20 K under ultra-high vacuum (˜1 × 10-11 Torr). Structures observed in the energy dependence of the CSs around 2, 4, 7, and 12 eV were compared with previous results of gas- and solid-phase experiments and with theoretical studies on dimethyl phosphate and related molecules. These structures were attributed to the formation of shape resonances.

  20. The risk of missed abortion associated with the levels of tobacco, heavy metals and phthalate in hair of pregnant woman

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Ranran; Wu, Yuelian; Zhao, Fangfang; Lv, Yingnan; Huang, Damin; Wei, Jinlian; Ruan, Chong; Huang, Mingli; Deng, Jinghuan; Huang, Dongping; Qiu, Xiaoqiang

    2017-01-01

    Abstract To assess the association between exposure to the tobacco, heavy metals and phthalate on early pregnancy and missed abortion. 42 women with missed abortion and 57 matched controls (women with normal pregnancies) were recruited between March and May 2012, from the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and the People Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The questionnaire survey was carried on to learn about the basic conditions, as well as smoking history of all participants. The levels of tobacco, heavy metal, and phthalate exposure were compared between the 2 groups by measuring nicotine, cocaine, cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), plumbum (Pb) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) in the hair samples. Out results showed that significant differences in age (P = .042), premarital examination (P = .041), passive smoking (P = .021), and heavy metal exposure (P = .022) were found in the case group compared to the control. In addition, the concentration of nicotine (P = .037), cotinine (P = .018), Cd (P = .01), Pb (P = .038) and DEHP (P = .001) in the hair were significantly higher in the case group. Furthermore, logistic analysis revealed that age [Odds Ratio (OR) 1.172, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.036–1.327], Cd (OR 8.931, 95% CI 2.003–39.811), Cotinine (OR 4.376, 95% CI 1.159–16.531), DEHP (OR 1.863, 95% CI 1.103–3.146) were important factors contributing to the missed abortion (P < .05). It was demonstrated that high gestational age, passive smoking, heavy metals, and the phthalate exposure were the risk factors for missed abortion, while the premarital health examination was a protective factor. Avoiding these harmful substances before getting pregnant and during the early stages of pregnancy, might help prevent missed abortions. PMID:29390543

  1. The influence of facility agriculture production on phthalate esters distribution in black soils of northeast China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ying; Wang, Pengjie; Wang, Lei; Sun, Guoqiang; Zhao, Jiaying; Zhang, Hui; Du, Na

    2015-02-15

    The current study investigates the existence of 15 phthalate esters (PAEs) in surface soils (27 samples) collected from 9 different facility agriculture sites in the black soil region of northeast China, during the process of agricultural production (comprising only three seasons spring, summer and autumn). Concentrations of the 15 PAEs detected significantly varied from spring to autumn and their values ranged from 1.37 to 4.90 mg/kg-dw, with a median value of 2.83 mg/kg-dw. The highest concentration of the 15 PAEs (4.90 mg/kg-dw) was determined in summer when mulching film was used in the greenhouses. Probably an increase in environmental temperature was a major reason for PAE transfer from the mulching film into the soil and coupled with the increased usage of chemical fertilizers in greenhouses. Results showed that of the 15 PAEs, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate(DEHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were in abundance with the mean value of 1.12 ± 0.22, 0.46 ± 0.05, 0.36 ± 0.04, and 0.17 ± 0.01 mg/kg-dw, respectively; and their average contributions in spring, summer, and autumn ranged between 64.08 and 90.51% among the 15 PAEs. The results of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated the concentration of these four main PAEs significantly differed among the facility agricultures investigated, during the process of agricultural production. In comparison with foreign and domestic results of previous researches, it is proved that the black soils of facility agriculture in northeast China show higher pollution situation comparing with non-facility agriculture soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Phthalate release in leachate from municipal landfills of central Poland

    PubMed Central

    Wowkonowicz, Paweł; Kijeńska, Marta

    2017-01-01

    Phthalate diesters (PAEs) are used as plasticizer additives to polymer chains to make the material more flexible and malleable. PAEs are bonded physically, not chemically, to the polymeric matrix and can migrate to and leach from the product surface, posing a serious danger to the environment and human health. There have been a number of studies on PAE concentrations in landfill leachate conducted in the EU and around the world, though few in Poland. In the present study, the leachate of five municipal landfills was analyzed for the presence of PAEs. Raw leachate was sampled four times over the period of one year in 2015/16. It was the first large study on this subject in Poland. PAEs were detected in the leachate samples on all of the landfills, thereby indicating that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The following PAEs were detected in at least one sample: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Diethyl phthalate (DEP), Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), Di-isobutylphthalate (DIBP). Out of all ten PAEs, DEHP was the most predominant, with concentrations up to 73.9 μg/L. DEHP was present in 65% of analyzed samples (in 100% of samples in spring, 80% in winter, and 40% in summer and autumn). In only 25% of all samples DEHP was below the acceptable UE limit for surface water (1.3 μg/L), while 75% was from 1.7 to 56 times higher than that value. On the two largest landfills DEHP concentrations were observed during samples from all four seasons, including on a landfill which has been remediated and closed for the last 5 years. PMID:28358912

  3. Phthalate release in leachate from municipal landfills of central Poland.

    PubMed

    Wowkonowicz, Paweł; Kijeńska, Marta

    2017-01-01

    Phthalate diesters (PAEs) are used as plasticizer additives to polymer chains to make the material more flexible and malleable. PAEs are bonded physically, not chemically, to the polymeric matrix and can migrate to and leach from the product surface, posing a serious danger to the environment and human health. There have been a number of studies on PAE concentrations in landfill leachate conducted in the EU and around the world, though few in Poland. In the present study, the leachate of five municipal landfills was analyzed for the presence of PAEs. Raw leachate was sampled four times over the period of one year in 2015/16. It was the first large study on this subject in Poland. PAEs were detected in the leachate samples on all of the landfills, thereby indicating that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The following PAEs were detected in at least one sample: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Diethyl phthalate (DEP), Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), Di-isobutylphthalate (DIBP). Out of all ten PAEs, DEHP was the most predominant, with concentrations up to 73.9 μg/L. DEHP was present in 65% of analyzed samples (in 100% of samples in spring, 80% in winter, and 40% in summer and autumn). In only 25% of all samples DEHP was below the acceptable UE limit for surface water (1.3 μg/L), while 75% was from 1.7 to 56 times higher than that value. On the two largest landfills DEHP concentrations were observed during samples from all four seasons, including on a landfill which has been remediated and closed for the last 5 years.

  4. The Human Health Assessment to Phthalate Acid Esters (PAEs) and Potential Probability Prediction by Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter EEM-FRI Fluorescence in Erlong Lake.

    PubMed

    Ji, Meichen; Li, Sijia; Zhang, Jiquan; Di, Hui; Li, Fengxu; Feng, Tianji

    2018-05-29

    Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are suspected to cause wide environmental pollution and have adverse effects on human health. Three priority control phthalates, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), were determined in 45 water samples from the largest drinking water source in Jilin Province. Chromophoric-dissolved organic matter (CDOM), which are composed of complex compounds and are a proxy for water quality, can be monitored using a fluorometer. This study attempted to understand the correlations of the CDOM fluorescence regional integration (FRI) components with PAEs and CDOM characteristics under seasonal and spatial variations in the Erlong Lake. The characteristics of the CDOM absorption parameters in different water samples showed a higher aromatic content and molecular weight in October because of increased terrestrial inputs. The Σ3PAEs concentrations ranged from 0.231 mg L -1 to 0.435 mg L -1 in water, and DEP contributed to more than 90% of the Σ3PAEs. The FRI method identified five fluorescence components: one tyrosine-like (R1), one tryptophan-like (R2), one fulvic-like (R3), one microbial protein-like (R4), and one humic-like (R5) component. However, significant relationships exist between DEP and R3 ( R ² = 0.78, p < 0.001), R4 ( R² = 0.77, p < 0.001), and R5 ( R ² = 0.58, p < 0.001). Quantifying the relationship between CDOM and PAEs was highly significant, because the results will simplify the componential analysis of pollutants from a spatiotemporal perspective as compared to traditional chemical measurements. The human health risk assessment results revealed no human health risk ( HQ < 1) in the Erlong Lake basin.

  5. Use of external metabolizing systems when testing for endocrine disruption in the T-screen assay

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Taxvig, Camilla, E-mail: camta@food.dtu.dk; Olesen, Pelle Thonning; Nellemann, Christine

    2011-02-01

    Although, it is well-established that information on the metabolism of a substance is important in the evaluation of its toxic potential, there is limited experience with incorporating metabolic aspects into in vitro tests for endocrine disrupters. The aim of the current study was a) to study different in vitro systems for biotransformation of ten known endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDs): five azole fungicides, three parabens and 2 phthalates, b) to determine possible changes in the ability of the EDs to bind and activate the thyroid receptor (TR) in the in vitro T-screen assay after biotransformation and c) to investigate the endogenousmore » metabolic capacity of the GH3 cells, the cell line used in the T-screen assay, which is a proliferation assay used for the in vitro detection of agonistic and antagonistic properties of compounds at the level of the TR. The two in vitro metabolizing systems tested the human liver S9 mix and the PCB-induced rat microsomes gave an almost complete metabolic transformation of the tested parabens and phthalates. No marked difference the effects in the T-screen assay was observed between the parent compounds and the effects of the tested metabolic extracts. The GH3 cells themselves significantly metabolized the two tested phthalates dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP). Overall the results and qualitative data from the current study show that an in vitro metabolizing system using liver S9 or microsomes could be a convenient method for the incorporation of metabolic and toxicokinetic aspects into in vitro testing for endocrine disrupting effects.« less

  6. Concentrations of phthalates and bisphenol A in Norwegian foods and beverages and estimated dietary exposure in adults.

    PubMed

    Sakhi, Amrit K; Lillegaard, Inger Therese L; Voorspoels, Stefan; Carlsen, Monica H; Løken, Elin B; Brantsæter, Anne L; Haugen, Margaretha; Meltzer, Helle M; Thomsen, Cathrine

    2014-12-01

    Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are ubiquitous in our environment. These chemicals have been characterized as endocrine disruptors that can cause functional impairment of development and reproduction. Processed and packaged foods are among the major sources of human exposure to these chemicals. No previous report showing the levels of these chemicals in food items purchased in Norway is available. The aim of the present study was to determine the concentration of ten different phthalates and BPA in foods and beverages purchased on the Norwegian market and estimate the daily dietary exposure in the Norwegian adult population. Commonly consumed foods and beverages in Norway were purchased in a grocery store and analysed using gas- and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Daily dietary exposures to these chemicals in the Norwegian adult population were estimated using the latest National dietary survey, Norkost 3 (2010-2011). This study showed that phthalates and BPA are found in all foods and beverages that are common to consume in Norway. The detection frequency of phthalates in the food items varied from 11% for dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) to 84% for di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DiNP), one of the substitutes for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). BPA was found in 54% of the food items analysed. Among the different phthalates, the highest concentrations were found for DEHP and DiNP in the food items. Estimated dietary exposures were also equally high and dominated by DEHP and DiNP (400-500 ng/kg body weight (bw)/day), followed by di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) and di-iso-decyl phthalate (DiDP) (30-40 ng/kg bw/day). Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethylphthalate (DEP) and DCHP had the lowest concentrations and the exposures were around 10-20 ng/kg bw/day. Estimated dietary exposure to BPA was 5 ng/kg bw/day. In general, levels of phthalates and BPA in foods and beverages from the Norwegian market are comparable to other countries worldwide. Grain and meat products were the major contributors of exposure to these chemicals in the Norwegian adult population. The estimated dietary exposures to these chemicals were considerably lower than their respective tolerable daily intake (TDI) values established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Phthalate esters (PAEs) in indoor PM10/PM2.5 and human exposure to PAEs via inhalation of indoor air in Tianjin, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Leibo; Wang, Fumei; Ji, Yaqin; Jiao, Jiao; Zou, Dekun; Liu, Lingling; Shan, Chunyan; Bai, Zhipeng; Sun, Zengrong

    2014-03-01

    In this study, filter samples of six Phthalate esters (PAEs) in indoor PM10 and PM2.5 were collected from thirteen homes in Tianjin, China. The results showed that the concentrations of Σ6PAEs in indoor PM10 and PM2.5 were in the range of 13.878-1591.277 ng m-3 and 7.266-1244.178 ng m-3, respectively. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was the most abundant compounds followed by di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in indoor PM10 and PM2.5. Whereas DBP and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were the predominant compounds in indoor air (gas-phase + particle-phase), the median values were 573.467 and 368.364 ng m-3 respectively. The earlier construction time, the lesser indoor area, the old decoration, the very crowded items coated with plastic and a lower frequency of dusting may lead to a higher level of PAEs in indoor environment. The six PAEs in indoor PM10 and PM2.5 were higher in summer than those in winter. The daily intake (DI) of six PAEs for five age groups through air inhalation in indoor air in Tianjin was estimated. The results indicated that the highest exposure dose was DBP in every age group, and infants experienced the highest total DIs (median: 664.332 ng kg-bw-1 day-1) to ∑6PAEs, whereas adults experienced the lowest total DIs (median: 155.850 ng kg-bw-1 day-1) to ∑6PAEs. So, more attention should be paid on infants in the aspect of indoor inhalation exposure to PAEs.

  8. Use of external metabolizing systems when testing for endocrine disruption in the T-screen assay.

    PubMed

    Taxvig, Camilla; Olesen, Pelle Thonning; Nellemann, Christine

    2011-02-01

    Although, it is well-established that information on the metabolism of a substance is important in the evaluation of its toxic potential, there is limited experience with incorporating metabolic aspects into in vitro tests for endocrine disrupters. The aim of the current study was a) to study different in vitro systems for biotransformation of ten known endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDs): five azole fungicides, three parabens and 2 phthalates, b) to determine possible changes in the ability of the EDs to bind and activate the thyroid receptor (TR) in the in vitro T-screen assay after biotransformation and c) to investigate the endogenous metabolic capacity of the GH3 cells, the cell line used in the T-screen assay, which is a proliferation assay used for the in vitro detection of agonistic and antagonistic properties of compounds at the level of the TR. The two in vitro metabolizing systems tested the human liver S9 mix and the PCB-induced rat microsomes gave an almost complete metabolic transformation of the tested parabens and phthalates. No marked difference the effects in the T-screen assay was observed between the parent compounds and the effects of the tested metabolic extracts. The GH3 cells themselves significantly metabolized the two tested phthalates dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP). Overall the results and qualitative data from the current study show that an in vitro metabolizing system using liver S9 or microsomes could be a convenient method for the incorporation of metabolic and toxicokinetic aspects into in vitro testing for endocrine disrupting effects. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Impact of Clothing on Dermal Exposure to Phthalates: Observations and Insights from Sampling Both Skin and Clothing.

    PubMed

    Gong, Mengyan; Weschler, Charles J; Zhang, Yinping

    2016-04-19

    Clothing can either retard or accelerate dermal exposure to phthalates. To investigate the impact of clothing on dermal exposure to six phthalates (DMP/DEP/DiBP/DnBP/BBzP/DEHP) in real environments, two sets of experiments have been conducted: (1) Skin wipes were collected from 11 adults to examine the phthalate levels on both bare-skin (hand/forehead) and clothing-covered body locations (arm/back/calf); (2) Five adults were asked to wear just-washed jeans for 1 day (1(st) experiment), 5 days (2(nd) experiment), and 10 days (3(rd) experiment). Phthalate levels on their legs were measured on selected days during the wearing period, and phthalate levels in the jeans were measured at the end of each experiment and again after washing. Measured phthalate levels on body locations covered by clothing were lower than those on uncovered locations, but still substantial. Dermal uptake would be underestimated by a factor of 2 to 5 if absorption through body locations covered by clothing were neglected. Phthalate levels in the jeans and on the legs increased with the wearing time. However, the levels in the jeans and on the legs were not strongly correlated, indicating that other pathways, e.g, contact with bedding or bedclothes, likely contribute to the levels on the legs. The efficiency with which laundering washing removed phthalates from the jeans increased with decreasing Kow; median values ranged from very low (<5%) for DEHP to very high (∼75%) for DMP.

  10. 40 CFR 433.11 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ...-propylamine Pentachlorophenol Phenol Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Butyl benzyl phthalate Di-n-butyl phthalate Di-n-octyl phthalate Diethyl phthalate Dimethyl phthalate 1,2-Benzanthracene (benzo(a)anthracene...

  11. 40 CFR 433.11 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...-propylamine Pentachlorophenol Phenol Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Butyl benzyl phthalate Di-n-butyl phthalate Di-n-octyl phthalate Diethyl phthalate Dimethyl phthalate 1,2-Benzanthracene (benzo(a)anthracene...

  12. 40 CFR 433.11 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...-propylamine Pentachlorophenol Phenol Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Butyl benzyl phthalate Di-n-butyl phthalate Di-n-octyl phthalate Diethyl phthalate Dimethyl phthalate 1,2-Benzanthracene (benzo(a)anthracene...

  13. 40 CFR 413.02 - General definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...-nitrosodiphenylamine N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine Pentachlorophenol Phenol Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Butyl benzyl phthalate Di-n-butyl phthalate Di-n-octyl phthalate Diethyl phthalate Dimethyl phthalate 1,2-benzanthracene...

  14. 40 CFR 413.02 - General definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...-nitrosodiphenylamine N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine Pentachlorophenol Phenol Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Butyl benzyl phthalate Di-n-butyl phthalate Di-n-octyl phthalate Diethyl phthalate Dimethyl phthalate 1,2-benzanthracene...

  15. PERINATAL EXPOSURE TO THE PHTHALATES DEHP, BBP AND DINP, BUT NOT DEP, DMP OR DOTP ALTERS SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION OF THE MALE RAT

    EPA Science Inventory

    In mammals, exposure to antiandrogenic chemicals during sexual differentiation can produce malformations of the reproductive tract. Perinatal administration of AR antagonists like vinclozolin and procymidone or chemicals like di (2-bis) ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), that inhibit ...

  16. The risk of missed abortion associated with the levels of tobacco, heavy metals and phthalate in hair of pregnant woman: A case control study in Chinese women.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Ranran; Wu, Yuelian; Zhao, Fangfang; Lv, Yingnan; Huang, Damin; Wei, Jinlian; Ruan, Chong; Huang, Mingli; Deng, Jinghuan; Huang, Dongping; Qiu, Xiaoqiang

    2017-12-01

    To assess the association between exposure to the tobacco, heavy metals and phthalate on early pregnancy and missed abortion.42 women with missed abortion and 57 matched controls (women with normal pregnancies) were recruited between March and May 2012, from the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and the People Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The questionnaire survey was carried on to learn about the basic conditions, as well as smoking history of all participants. The levels of tobacco, heavy metal, and phthalate exposure were compared between the 2 groups by measuring nicotine, cocaine, cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), plumbum (Pb) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) in the hair samples.Out results showed that significant differences in age (P = .042), premarital examination (P = .041), passive smoking (P = .021), and heavy metal exposure (P = .022) were found in the case group compared to the control. In addition, the concentration of nicotine (P = .037), cotinine (P = .018), Cd (P = .01), Pb (P = .038) and DEHP (P = .001) in the hair were significantly higher in the case group. Furthermore, logistic analysis revealed that age [Odds Ratio (OR) 1.172, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.036-1.327], Cd (OR 8.931, 95% CI 2.003-39.811), Cotinine (OR 4.376, 95% CI 1.159-16.531), DEHP (OR 1.863, 95% CI 1.103-3.146) were important factors contributing to the missed abortion (P < .05).It was demonstrated that high gestational age, passive smoking, heavy metals, and the phthalate exposure were the risk factors for missed abortion, while the premarital health examination was a protective factor. Avoiding these harmful substances before getting pregnant and during the early stages of pregnancy, might help prevent missed abortions. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. The Characteristics of Atmospheric Phthalates in Shanghai: a Haze Case Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Y.; Wang, J.; Ren, B.; Wang, H.; Qiao, L.; Zhu, J.; Li, L.

    2017-12-01

    While phthalates in indoor environments are extensively studied, reports on phthalates in outdoor air, particularly their associations with haze events are rare. Phthalates, especially dimethyl phthalate, are known to react with criteria air pollutants contributing to the formation of secondary organic aerosols. This study investigated phthalates levels in outdoor air in Shanghai with a focus on their associations with different air quality conditions. The air quality during the study period was classified into three levels: non-haze, light pollution and moderate pollution based on the Air Quality Index. Phthalates levels were found to be lower in non haze (236 ng/m3) and higher in moderate pollution weather (up to 700 ng/m3). Meteorological factors of relative humidity and wind speed had an inverse relationship with phthalates levels. Airborne particulate matter had a positive correlation with phthalates levels. Hydroxyl radical initiated photo-reaction of dimethyl phthalate was observed through its inverse relationship with total atmospheric oxidant (O3 + NO2), indicating that dimethyl phthalate could be one of the precursors of secondary organic aerosol causing haze. This is the first study demonstrating the relationship of phthalates and different air quality conditions. The knowledge contributes to our understanding on the cause of haze events in China and elsewhere.

  18. Preparation and characterization of molecularly imprinted polymer for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate: application to sample clean-up prior to gas chromatographic determination.

    PubMed

    Shaikh, Huma; Memon, Najma; Khan, Hamayun; Bhanger, M I; Nizamani, S M

    2012-07-20

    The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) selective for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) an environmental endocrine disruptor was prepared by suspension polymerization using methacrylamide as functional monomer and N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide as cross-linker. The imprinted polymer was employed for solid-phase extraction of DEHP from water samples of environmental importance and characterized by FT-IR and SEM. The adsorption properties of the imprinted polymer were demonstrated by equilibrium rebinding experiments, Pseudo-second-order kinetic model, Sips isotherm and Scatchard analysis. The reusability of MIP was checked for at least six repeated batch adsorption cycles and the results showed almost no deterioration in the adsorption capacity. The competitive recognition studies were performed with DEHP and structurally similar compounds; dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The imprinting factor (IF) of DEHP was found to be 12.86 which was much higher than the imprinting factors (IF) of other phthalates. A method constituted by molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) with GC-FID was developed for DEHP analysis in water samples under very simple conditions. Sample loading and desorption conditions were also optimized. The MISPE method's linearity ranged from 0.035 to 3.0 μg ml⁻¹ with r² = 0.9998. Intra-assay, interassay precision and accuracy ranged from 0.0168% to 1.017%, 1.130% to 4.799% and 94.98% to 99.35%, respectively. The LOD and LOQ were found to be 0.011 and 0.035 μg ml⁻¹, respectively. Synthesized MIP was employed in MISPE for cleaning up the spiked river water samples prior to gas chromatographic analysis. The river samples were found to contain DEHP in the range of 1.4 × 10⁻³ to 0.349 μg ml⁻¹. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. 40 CFR Appendix A to Part 423 - 126 Priority Pollutants

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...-propylamin 064Pentachlorophenol 065Phenol 066Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 067Butyl benzyl phthalate 068Di-N-Butyl Phthalate 069Di-n-octyl phthalate 070Diethyl Phthalate 071Dimethyl phthalate 0721,2-benzanthracene...

  20. 40 CFR Appendix A to Part 423 - 126 Priority Pollutants

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...-propylamin 064Pentachlorophenol 065Phenol 066Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 067Butyl benzyl phthalate 068Di-N-Butyl Phthalate 069Di-n-octyl phthalate 070Diethyl Phthalate 071Dimethyl phthalate 0721,2-benzanthracene...

  1. 40 CFR Appendix A to Part 423 - 126 Priority Pollutants

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...-propylamin 064Pentachlorophenol 065Phenol 066Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 067Butyl benzyl phthalate 068Di-N-Butyl Phthalate 069Di-n-octyl phthalate 070Diethyl Phthalate 071Dimethyl phthalate 0721,2-benzanthracene...

  2. 40 CFR Appendix A to Part 423 - 126 Priority Pollutants

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ...-propylamin 064Pentachlorophenol 065Phenol 066Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 067Butyl benzyl phthalate 068Di-N-Butyl Phthalate 069Di-n-octyl phthalate 070Diethyl Phthalate 071Dimethyl phthalate 0721,2-benzanthracene...

  3. Enzyme activity in dialkyl phosphate ionic liquids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thomas, M.F.; Dunn, J.; Li, L.-L.

    2011-12-01

    The activity of four metagenomic enzymes and an enzyme cloned from the straw mushroom, Volvariellavolvacea were studied in the following ionic liquids, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate, [mmim][dmp], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate, [emim][dmp], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate, [emim][dep] and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [emim][OAc]. Activity was determined by analyzing the hydrolysis of para-nitrobenzene carbohydrate derivatives. In general, the enzymes were most active in the dimethyl phosphate ionic liquids, followed by acetate. Generally speaking, activity decreased sharply for concentrations of [emim][dep] above 10% v/v, while the other ionic liquids showed less impact on activity up to 20% v/v.

  4. Dimethyl phthalate

    Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

    Dimethyl phthalate ; CASRN 131 - 11 - 3 Human health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in the IRIS database only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data , as outlined in the IRIS assessment development process . Sections I ( Health Hazard Assessments for Noncarcinogeni

  5. 40 CFR 464.31 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... (dichloromethane) 55. naphthalene 64. pentachlorophenol 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72. benzo (a)anthracene (1,2...-ethylhexyl) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 72. benzo (a)anthracene (1,2...

  6. X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Electrochemically Generated Species

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-01-27

    constructed from gold minigrid, colloidal graphite, and reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC). The use of gold minigrid electrodes has been demonstrated for...jBF n (bipy= 2,2’-ipyridine, dmp= 2,9-dimethvl- 1,10-phenanthroline) in solution at reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes, and incorporated in...Fe(bipy)3(C104)2, Ru(bipy)3Cl2, and Cu(drp)2BF4 (bipy= 2,2’-bipyridine, dmp= 2, 9-dimethyl-l,10-phenanthroline) in solution at reticulated vitreous

  7. The characteristics of atmospheric phthalates in Shanghai: A haze case study and human exposure assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yingjie; Wang, Jiahui; Ren, Bainian; Wang, Hongli; Qiao, Liping; Zhu, Jiping; Li, Li

    2018-04-01

    While phthalates in indoor environments are extensively studied, reports on phthalates in outdoor air, particularly their associations with haze weather events are rare. Phthalates, especially dimethyl phthalate, are known to react with criteria air pollutants contributing to the formation of secondary organic aerosols. This study investigated phthalates levels in the atmosphere in Shanghai with a focus on their associations with different air quality weather events. The air quality during the study period was classified into three levels: non-haze, light pollution and moderate pollution. Phthalates levels were found to be lower in non-haze weather events (236 ng/m3) and higher in moderate pollution weather events (up to 700 ng/m3). Meteorological factors of relative humidity and wind speed had an inverse relationship with phthalates levels. Particulate matter had a positive correlation with phthalates levels. Hydroxyl radical initiated photo-reaction of dimethyl phthalate was evident by its inverse relationship with total atmospheric oxidant (O3 + NO2), indicating that dimethyl phthalate could be one of the precursors of secondary organic aerosol causing haze weather events. Daily intake of phthalates through exposure to outdoor air is estimated to be relatively minor; children intake remains higher on a body weight basis. This is the first study demonstrating the relationship of phthalates and different air quality conditions in haze weather events. The knowledge contributes to our understanding on the cause of haze weather events in China and elsewhere.

  8. 40 CFR 464.31 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... (dichloromethane) 55. naphthalene 64. pentachlorophenol 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72. benzo (a)anthracene (1,2... (dichloromethane) 66. bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 77. acenaphthylene 84. pyrene (4) Melting Furnace Scrubber...

  9. 40 CFR 464.31 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... (dichloromethane) 55. naphthalene 64. pentachlorophenol 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 71. dimethyl phthalate 72. benzo (a)anthracene (1,2... (dichloromethane) 66. bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 77. acenaphthylene 84. pyrene (4) Melting Furnace Scrubber...

  10. 40 CFR Appendix - Tables to Part 132

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...-Bromophenyl phenyl ether Butyl benzyl phthalate Cadmium Carbon tetrachloride; tetrachloromethane Chlorobenzene...) phthalate Diazinon 1,2:5,6-Dibenzanthracene; dibenz[a,h]anthracene Dibutyl phthalate; di-n-butyl phthalate 1...-dichloropropylene Diethyl phthalate 2,4-Dimethylphenol; 2,4-xylenol Dimethyl phthalate 4,6-Dinitro-o-cresol; 2...

  11. 77 FR 15101 - Results From Inert Ingredient Test Orders Issued Under EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-14

    ... Federal Register document provides further notice. To help companies avoid formulating new product with methyl ethyl ketone, butyl benzyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate...

  12. Development of Lithium Dimethyl Phosphate as an Electrolyte Additive for Lithium Ion Batteries

    DOE PAGES

    Milien, Mickdy S.; Tottempudi, Usha; Son, Miyoung; ...

    2016-04-27

    The novel electrolyte additive lithium dimethyl phosphate (LiDMP) has been synthesized and characterized. Incorporation of LiDMP (0.1% wt) into LiPF 6 in ethylene carbonate (EC) / ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) (3:7 wt) results in improved rate performance and reduced impedance for graphite / LiNi 1/3Mn 1/3Co 1/3O 2 cells. Ex-situ surface analysis of the electrodes suggests that incorporation of LiDMP results in a modification of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the anode. A decrease in the concentration of lithium alkyl carbonates and an increase in the concentration of lithium fluoro phosphates are observed. The change in the anode SEImore » structure is responsible for the increased rate performance and decreased cell impedance.« less

  13. Use of Dimethyl Pimelimidate with Microfluidic System for Nucleic Acids Extraction without Electricity.

    PubMed

    Jin, Choong Eun; Lee, Tae Yoon; Koo, Bonhan; Choi, Kyung-Chul; Chang, Suhwan; Park, Se Yoon; Kim, Ji Yeun; Kim, Sung-Han; Shin, Yong

    2017-07-18

    The isolation of nucleic acids in the lab on a chip is crucial to achieve the maximal effectiveness of point-of-care testing for detection in clinical applications. Here, we report on the use of a simple and versatile single-channel microfluidic platform that combines dimethyl pimelimidate (DMP) for nucleic acids (both RNA and DNA) extraction without electricity using a thin-film system. The system is based on the adaption of DMP into nonchaotropic-based nucleic acids and the capture of reagents into a low-cost thin-film platform for use as a microfluidic total analysis system, which can be utilized for sample processing in clinical diagnostics. Moreover, we assessed the use of the DMP system for the extraction of nucleic acids from various samples, including mammalian cells, bacterial cells, and viruses from human disease, and we also confirmed that the quality and quantity of the nucleic acids extracted were sufficient to allow for the robust detection of biomarkers and/or pathogens in downstream analysis. Furthermore, this DMP system does not require any instruments and electricity, and has improved time efficiency, portability, and affordability. Thus, we believe that the DMP system may change the paradigm of sample processing in clinical diagnostics.

  14. 40 CFR 463.33 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... limitations guidelines for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) The Agency has determined that, with the exception of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl...

  15. Phthalates in Commercial Chinese Rice Wines: Concentrations and the Cumulative Risk Assessment to Adult Males in Shanghai.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yue; Lu, Wen Wei; Chen, Bo; You, Jie; Wu, Min; Li, Shu Guang

    2014-10-01

    The concentrations of 16 phthalates in 164 commercial Chinese rice wines (CRW) were detected by GC-MS, and consumption data on CRW in different packaging types was investigated from 634 adult males in Shanghai using a food frequency questionnaire. Based on the principles of probabilistic modelling and cumulative risk assessment, the exposure and health risk of phthalates from CRW to adult males in Shanghai was evaluated. DMP, DEP, DIBP, DnBP, BBP, and DEHP were detected in the samples, the range of detection frequency of individual phthalates varied from 6.10% for BBP to 15.24% for DIBP, and the detected concentrations were 51.06-200.34 ng/mL. All the respondents consumed CRW, 90.69% of them consumed CRW 0.01-49.9 mL/d, the minimum value of the average daily intake of CRW was 6.25 mL/d, the median was 13.72 mL/d and the maximum was 300 mL/d. The median exposure level of the 6 detected Phthalates to adult males in Shanghai were 6.58-7.10 ng/(d•kg), and the maximum exposure level were 137.38-540.47 ng/(d•kg). The cumulative exposure health risk index (HI) based on the median and maximum exposure level of the 6 Phthalates (DMP, DEP, DIBP, DnBP, BBP, and DEHP) were 0.001147 and 0.063396, both were far less than 1. In conclusion, CRW were generally consumed by the adult males in Shanghai, although multiple phthalates were detected in commercial CRW, health risk of such exposure levels from commercial CRW to the target adult males in Shanghai was very low. Copyright © 2014 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

  16. 40 CFR Appendix J to Part 122 - NPDES Permit Testing Requirements for Publicly Owned Treatment Works (§ 122.21(j))

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...-ethylhexyl) phthalate 4-bromophenyl phenyl ether Butyl benzyl phthalate 2-chloronaphthalene 4-chlorophenyl phenyl ether Chrysene Di-n-butyl phthalate Di-n-octyl phthalate Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene 1,2-dichlorobenzene 1,3-dichlorobenzene 1,4-dichlorobenzene 3,3-dichlorobenzidine Diethyl phthalate Dimethyl phthalate...

  17. 40 CFR 463.34 - New source performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ....34 New source performance standards. (a) NSPS for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) Any new source subject to this subpart must achieve...

  18. 40 CFR 463.36 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ....36 Pretreatment standards for new sources. (a) PSNS for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) Any new source subject to this subpart that introduces...

  19. 40 CFR 463.35 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Subcategory § 463.35 Pretreatment standards for existing sources. (a) PSES for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) Any existing source subject to this...

  20. 40 CFR 463.36 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Subcategory § 463.36 Pretreatment standards for new sources. (a) PSNS for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) Any new source subject to this subpart that...

  1. 40 CFR 463.36 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Subcategory § 463.36 Pretreatment standards for new sources. (a) PSNS for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) Any new source subject to this subpart that...

  2. 40 CFR 463.34 - New source performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Subcategory § 463.34 New source performance standards. (a) NSPS for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and dimethyl phthalate are reserved. (b) Any new source subject to this subpart must achieve...

  3. A toxological study of 3,6-BIS(3,5-Dimethyl-1-1-Pyrazolyl)1,2-Dihydro-1,2,4,5-Tetrazine

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    London, J.E.

    1993-03-01

    The acute oral LD{sub 30/50} values for 3,6-BIS(3,5-Dimethyl-1-Pyrazolyl)-1,2-Dihydro-1,2,4,5-Tetrazine BIS(DMP)DHT are greater than 5g/kg. According to classical guidelines, the material would be considered only slightly toxic or practically nontoxic in both rats and mice. The sensitization study in the guinea pig did not show BIS(DMP)SHT to have potential sensitizing effects. Skin application studies on the rabbit demonstrated the material was cutaneously nonirritating. This material was also nonirritating in the rabbit eye application studies.

  4. A toxological study of 3,6-BIS(3,5-Dimethyl-1-1-Pyrazolyl)1,2-Dihydro-1,2,4,5-Tetrazine

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    London, J.E.

    1993-03-01

    The acute oral LD[sub 30/50] values for 3,6-BIS(3,5-Dimethyl-1-Pyrazolyl)-1,2-Dihydro-1,2,4,5-Tetrazine BIS(DMP)DHT are greater than 5g/kg. According to classical guidelines, the material would be considered only slightly toxic or practically nontoxic in both rats and mice. The sensitization study in the guinea pig did not show BIS(DMP)SHT to have potential sensitizing effects. Skin application studies on the rabbit demonstrated the material was cutaneously nonirritating. This material was also nonirritating in the rabbit eye application studies.

  5. 40 CFR 414.91 - Toxic pollutant effluent limitations and standards for direct discharge point sources that use...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...(k)fluoranthene 59 22 Benzo(a)pyrene 61 23 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 279 103 Carbon Tetrachloride... Di-n-butyl phthalate 57 27 1,2-Dichlorobenzene 163 77 1,3-Dichlorobenzene 44 31 1,4-Dichlorobenzene... phthalate 203 81 2,4-Dimethylphenol 36 18 Dimethyl phthalate 47 19 4,6-Dinitro-o-cresol 277 78 2,4...

  6. 40 CFR 414.91 - Toxic pollutant effluent limitations and standards for direct discharge point sources that use...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...(k)fluoranthene 59 22 Benzo(a)pyrene 61 23 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 279 103 Carbon Tetrachloride... Di-n-butyl phthalate 57 27 1,2-Dichlorobenzene 163 77 1,3-Dichlorobenzene 44 31 1,4-Dichlorobenzene... phthalate 203 81 2,4-Dimethylphenol 36 18 Dimethyl phthalate 47 19 4,6-Dinitro-o-cresol 277 78 2,4...

  7. [Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of recalcitrant organic compounds].

    PubMed

    Wang, Jian-Bing; Hou, Shao-Pei; Zhou, Yun-Rui; Zhu, Wan-Peng; He, Xu-Wen

    2009-09-15

    Ozonation and Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), phenols and disinfection by-products precursors were studied. It shows that Ru/AC catalyst can obviously enhance the mineralization of organic compounds. In the degradation of DMP, TOC removal was 28.84% by ozonation alone while it was 66.13% by catalytic ozonation. In the oxidation of 23 kinds of phenols, TOC removals were 9.57%-56.08% by ozonation alone while they were 41.81%-82.32% by catalytic ozonation. Compared to ozonation alone, Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation was more effective for the reduction of disinfection by-products formation potentials in source water. The reduction of haloacetic acids formation potentials was more obvious than thichlomethane formation potentials. After the treatment by catalytic ozonation, the haloacetic acids formation potentials decreased from 144.02 microg/L to 58.50 microg/L, which was below the standard value of EPA. However ozonation alone could not make it reach the standard. The treatments of source water by BAC, O3 + BAC, O3/AC + BAC and Ru/AC + O3 + BAC were also studied. In the four processes, TOC removal was 3.80%, 20.14%, 27.45% and 48.30% respectively, COD removal was 4.37%, 27.22%, 39.91% and 50.00% respectively, UV254 removal was 8.16%, 62.24%, 67.03% and 84.95% respectively. Ru/AC + O3 + BAC process is more effective than the other processes for the removal of TOC, COD and UV254 and no ruthenium leaching observed in the solution. It is a promising process for the treatment of micro polluted source water.

  8. Biodegradation of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and in silico structural characterization of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) hydrolase on the basis of close structural homolog.

    PubMed

    Singh, Neha; Dalal, Vikram; Mahto, Jai Krishna; Kumar, Pravindra

    2017-09-15

    Three bacterial strains capable of degrading phthalates namely Pseudomonas sp. PKDM2, Pseudomonas sp. PKDE1 and Pseudomonas sp. PKDE2 were isolated and characterized for their degradative potential. These strains efficiently degraded 77.4%-84.4% of DMP, 75.0%-75.7% of DEP and 71.7%-74.7% of DEHP, initial amount of each phthalate is 500mgL -1 of each phthalate, after 44h of incubation. GC-MS results reveal the tentative DEHP degradation pathway, where hydrolases mediate the breakdown of DEHP to phthalic acid (PA) via an intermediate MEHP. MEHP hydrolase is a serine hydrolase which is involved in the reduction of the MEHP to PA. The predicted 3D model of MEHP hydrolase from Pseudomonas mosselii was docked with phthalate monoesters (PMEs) such as MEHP, mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MHP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP) and mono-n-ethyl phthalate (MEP), respectively. Docking results show the distance between the carbonyl carbon of respective phthalate monoester and the hydroxyl group of catalytic serine lies in the range of 2.9 to 3.3Å, which is similar to the ES complex of other serine hydrolases. This structural study highlights the interaction and the role of catalytic residues of MEHP hydrolase involved in the biodegradation of PMEs to phthalate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. 40 CFR 414.101 - Toxic pollutant effluent limitations and standards for direct discharge point sources that do not...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...(k)fluoranthene 47 19 Benzo(a)pyrene 48 20 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 258 95 Carbon Tetrachloride... phthalate 43 20 1,2-Dichlorobenzene 794 196 1,3-Dichlorobenzene 380 142 1,4-Dichlorobenzene 380 142 1,1...-Dichloropropane 794 196 1,3-Dichloropropylene 794 196 Diethyl phthalate 113 46 2,4-Dimethylphenol 47 19 Dimethyl...

  10. 40 CFR 414.101 - Toxic pollutant effluent limitations and standards for direct discharge point sources that do not...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...(k)fluoranthene 47 19 Benzo(a)pyrene 48 20 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 258 95 Carbon Tetrachloride... phthalate 43 20 1,2-Dichlorobenzene 794 196 1,3-Dichlorobenzene 380 142 1,4-Dichlorobenzene 380 142 1,1...-Dichloropropane 794 196 1,3-Dichloropropylene 794 196 Diethyl phthalate 113 46 2,4-Dimethylphenol 47 19 Dimethyl...

  11. Degradation of organic pollutants by Vacuum-Ultraviolet (VUV): Kinetic model and efficiency.

    PubMed

    Xie, Pengchao; Yue, Siyang; Ding, Jiaqi; Wan, Ying; Li, Xuchun; Ma, Jun; Wang, Zongping

    2018-04-15

    Vacuum-Ultraviolet (VUV), an efficient and green method to produce hydroxyl radical (•OH), is effective in degrading numerous organic contaminants in aqueous solution. Here, we proposed an effective and simple kinetic model to describe the degradation of organic pollutants in VUV system, by taking the •OH scavenging effects of formed organic intermediates as co-existing organic matter in whole. Using benzoic acid (BA) as a •OH probe, •OH was regarded vital for pollutant degradation in VUV system, and the thus developed model successfully predicted its degradation kinetics under different conditions. Effects of typical influencing factors such as BA concentrations and UV intensity were investigated quantitatively by the model. Temperature was found to be an important influencing factor in the VUV system, and the quantum yield of •OH showed a positive linear dependence on temperature. Impacts of humic acid (HA), alkalinity, chloride, and water matrices (realistic waters) on the oxidation efficiency were also examined. BA degradation was significantly inhibited by HA due to its scavenging of •OH, but was influenced much less by the alkalinity and chloride; high oxidation efficiency was still obtained in the realistic water. The degradation kinetics of three other typical micropollutants including bisphenol A (BPA), nitrobenzene (NB) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and the mixture of co-existing BA, BPA and DMP were further studied, and the developed model predicted the experimental data well, especially in realistic water. It is expected that this study will provide an effective approach to predict the degradation of organic micropollutants by the promising VUV system, and broaden the application of VUV system in water treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Correlation of phthalate exposures with semen quality

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pant, Niraj; Shukla, Manju; Kumar Patel, Devendra

    2008-08-15

    Phthalates are widely used man-made chemical released in the environment and human exposure is mainly through diet. As the phthalate plasticizers are not covalently bound to PVC, they can leach, migrate or evaporate into the environment and as a result have become ubiquitously contaminants. The present study investigates the correlation, if any, between the phthalate esters (DEP, DEHP, DBP, DMP, DOP) and sperm mitochondrial status, ROS, LPO, SCSA, and sperm quality. The study was conducted in the urban/rural population of Lucknow visiting Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, CSMMU, Lucknow. Semen analysis was performed according to the WHO guidelines while phthalate analysismore » by HPLC and LPO by spectrophotometer and the sperm mitochondrial status, ROS, SCSA using flow cytometry. The questionnaire data showed no significant difference in the demographic characteristics among the groups. In general, urban population was found to have statistically significant higher levels of phthalate esters than the rural. Further, infertile men showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) higher levels of pollutants in the semen than fertile men. A negative correlation between semen phthalate level viz DEHP and sperm quality and positive association with depolarized mitochondria, elevation in ROS production and LPO, DNA fragmentation was established. The findings are suggestive that phthalates might be one among the contributing factors associated with the deterioration in semen quality and these adverse effects might be ROS, LPO and mitochondrial dysfunction mediated.« less

  13. [Analysis of phthalates in aromatic and deodorant aerosol products and evaluation of exposure risk].

    PubMed

    Sato, Yoshiki; Sugaya, Naeko; Nakagawa, Tomoo; Morita, Masatoshi

    2015-01-01

    We established an analytical method for the detection of seven phthalates, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate (DEP), benzyl butyl phthalate, di-i-butyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octhyl phthalate, using an ultra high performance liquid chromatograph equipped with a photodiode array detector. This method is quick, with minimal contamination, and was applied to the analysis of aromatic and deodorant aerosol products. Phthalates were detected in 15 of 52 samples purchased from 1999 to 2012 in Yokohama. Three types of phthalate (DEP, DBP, DEHP) were detected, and their concentrations ranged from 0.0085-0.23% DEP in nine samples, 0.012-0.045% DBP in four samples, and 0.012-0.033% DEHP in four samples. No other phthalate esters were detected. Furthermore, we estimated phthalate exposure via breathing in commonly used aromatic and deodorant aerosol products, then evaluated the associated risk. The estimated levels of phthalate exposure were lower than the tolerated daily limit, but the results indicated that aromatic and deodorant aerosol products could be a significant source of phthalate exposure.

  14. Partitioning of phthalates among the gas phase, airborne particles and settled dust in indoor environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weschler, Charles J.; Salthammer, Tunga; Fromme, Hermann

    A critical evaluation of human exposure to phthalate esters in indoor environments requires the determination of their distribution among the gas phase, airborne particles and settled dust. If sorption from the gas phase is the dominant mechanism whereby a given phthalate is associated with both airborne particles and settled dust, there should be a predictable relationship between its particle and dust concentrations. The present paper tests this for six phthalate esters (DMP, DEP, DnBP, DiBP, BBzP and DEHP) that have been measured in both the air and the settled dust of 30 Berlin apartments. The particle concentration, CParticle, of a given phthalate was calculated from its total airborne concentration and the concentration of airborne particles (PM 4). This required knowledge of the particle-gas partition coefficient, Kp, which was estimated from either the saturation vapor pressure ( ps) or the octanol/air partition coefficient ( KOA). For each phthalate in each apartment, the ratio of its particle concentration to its dust concentration ( CParticle/ CDust) was calculated. The median values of this ratio were within an order of magnitude of one another for five of the phthalate esters despite the fact that their vapor pressures span four orders of magnitude. This indicates that measurements of phthalate ester concentrations in settled dust can provide an estimate of their concentration in airborne particles. When the latter information is coupled with measurements of airborne particle concentrations, the gas-phase concentrations of phthalates can also be estimated and, subsequently, the contribution of each of these compartments to indoor phthalate exposures.

  15. 40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Jj of... - List of Volatile Hazardous Air Pollutants

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...-Dichloropropene 542756 Diethanolamine 111422 N,N-Dimethylaniline 121697 Diethyl sulfate 64675 3,3... 79447 N,N-Dimethylformamide 68122 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine 57147 Dimethyl phthalate 131113 Dimethyl sulfate... Hexamethylphosphoramide 680319 Hexane 110543 Hydrazine 302012 Hydroquinone 123319 Isophorone 78591 Maleic anhydride 108316...

  16. 40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Jj of... - List of Volatile Hazardous Air Pollutants

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...-Dichloropropene 542756 Diethanolamine 111422 N,N-Dimethylaniline 121697 Diethyl sulfate 64675 3,3... 79447 N,N-Dimethylformamide 68122 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine 57147 Dimethyl phthalate 131113 Dimethyl sulfate... Hexamethylphosphoramide 680319 Hexane 110543 Hydrazine 302012 Hydroquinone 123319 Isophorone 78591 Maleic anhydride 108316...

  17. 40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Jj of... - List of Volatile Hazardous Air Pollutants

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...-Dichloropropene 542756 Diethanolamine 111422 N,N-Dimethylaniline 121697 Diethyl sulfate 64675 3,3... 79447 N,N-Dimethylformamide 68122 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine 57147 Dimethyl phthalate 131113 Dimethyl sulfate... Hexamethylphosphoramide 680319 Hexane 110543 Hydrazine 302012 Hydroquinone 123319 Isophorone 78591 Maleic anhydride 108316...

  18. Simultaneous determination of organophosphorus pesticides and phthalates in baby food samples by ultrasound-vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction and GC-IT/MS.

    PubMed

    Notardonato, Ivan; Salimei, Elisabetta; Russo, Mario Vincenzo; Avino, Pasquale

    2018-05-01

    Baby foods are either a soft, liquid paste or an easily chewed food since babies lack developed muscles and teeth to chew effectively. Babies typically move to consuming baby food once nursing or formula is not sufficient for the child's appetite. Some commercial baby foods have been criticized for their contents. This article focuses on the simultaneous determination of organophosphorus pesticides and phthalates by means of a method based on ultrasound-vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT/MS). The protocol developed allowed the determination of six phthalates [dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, isobutyl cyclohexyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] and 19 organophosphorus pesticides. Freeze-dried product samples (0.1-0.2 g) were dissolved in 10 mL of warm distilled water along with 5 μL of an internal standard (anthracene at 10 mg mL -1 in acetone): the choice of extraction solvent was studied, with the most suitable being n-heptane, which is used for phthalate determination in similar matrices. The solution, held for 5 min in a vortex mixer and for 6 min in a 100-W ultrasonic bath to favor solvent dispersion and consequently analyte extraction, was centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 30 min. Then 1 μL was injected into the GC-IT/MS system (SE-54 capillary column; length 30 m, inner diameter 250 μm, film thickness 0.25 μm). All analytical parameters investigated are discussed in depth. The method was applied to real commercial freeze-dried samples: significant contaminant concentrations were not found. Graphical abstract Simultaneous and sensitive determination of organophosphorus pesticides and phthalates in baby foods by the ultrasound-vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction ֪gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry procedure. 1 methacrifos, 2 pirofos, 3 phorate, 4 seraphos, 5 diazinon, 6 etrimphos, 7 dichlofenthion, 8 chlorpyrifos-methyl, 9 pirimiphos-methyl, 10 malathion, 11 chlorpyrifos, 12 parathion-ethyl, 13 pirimiphos-ethyl, 14 bromophos, 15 chlorfenvinphos, 16 bromophos-ethyl, 17 stirophos, 18 diethion, 19 coumaphos, A dimethyl phthalate, B diethyl phthalate, C dibutyl phthalate, D butyl cyclohexyl phthalate, E benzyl butyl phthalate, F bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, IS internal standard.

  19. Photophysics of N,N-Dimethyldihydrophenazine and Benzoannelated Analogues. Structurally Dependent Excited State Hierarchy,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-02-26

    phenazine (DrOIAC), 9,14-dimethyl-9,14-dihydrophenanthro[4,5-J] phenazine -(D!IPP) L.A- and 6,13-dimethyl-6,13-dihydrobibenzo[b,i] phenazine (DMBI) hie been...electrochemical oxidation,3 photochemical oxidation,4 and photoionization5 of 5,10-dlmethyl-5,10-dihydro- phenazine (DMP)’ have been studied. Our initial interest...dihydrodibenzo[a,c] phenazine (DMAC) 9,14-dlmethyl-9,14-dihydrophenanthro[4,5-abcphenazine (DMPP) and 6,13-di- methyl-6,13-dihydrodibenzo[b,ilphenazine

  20. USE OF LINEAR FREE ENERGY RELATIONSHIPS AND AN EVALUATIVE MODEL TO ASSESS THE FATE AND TRANSPORT OF PHTHALATE ESTERS IN THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT

    EPA Science Inventory

    Linear free energy relationships for selected phthalate esters were used to estimate the rate constants for hydrolysis, biolysis, sediment-water partition coefficients, and biosorption required for modeling. The fate and transport behavior of dimethyl, diethyl, di-n-butyl, di-n-o...

  1. Determination of phthalate esters from environmental water samples by micro-solid-phase extraction using TiO2 nanotube arrays before high-performance liquid chromatography.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Qingxiang; Fang, Zhi; Liao, Xiangkun

    2015-07-01

    We describe a highly sensitive micro-solid-phase extraction method for the pre-concentration of six phthalate esters utilizing a TiO2 nanotube array coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with a variable-wavelength ultraviolet visible detector. The selected phthalate esters included dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and dioctyl phthalate. The factors that would affect the enrichment, such as desorption solvent, sample pH, salting-out effect, extraction time and desorption time, were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range of the proposed method was 0.3-200 μg/L. The limits of detection were 0.04-0.2 μg/L (S/N = 3). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of six phthalate esters in water samples and satisfied spiked recoveries were achieved. These results indicated that the proposed method was appropriate for the determination of trace phthalate esters in environmental water samples. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Endocrine disruption: In silico interactions between phthalate plasticizers and corticosteroid binding globulin.

    PubMed

    Sheikh, Ishfaq A; Beg, Mohd A

    2017-12-01

    Endocrine disruption is a phenomenon when a man-made or natural compound interferes with normal hormone function in human or animal body systems. Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) have assumed considerable importance as a result of industrial activity, mass production of synthetic chemicals and environmental pollution. Phthalate plasticizers are a group of chemicals used widely and diversely in industry especially in the plastic industry, and many of the phthalate compounds have endocrine-disrupting properties. Increasing evidence indicates that steroid nuclear receptors and steroid binding proteins are the main targets of endocrine disruption. Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) is a steroid binding protein that binds and transports cortisol in the blood circulation and is a potential target for endocrine disruption. An imbalance of cortisol in the body leads to many health problems. Induced fit docking of nine important and environmentally relevant phthalate plasticizers (DMP, BBP, DBP, DIBP, DnHP, DEHP, DINP, DnOP, DIDP) showed interactions with 10-19 amino acid residues of CBG. Comparison of the interacting residues of CBG with phthalate ligands and cortisol showed an overlapping of the majority (53-82%) of residues for each phthalate. Five of nine phthalate compounds and cortisol shared a hydrogen bonding interaction with the Arg-252 residue of CBG. Long-chain phthalates, such as DEHP, DINP, DnOP and DIDP displayed a higher binding affinity and formed a number of interactions with CBG in comparison to short-chain phthalates. The similarity in structural binding characteristics of phthalate compounds and native ligand cortisol suggested potential competitive conflicts in CBG-cortisol binding function and possible disruption of cortisol and progesterone homeostasis. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Recycling of plastic waste: Presence of phthalates in plastics from households and industry.

    PubMed

    Pivnenko, K; Eriksen, M K; Martín-Fernández, J A; Eriksson, E; Astrup, T F

    2016-08-01

    Plastics recycling has the potential to substitute virgin plastics partially as a source of raw materials in plastic product manufacturing. Plastic as a material may contain a variety of chemicals, some potentially hazardous. Phthalates, for instance, are a group of chemicals produced in large volumes and are commonly used as plasticisers in plastics manufacturing. Potential impacts on human health require restricted use in selected applications and a need for the closer monitoring of potential sources of human exposure. Although the presence of phthalates in a variety of plastics has been recognised, the influence of plastic recycling on phthalate content has been hypothesised but not well documented. In the present work we analysed selected phthalates (DMP, DEP, DPP, DiBP, DBP, BBzP, DEHP, DCHP and DnOP) in samples of waste plastics as well as recycled and virgin plastics. DBP, DiBP and DEHP had the highest frequency of detection in the samples analysed, with 360μg/g, 460μg/g and 2700μg/g as the maximum measured concentrations, respectively. Among other, statistical analysis of the analytical results suggested that phthalates were potentially added in the later stages of plastic product manufacturing (labelling, gluing, etc.) and were not removed following recycling of household waste plastics. Furthermore, DEHP was identified as a potential indicator for phthalate contamination of plastics. Close monitoring of plastics intended for phthalates-sensitive applications is recommended if recycled plastics are to be used as raw material in production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Direct sample introduction gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for the determination of phthalate esters in cleaning products.

    PubMed

    Cacho, J I; Campillo, N; Viñas, P; Hernández-Córdoba, M

    2015-02-06

    A method using direct sample introduction (DSI) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is developed for the determination of six phthalate esters (dimethyl, diethyl, dibutyl, butylbenzyl, diethylhexyl and dioctyl phthalate) in cleaning products. The different variables involved in the DSI step, including venting time and temperature, vaporisation time and temperature, injector heating temperature and gas flow rate and pressure, were evaluated and optimised using Taguchi orthogonal arrays. The proposed method, using calibration against methanolic standards, showed good linearity in the 0.05-15 μg g(-1) range and good repeatability, with RSD values ranging from 3.5% to 5.7%. Quantification limits between 0.010 and 0.041 μg g(-1), depending on the compound, were attained, while recovery assays provided values from 83% to 115%. Twenty-seven cleaning products were analysed using the DSI-GC-MS method, being four phthalates (dimethyl, diethyl, dibutyl and diethylhexyl phthalate) found in fourteen of them at concentration levels in the 0.1-21 μg g(-1) range. Compared with the most common GC injection technique, which uses the split/splitless injector, the proposed DSI procedure provided larger peak areas and lower detection limits, as result of the greater injected volume and reduction in noise. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Experimental investigation of ionic liquid pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse with 1,3-dimethylimadazolium dimethyl phosphate.

    PubMed

    Bahrani, Samaneh; Raeissi, Sona; Sarshar, Mohammad

    2015-06-01

    In this study, an imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL), 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate ([Mmim][DMP]), was applied for pretreating sugarcane bagasse to produce bioethanol. The main goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of bagasse pretreatment with this IL, and to verify the effect of different operational parameters on the pretreatment process. Results indicated that temperature and duration of IL-pretreatment have optimum values. Within the range investigated, a maximum fermentable sugar conversion of 70.38% was achieved with this IL at 120°C and 120min. The corresponding value was 28.65% for the untreated biomass. The main cause for the observed enhancement in enzymatic hydrolysis was the reduction of cellulose crystallinity in the IL-pretreated biomass, as compared to the untreated sample, because it resulted in higher accessibility of the enzymes to the biomass after pretreatment. Moreover, the results indicated that aqueous [Mmim][DMP] mixtures are not as effective for pretreatment as the pure IL. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Phthalate esters in main source water and drinking water of Zhejiang Province (China): Distribution and health risks.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiaofeng; Lou, Xiaoming; Zhang, Nianhua; Ding, Gangqiang; Chen, Zhijian; Xu, Peiwei; Wu, Lizhi; Cai, Jianmin; Han, Jianlong; Qiu, Xueting

    2015-10-01

    To evaluate the distributions and health risks of phthalate esters in the main source water and corresponding drinking water of Zhejiang Province, the concentrations of 16 phthalate esters in water samples from 19 sites were measured from samples taken in the dry season and wet season. The concentration of the total phthalate ester congeners in source water ranged from 1.07 μg/L to 7.12 μg/L in the wet season, from 0.01 μg/L to 1.58 μg/L in the dry season, from 1.18 μg/L to 15.28 μg/L from drinking water in the wet season, and from 0.16 μg/L to 1.86 μg/L from drinking water in the dry season. Of the 16 phthalate esters, dimethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, di-(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate, di-iso-butyl phthalate, bis-2-n-butoxyethyl phthalate, and dicyclohexyl phthalate were present in the samples analyzed, dominated by di-iso-butyl phthalate and di-(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate. The concentrations of phthalate esters in the wet season were all relatively higher than those in the dry season, and the drinking water had higher concentrations of phthalate esters than source water. The phthalate ester congeners studied pose little health risk to nearby citizens. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2205-2212. © 2015 SETAC. © 2015 SETAC.

  7. Phthalates in plastic bottled non-alcoholic beverages from China and estimated dietary exposure in adults.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ji-Feng; Yang, Li-Ming; Zheng, Li-Ying; Ying, Guang-Guo; Liu, Cheng-Bin; Luo, Sheng-Lian

    2017-03-01

    Concentrations of six phthalates were determined in 69 plastic bottled non-alcoholic beverages collected from marketplaces in China. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) were the most detected compounds with frequencies of 100%. Dimethyl phthalate was found less, with a mean frequency of almost 34%. The samples were divided into seven groups. The frequencies of phthalates in these groups ranged from 6.67% to 100%, which indicated that different types of beverages were differently contaminated by phthalates. DEHP contained the highest mean and median concentrations (1.60 ng g -1 and 0.62 ng g -1 ), followed by DBP (1.34 ng g -1 and 0.27 ng g -1 ). For DBP, the highest phthalate concentration of 14.3 ng g -1 was measured. The results of estimated daily intake (EDI) showed that the risk of Chinese adults exposed to these 6 phthalates in beverages examined was lower than the reference doses as suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The range of EDI values was between 1.77 × 10 - 4 μg kg-bw -1 day -1 and 0.478 μg kg-bw -1 day -1 .

  8. [Influence of phthalates from Shaying river on children's intelligence and secretion of thyroid hormone].

    PubMed

    Li, Anqi; Tang, Chunyu; Hang, Hui; Cheng, Xuemin; Gao, Yalin; Cheng, Hongyang; Huang, Qi; Luo, Yixin; Xue, Yutang; Zuo, Qiting; Ba, Yue; Cui, Liuxin

    2013-03-01

    To investigate the effect of phthalates exposure from drinking water on children's intelligence and secretion of thyroid hormone. Two villages in S County were selected randomly as polluted area and control area according to the distance from the Shaying river basin. Phthalates including DEP, DBP, DMP, DEHP were measured both in the river water and drinking water using HPLC method. Children aged 8 to 13 years old studying in the village primary school were recruited by cluster sampling (n = 154). The combined Reven Test was used to test children intelligence and ELISA method was used to determined thyroid hormone levels. The concentrations of phthalates (DEP, DBP) were exceeding standards of surface water quality in any of the three sections of the river. Compared to the control area, the concentration of DEP and DBP in drinking water were significant higher in the polluted area than that in control area (P < 0.05). Children from polluted area had significant higher FT4 concentration compared to children from control area (P < 0.05). Intelligence level in children from polluted area was lower than that from control area (P < 0.05). The drinking water has been polluted by Shaying river and thyroid hormones levels of children were affected in the polluted areas. It is necessary to verify if this change is related to the phthalates.

  9. Biodegradation of di-n-butyl phthalate by bacterial consortium LV-1 enriched from river sludge

    PubMed Central

    Li, Fangfang; Ruan, Xinling; Song, Jian; Lv, Lv; Chai, Liyuan; Yang, Zhihui; Luo, Lin

    2017-01-01

    A stable bacterial consortium (LV-1) capable of degrading di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) was enriched from river sludge. Community analysis revealed that the main families of LV-1 are Brucellaceae (62.78%) and Sinobacteraceae (14.83%), and the main genera of LV-1 are Brucella spp. (62.78%) and Sinobacter spp. (14.83%). The optimal pH and temperature for LV-1 to degrade DBP were pH 6.0 and 30°C, respectively. Inoculum size influenced the degradation ratio when the incubation time was < 24 h. The initial concentration of DBP also influenced the degradation rates of DBP by LV-1, and the degradation rates ranged from 69.0–775.0 mg/l/d in the first 24 h. Degradation of DBP was best fitted by first-order kinetics when the initial concentration was < 300 mg/l. In addition, Cd2+, Cr6+, and Zn2+ inhibited DBP degradation by LV-1 at all considered concentrations, but low concentrations of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+ enhanced DBP degradation. The main intermediates (mono-ethyl phthalate [MEP], mono-butyl phthalate [MBP], and phthalic acid [PA]) were identified in the DBP degradation process, thus a new biochemical pathway of DBP degradation is proposed. Furthermore, LV-1 also degraded other phthalates with shorter ester chains (DMP, DEP, and PA). PMID:28542471

  10. Simultaneous determination of 22 phthalate esters in polystyrene food-contact materials by ultra performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Fan, Ying-Li; Ma, Ming; Cui, He-Zhen; Liu, Shu; Yang, Min-Li; Hou, Xiu-Feng

    2018-05-29

    A method for the determination of 22 phthalate esters in polystyrene food-contact materials has been established using ultra performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. In this method, 22 phthalate esters were analyzed in less than 3.5 min on an ACQUITY Tours 1-AA column by gradient elution. The mobile phase, the compensation solvent, the flow rate of mobile phase, column temperature and automatic back pressure regulator pressure were optimized, respectively. There was a good linearity of 20 phthalate esters with a range of 0.05-10 mg/L, diisodecyl phthalate and diisononyl phthalate were 0.25-10 mg/L, and the correlation coefficients of all phthalates were higher than 0.99 and those of 16 phthalates were higher than 0.999. The limits of detection and the limits of quantification of 15 phthalates were 0.02 and 0.05 mg/kg, meanwhile diallyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were 0.05 and 0.10 mg/kg, diisodecyl phthalate and diisononyl phthalate were 0.10 and 0.25 mg/kg. The spiked recoveries were 76.26-107.76%, and the relative standard deviations were 1.78-12.10%. Results support this method as an efficient alternative to apply for the simultaneous determination of 22 phthalate esters in common polystyrene food-contact materials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  11. Validation of an automated counting procedure for phthalate-induced testicular multinucleated germ cells.

    PubMed

    Spade, Daniel J; Bai, Cathy Yue; Lambright, Christy; Conley, Justin M; Boekelheide, Kim; Gray, L Earl

    2018-06-15

    In utero exposure to certain phthalate esters results in testicular toxicity, characterized at the tissue level by induction of multinucleated germ cells (MNGs) in rat, mouse, and human fetal testis. Phthalate exposures also result in a decrease in testicular testosterone in rats. The anti-androgenic effects of phthalates have been more thoroughly quantified than testicular pathology due to the significant time requirement associated with manual counting of MNGs on histological sections. An automated counting method was developed in ImageJ to quantify MNGs in digital images of hematoxylin-stained rat fetal testis tissue sections. Timed pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were exposed by daily oral gavage from gestation day 17 to 21 with one of eight phthalate test compounds or corn oil vehicle. Both the manual counting method and the automated image analysis method identified di-n-butyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, dipentyl phthalate, and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate as positive for induction of MNGs. Dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, the brominated phthalate di-(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate, and dioctyl terephthalate were negative. The correlation between automated and manual scoring metrics was high (r = 0.923). Results of MNG analysis were consistent with these compounds' anti-androgenic activities, which were confirmed in an ex vivo testosterone production assay. In conclusion, we have developed a reliable image analysis method that can be used to facilitate dose-response studies for the reproducible induction of MNGs by in utero phthalate exposure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Polarizable Multipole-Based Force Field for Dimethyl and Trimethyl Phosphate

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Phosphate groups are commonly observed in biomolecules such as nucleic acids and lipids. Due to their highly charged and polarizable nature, modeling these compounds with classical force fields is challenging. Using quantum mechanical studies and liquid-phase simulations, the AMOEBA force field for dimethyl phosphate (DMP) ion and trimethyl phosphate (TMP) has been developed. On the basis of ab initio calculations, it was found that ion binding and the solution environment significantly impact both the molecular geometry and the energy differences between conformations. Atomic multipole moments are derived from MP2/cc-pVQZ calculations of methyl phosphates at several conformations with their chemical environments taken into account. Many-body polarization is handled via a Thole-style induction model using distributed atomic polarizabilities. van der Waals parameters of phosphate and oxygen atoms are determined by fitting to the quantum mechanical interaction energy curves for water with DMP or TMP. Additional stretch-torsion and angle-torsion coupling terms were introduced in order to capture asymmetry in P–O bond lengths and angles due to the generalized anomeric effect. The resulting force field for DMP and TMP is able to accurately describe both the molecular structure and conformational energy surface, including bond and angle variations with conformation, as well as interaction of both species with water and metal ions. The force field was further validated for TMP in the condensed phase by computing hydration free energy, liquid density, and heat of vaporization. The polarization behavior between liquid TMP and TMP in water is drastically different. PMID:26574325

  13. Synthesis Characterization and DNA Interaction Studies of a New Zn(II) Complex Containing Different Dinitrogen Aromatic Ligands

    PubMed Central

    Shahabadi, Nahid; Mohammadi, Somaye

    2012-01-01

    A mononuclear complex of Zn(II), [Zn(DIP)2 (DMP)] (NO3)2 ·2H2O in which DIP is 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline and DMP is 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine has been prepared and characterized by 1HNMR spectroscopy, FT-IR, UV-Vis and elemental analysis techniques. DNA-binding properties of the complex were studied using UV-vis spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, fluorescence, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and viscosity measurements. The results indicate that this zinc(II) complex can intercalate into the stacked base pairs of DNA and compete with the strong intercalator ethidium bromide for the intercalative binding sites. PMID:22956919

  14. Determination of phthalates released from paper packaging materials by solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography.

    PubMed

    Gao, Xin; Yang, Bofeng; Tang, Zhixu; Luo, Xin; Wang, Fengmei; Xu, Hui; Cai, Xue

    2014-01-01

    A solid phase extraction (SPE) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 10 phthalic acid esters (dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dipropyl phthalate, benzylbutyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, diamyl phthalate, di-n-hexyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) released from food paper packaging materials. The use of distilled water, 3% acetic acid (w/v), 10% ethanol (v/v) and 95% ethanol (v/v) instead of the different types of food simulated the migration of 10 phthalic acid esters from food paper packaging materials; the phthalic acid esters in four food simulants were enriched and purified by a C18 SPE column and nitrogen blowing, and quantified by HPLC with a diode array detector. The chromatographic conditions and extraction conditions were optimized and all 10 of the phthalate acid esters had a maximum absorbance at 224 nm. The method showed limitations of detection in the range of 6.0-23.8 ng/mL the correlation coefficients were greater than 0.9999 in all cases, recovery values ranged between 71.27 and 106.97% at spiking levels of 30, 60 and 90 ng/mL and relative standard deviation values ranged from 0.86 to 8.00%. The method was considered to be simple, fast and reliable for a study on the migration of these 10 phthalic acid esters from food paper packaging materials into food.

  15. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reifenrath, W.G.; Hawkins, G.S.; Kurtz, M.S.

    Formulations of the mosquito repellent N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet) in combination with a variety of additives were developed to control repellent evaporation and percutaneous penetration. Deet was also formulated with the repellent dimethyl phthalate to study the interaction of the two compounds on the skin. The evaporation and penetration processes were evaluated on whole and split-thickness pig skin using radiolabeled repellents with an in vitro apparatus. Under essentially still air and air flow conditions, one of the deet formulations resulted in significantly reduced total evaporation and percutaneous penetration of deet as compared to unformulated repellent. When deet and dimethyl phthalate were combined,more » neither repellent affected the total amount of evaporation and penetration of the other compound. However, initial percutaneous penetration and evaporation rates were slightly less and decayed less rapidly than when both chemicals were tested separately at the same dose. These results indicated a degree of competition of the two compounds for the same avenues of loss.« less

  16. Tissue Phthalate Levels Correlate With Changes in Immune Gene Expression in a Population of Juvenile Wild Salmon.

    PubMed

    Martins, Kelly; Hagedorn, Birgit; Ali, Shareen; Kennish, John; Applegate, Ben; Leu, Matthias; Epp, Lidia; Pallister, Chris; Zwollo, Patty

    2016-07-01

    Phthalates have detrimental effects on health and have been shown to dysregulate the immune system of mammals, birds, and fish. We recently reported that di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exposure reduces the abundance and inhibits the proliferation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) IgM(+) B lymphocytes and expression of secreted immunoglobulin heavy-chain mu transcripts in an in vitro culture system. We proposed that phthalates act as immunomodulators by modifying the normal B cell-activation pathways by accelerating B cell differentiation while suppressing plasmablast expansion, thus resulting in fewer IgM-secreting plasma cells. This hypothesis was tested here in an in vivo field study of juvenile Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) from a plastic-polluted lake in the Gulf of Alaska. Fish tissues were analyzed for both phthalate levels using liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry and for changes in immune gene expression using reverse transcriptase-real time polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that fish with higher tissue levels of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, di(n-butyl) phthalate, and/or dimethyl phthalate expressed significantly fewer secreted and membrane-bound immunoglobulin heavy-chain mu and Blimp1 transcripts in their hematopoietic tissue. This suggests that in vivo uptake of phthalates in fish changes the expression of B cell-specific genes. Chronic exposure to phthalates likely dysregulates normal B-lymphoid development and antibody responses in salmonids and may increase susceptibility to infection. Given the conserved nature of B-lineage cells in vertebrate animals, other marine species may be similarly affected by chronic phthalate exposure.

  17. Neodymium(III) Complexes of Dialkylphosphoric and Dialkylphosphonic Acids Relevant to Liquid-Liquid Extraction Systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lumetta, Gregg J.; Sinkov, Sergey I.; Krause, Jeanette A.

    2016-01-27

    The complexes formed during the extraction of neodymium(III) into hydrophobic solvents containing acidic organophosphorus extractants were probed by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry, visible spectrophotometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the compound Nd(DMP)3 (1, DMP = dimethyl phosphate) revealed a polymeric arrangement in which each Nd(III) center is surrounded by six DMP oxygen atoms in a pseudo-octahedral environment. Adjacent Nd(III) ions are bridged by (MeO)2POO– anions, forming the polymeric network. The diffuse reflectance visible spectrum of 1 is nearly identical to that of the solid that is formed when an n-dodecane solution of di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HA) is saturated withmore » Nd(III), indicating a similar coordination environment around the Nd center in the NdA3 solid. The visible spectrum of the HA solution fully loaded with Nd(III) is very similar to that of the NdA3 material, both displaying hypersensitive bands characteristic of an pseudo-octahedral coordination environment around Nd. These spectral characteristics persisted across a wide range of organic Nd concentrations, suggesting that the pseudo-octahedral coordination environment is maintained from dilute to saturated conditions.« less

  18. Neodymium(III) Complexes of Dialkylphosphoric and Dialkylphosphonic Acids Relevant to Liquid-Liquid Extraction Systems.

    PubMed

    Lumetta, Gregg J; Sinkov, Sergey I; Krause, Jeanette A; Sweet, Lucas E

    2016-02-15

    The complexes formed during the extraction of neodymium(III) into hydrophobic solvents containing acidic organophosphorus extractants were probed by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry, visible spectrophotometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the compound Nd(DMP)3 (1, DMP = dimethyl phosphate) revealed a polymeric arrangement in which each Nd(III) center is surrounded by six DMP oxygen atoms in a pseudo-octahedral environment. Adjacent Nd(III) ions are bridged by (MeO)2POO(-) anions, forming the polymeric network. The diffuse reflectance visible spectrum of 1 is nearly identical to that of the solid that is formed when an n-dodecane solution of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HA) is saturated with Nd(III), indicating a similar coordination environment around the Nd center in the NdA3 solid. The visible spectrum of the HA solution fully loaded with Nd(III) is very similar to that of the NdA3 material, both displaying hypersensitive bands characteristic of an pseudo-octahedral coordination environment around Nd. These spectral characteristics persisted across a wide range of organic Nd concentrations, suggesting that the pseudo-octahedral coordination environment is maintained from dilute to saturated conditions.

  19. Considerations on ultra-trace analysis of phthalates in drinking water.

    PubMed

    Serôdio, P; Nogueira, J M F

    2006-07-01

    Stir bar sorptive extraction with liquid desorption followed by large volume injection and capillary gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (SBSE-LD/LVI-GC-MS), had been applied for the determination of ultra-traces of seven-phthalates (dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and bis(1-octyl) phthalate) in drinking water samples, which are included in the priority lists set by several international regulatory organizations. Instrumental calibration under the selected-ion monitoring mode acquisition (LVI-GC-MS(SIM)), experimental parameters that could affect the SBSE-LD efficiency, as well as, the control of the contamination profile are fully discussed. Throughout systematic assays on 30 mL water samples spiked at the 0.40 microg/L level, it had been established that stir bars coated with 47 microL of polydimethylsiloxane, an equilibrium time of 60 min (1,000 rpm) and methanol as back extraction solvent, allowed the best analytical performance to monitor phthalates in water matrices. From the data obtained, good accuracy and a remarkable reproducibility (< 14.8%) were attained, providing experimental recovery data in agreement with the theoretical equilibrium described by the octanol-water partition coefficients (K(PDMS/W) approximately K(O/W)), with the exception of bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and bis(1-octyl) phthalate, for which lower yields were measured. Additionally, a remarkable linear dynamic range between 25 and 2,000 ng/L (r(2)>0.99) and low detection limits (3-40 ng/L) were also achieved for the seven-phthalates studied. The application of the present method to monitor phthalates in tap and bottled mineral water samples, allowed convenient selectivity and high sensitivity up to 1.0 microg/L level, using the standard addition methodology. The proposed method showed to be feasible and sensitive with a low sample volume requirement to monitor phthalates in drinking water matrices at the ultra-trace level, in compliance with international regulatory directives on water quality.

  20. Slow-injection ultrasound-assisted emulsification-microextraction for determination of phthalate esters in water.

    PubMed

    Li, Songqing; Li, Tong; Gao, Peng; Lu, Runhua; Zhou, Wenfeng; Gao, Haixiang

    2014-10-01

    A type of ultrasound-assisted emulsification-microextraction (USAEME) was applied for the extraction and determination of four phthalate esters (e.g., dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate and benzyl butyl phthalate) in aqueous samples prior to quantification using HPLC-UV. The simultaneous injection of the extraction solvent and ultrasonication of the mixture results in an efficient extraction with the extractant well-dispersed in the sample. The parameters affecting the experimental results were analyzed and optimized through the design of the experiment. Using a central composite face-centered design, the results of 28 experimental data points were analyzed and validated. An optimal set of operating conditions was obtained using 40 μL of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and 1% NaCl subjected to 2.0 min of ultrasonication under natural pH. Under optimized conditions, the extractions resulted in analyte recoveries of 75-87% and high enrichment factors of 356-415. The calibration curves were linear, and the correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9992 to 0.9997 at concentrations of 5 to 300 μg L(-1). The RSDs (n = 5) were 5.6-7.9%. The limits of detection for the four phthalate esters ranged from 0.26 to 1.46 μg L(-1). © The Author [2013]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Distribution of phthalate esters in agricultural soil with plastic film mulching in Shandong Peninsula, East China.

    PubMed

    Li, Kankan; Ma, Dong; Wu, Juan; Chai, Chao; Shi, Yanxi

    2016-12-01

    The content of phthalate esters (PAEs) was investigated in 36 vegetable fields with plastic film mulching in Shandong Peninsula, East China. Soils at depths of 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-40 cm were collected, and 16 PAEs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PAEs were detected in all the analyzed samples. The total contents of the 16 PAEs (Σ 16 PAEs) ranged from 1.374 to 18.810 mg/kg, with an average of 6.470 mg/kg. Among the four areas of Shandong Peninsula, including Qingdao, Weihai, Weifang, and Yantai, the highest Σ 16 PAE in the soil was observed in Weifang district (9.786 mg/kg), which is famous for large-scale vegetable production. Despite the significant differences among the Σ 16 PAEs, the PAE compositions in soils with plastic film mulching in Shandong Peninsula were comparable. Diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate, and di(4-methyl-2-pentyl) phthalate were present in all the samples, whereas di-n-hexyl phthalate was detected only in Qingdao (∼1%) and dicyclohexyl phthalate was observed only in Weifang (5.7-8.2%) in low proportions. The ratios of dimethyl phthalate, DEP, and di-n-butyl phthalate, which exceeded allowable concentrations, were 63.9-100% at different soil depths, indicating high PAE pollution. The concentration of butyl benzyl phthalate detected only in Weifang exceeded the recommended allowable soil concentration. Overall, the high PAE content in the soil with plastic film mulching in Shandong Peninsula is an issue of concern because of the large amounts of plastic film used. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Organophosphate Urinary Metabolite Levels during Pregnancy, Delivery and Postpartum in Women Living in Agricultural Areas in Thailand

    PubMed Central

    Kongtip, Pornpimol; Nankongnab, Noppanun; Woskie, Susan; Phamonphon, Akkarat; Tharnpoophasiam, Prapin; Wilaiwan, Kitsiluck; Srasom, Punnee

    2018-01-01

    Organophosphate Urinary Metabolite Levels during Pregnancy, Delivery and Postpartum in Women Living in Agricultural Areas in Thailand: Pornpimol Kongtip, et al. Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand Objective Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides can lead to developmental neurotoxicity. A longitudinal birth cohort was established to investigate pesticide exposures from different agricultural activities. Maternal urinary organophosphate metabolites were measured at 28 weeks of pregnancy (n=86), delivery (n=67) and 2 months postpartum (n=51). Method Subjects were interviewed with questionnaires about work, home and behavioral factors potentially associated with pesticide exposures, and spot urine samples were also collected. The urine samples were analyzed for dimethyl phosphate (DMP), diethyl phosphate (DEP), diethyl thiophosphate (DETP) and diethyl dithiophosphate (DEDTP), using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results The urinary DMP and dialkyl phosphate (DAP) concentrations at 28 weeks of pregnancy and delivery were not significantly different, but the DMP and DAP concentrations at 28 weeks of pregnancy and DAP concentrations at delivery were significantly different (p<0.05) from those at 2 months postpartum. The factors influencing the urinary DAP concentrations at 28 weeks of pregnancy included insecticide used in the home, living close to agricultural farmland, frequency of agricultural field visits during the first and second trimesters of pregnancies, occupation of subjects, pesticide used and other agricultural activities. Conclusions The urinary organophosphate metabolites, DMP, DEP, DETP, DEDTP, total DEP and DAPs, at 28 weeks of pregnancy, delivery and 2 months postpartum fluctuated depending on their pesticide exposures both at home and in agricultural fields. PMID:23892639

  3. Evaluation of the laboratory mouse model for screening topical mosquito repellents.

    PubMed

    Rutledge, L C; Gupta, R K; Wirtz, R A; Buescher, M D

    1994-12-01

    Eight commercial repellents were tested against Aedes aegypti 0 and 4 h after application in serial dilution to volunteers and laboratory mice. Results were analyzed by multiple regression of percentage of biting (probit scale) on dose (logarithmic scale) and time. Empirical correction terms for conversion of values obtained in tests on mice to values expected in tests on human volunteers were calculated from data obtained on 4 repellents and evaluated with data obtained on 4 others. Corrected values from tests on mice did not differ significantly from values obtained in tests on volunteers. Test materials used in the study were dimethyl phthalate, butopyronoxyl, butoxy polypropylene glycol, MGK Repellent 11, deet, ethyl hexanediol, Citronyl, and dibutyl phthalate.

  4. Measurement of the Absolute Raman Cross Sections of Diethyl Phthalate, Dimethyl Phthalate, Ethyl Cinnamate, Propylene Carbonate, Tripropyl Phosphate, 1,3-Cyclohexanedione, 3’-Aminoacetophenone, 3’-Hydroxyacetophenone, Diethyl Acetamidomalonate, Isovanillin, Lactide, Meldrum’s Acid, p-Tolyl Sulfoxide, and Vanillin

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-13

    Germany/Buena Park, California). The HWP is Edmund Optics part number 46-561 (Edmund Optics, Barrington, New Jersey). The BS is Semrock part number...LPD01-785RS-25×36×1.1 with 803– 1214 nm passband ( Semrock , Rochester, New York). The lens L1 is a 12-mm-diameter, 20-mm-effective- focal-length (EFL...near-infrared (NIR) achromat Edmund Optics part number 45-792. The long-wave- pass filters are 25-mm-diameter Semrock part number LP02-785RE-25 with

  5. Iron-based magnetic molecular imprinted polymers and their application in removal and determination of di-n-pentyl phthalate in aqueous media

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Qingxiang; Yuan, Yongyong; Wu, Yalin

    2017-01-01

    Iron-based magnetic molecular imprinted polymers (Fe@SiO2@MIP) were synthesized for highly selective removal and recognition of di-n-pentyl phthalate (DnPP) from water. Well-defined core-shell Fe@SiO2 nanoparticles (less than 70 nm) were decorated on MIPs reticular layers to endow DnPP-MIPs with magnetic property for the first time. Five other phthalic acid esters including dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dipropyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate and di-iso-octyl phthalate were used to investigate the adsorptive selectivity to DnPP. The designed experiments were carried out to explore the adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics and the results demonstrated that the adsorption was a spontaneous, exothermal and physical adsorption process. The materials were proved to be excellent adsorbents in removal of DnPP with an adsorption capacity as high as 194.15 mg g−1 in optimal condition. Furthermore, a magnetic solid phase extraction with Fe@SiO2@MIP coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography method was successfully developed for the determination of DnPP, and the proposed method achieved a good linear range of 0.5–250 µg l−1 with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.999 and low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.31 µg l−1. These materials exhibited excellent capacity in removal and highly sensitive identification of DnPP from aqueous environment samples, and opened a valuable direction for developing new adsorbents for the removal and enrichment of important pollutants. PMID:28879009

  6. Iron-based magnetic molecular imprinted polymers and their application in removal and determination of di-n-pentyl phthalate in aqueous media.

    PubMed

    Li, Jing; Zhou, Qingxiang; Yuan, Yongyong; Wu, Yalin

    2017-08-01

    Iron-based magnetic molecular imprinted polymers (Fe@SiO 2 @MIP) were synthesized for highly selective removal and recognition of di- n -pentyl phthalate (DnPP) from water. Well-defined core-shell Fe@SiO 2 nanoparticles (less than 70 nm) were decorated on MIPs reticular layers to endow DnPP-MIPs with magnetic property for the first time. Five other phthalic acid esters including dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dipropyl phthalate, di- n -butyl phthalate and di-iso-octyl phthalate were used to investigate the adsorptive selectivity to DnPP. The designed experiments were carried out to explore the adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics and the results demonstrated that the adsorption was a spontaneous, exothermal and physical adsorption process. The materials were proved to be excellent adsorbents in removal of DnPP with an adsorption capacity as high as 194.15 mg g -1 in optimal condition. Furthermore, a magnetic solid phase extraction with Fe@SiO 2 @MIP coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography method was successfully developed for the determination of DnPP, and the proposed method achieved a good linear range of 0.5-250 µg l -1 with a correlation coefficient ( R 2 ) of 0.999 and low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.31 µg l -1 . These materials exhibited excellent capacity in removal and highly sensitive identification of DnPP from aqueous environment samples, and opened a valuable direction for developing new adsorbents for the removal and enrichment of important pollutants.

  7. Occurrence and air/sea-exchange of novel organic pollutants in the marine environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebinghaus, R.; Xie, Z.

    2006-12-01

    A number of studies have demonstrated that several classes of chemicals act as biologically relevant signalling substances. Among these chemicals, many, including PCBs, DDT and dioxins, are semi-volatile, persistent, and are capable of long-range atmospheric transport via atmospheric circulation. Some of these compounds, e.g. phthalates and alkylphenols (APs) are still manufactured and consumed worldwide even though there is clear evidence that they are toxic to aquatic organisms and can act as endocrine disruptors. Concentrations of NP, t-OP and NP1EO, DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP have been simultaneously determined in the surface sea water and atmosphere of the North Sea. Atmospheric concentrations of NP and t-OP ranged from 7 to 110 pg m - 3, which were one to three orders of magnitude below coastal atmospheric concentrations already reported. NP1EO was detected in both vapor and particle phases, which ranged from 4 to 50 pg m - 3. The concentrations of the phthalates in the atmosphere ranged from below the method detection limit to 3.4 ng m - 3. The concentrations of t-OP, NP, and NP1EO in dissolved phase were 13-300, 90-1400, and 17-1660 pg L - 1. DBP, BBP, and DEHP were determined in the water phase with concentrations ranging from below the method detection limit to 6.6 ng L - 1. This study indicates that atmospheric deposition of APs and phthalates into the North Sea is an important input pathway. The net fluxes indicate that the air sea exchange is significant and, consequently the open ocean and polar areas will be an extensive sink for APs and phthalates.

  8. [Characteristics of Phthalic Acid Esters in Agricultural Soils and Products in Areas of Zhongshan City, South China].

    PubMed

    Li, Bin; Wu, Shan; Liang, Jin-ming; Liang, Wen-li; Chen, Gui-xian; Li, Yong-jun; Yang, Guo-yi

    2015-06-01

    In order to investigate and assess the pollution level of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in farm soils and products from typical agricultural fields in areas of Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, South China, 65 topsoil and 37 agricultural product samples were collected and contents of 6 PAEs compounds that classified by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as priority pollutants were determined by the GC-FID. The results indicated that total contents of the PAEs (∑ PAEs) in soils ranged from 0. 14 to 1. 14 mg x kg(-1), and the mean value was 0.43 mg x kg(-1), with the detected ratio of 100%. Various concentrations of PAEs differed in three land-use types were ordered by vegetable soil > orchard soil > paddy soil. Comparing with six U.S. EPA priority pollutants of PAEs, the contents of Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and Dimethyl phthalate ( DMP) in soils exceeded the control limits of PAEs in the American soil by 93.85% and 27.69% respectively, but the rest four PAEs compounds were lower than the control limits. Generally, the pollution level of soils contaminated by PAEs in agricultural fields of Zhongshan City was relatively low. The contents of 3 PAEs in agricultural products ranged from 0.15 to 3.15 mg x kg(-1) with the average of 1.12 mg x kg(-1), which was lower than the suggested standards in USA and Europe and with low health risk. Meanwhile, ∑ PAEs concentrations in vegetables were higher than those both in rice and fruits. DBP and DEHP were the main components of PAEs both in agricultural soils and products, with higher percentage contents and detected ratio. ∑ PAEs and DBP contents in various agricultural products-soils had a significantly positive correlation, with Pearson coefficients (r) in vegetables-vegetable soils were 0.81 (P = 0.000), 0.75 (P = 0.000), and corresponding r among rice-paddy soil and fruits-fruit soils were 0.74 (P = 0.036), 0.65 (P = 0.041) and 0.66 (P = 0.029), 0.78 (P = 0.045), respectively. Although there existed a significant difference for single PAEs compound accumulated by agricultural products, the ∑ PAEs bioconcentration factors of all agricultural products were above 1. Therefore, the accumulation characteristics of PAEs should be fully concerned when farm soil quality assessment is taken.

  9. Comparison of different wastewater treatments for removal of selected endocrine-disruptors from paper mill wastewaters.

    PubMed

    Balabanič, Damjan; Hermosilla, Daphne; Merayo, Noemí; Klemenčič, Aleksandra Krivograd; Blanco, Angeles

    2012-01-01

    There is increasing concern about chemical pollutants that have the ability to mimic hormones, the so-called endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). One of the main reasons for concern is the possible effect of EDCs on human health. EDCs may be released into the environment in different ways, and one of the most significant sources is industrial wastewater. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the treatment performance of different wastewater treatment procedures (biological treatment, filtration, advanced oxidation processes) for the reduction of chemical oxygen demand and seven selected EDCs (dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, bisphenol A and nonylphenol) from wastewaters from a mill producing 100 % recycled paper. Two pilot plants were running in parallel and the following treatments were compared: (i) anaerobic biological treatment followed by aerobic biological treatment, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis (RO), and (ii) anaerobic biological treatment followed by membrane bioreactor and RO. Moreover, at lab-scale, four different advanced oxidation processes (Fenton reaction, photo-Fenton reaction, photocatalysis with TiO(2), and ozonation) were applied. The results indicated that the concentrations of selected EDCs from paper mill wastewaters were effectively reduced (100 %) by both combinations of pilot plants and photo-Fenton oxidation (98 %), while Fenton process, photocatalysis with TiO(2) and ozonation were less effective (70 % to 90 %, respectively).

  10. Simultaneous determination of seven phthalic acid esters in beverages using ultrasound and vortex-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography.

    PubMed

    Yılmaz, Pelin Köseoğlu; Ertaş, Abdulselam; Kolak, Ufuk

    2014-08-01

    A sensitive, rapid, and simple high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection method was developed for the simultaneous determination of seven phthalic acid esters (dimethyl phthalate, dipropyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate) in several kinds of beverage samples. Ultrasound and vortex-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method was used. The separation was performed using an Intersil ODS-3 column (C18 , 250 × 4.6 mm, 5.0 μm) and a gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of MeOH/ACN (50:50) and 0.2 M KH2 PO4 buffer. Analytes were detected by a UV detector at 230 nm. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, repeatability, accuracy, and recovery. Calibration equations and correlation coefficients (> 0.99) were calculated by least squares method with weighting factor. The limit of detection and quantification were in the range of 0.019-0.208 and 0.072-0.483 μg/L. The repeatability and intermediate precision were determined in terms of relative standard deviation to be within 0.03-3.93 and 0.02-4.74%, respectively. The accuracy was found to be in the range of -14.55 to 15.57% in terms of relative error. Seventeen different beverage samples in plastic bottles were successfully analyzed, and ten of them were found to be contaminated by different phthalic acid esters. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. A critical analysis of the biological impacts of plasticizers on wildlife

    PubMed Central

    Oehlmann, Jörg; Schulte-Oehlmann, Ulrike; Kloas, Werner; Jagnytsch, Oana; Lutz, Ilka; Kusk, Kresten O.; Wollenberger, Leah; Santos, Eduarda M.; Paull, Gregory C.; Van Look, Katrien J. W.; Tyler, Charles R.

    2009-01-01

    This review provides a critical analysis of the biological effects of the most widely used plasticizers, including dibutyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate and bisphenol A (BPA), on wildlife, with a focus on annelids (both aquatic and terrestrial), molluscs, crustaceans, insects, fish and amphibians. Moreover, the paper provides novel data on the biological effects of some of these plasticizers in invertebrates, fish and amphibians. Phthalates and BPA have been shown to affect reproduction in all studied animal groups, to impair development in crustaceans and amphibians and to induce genetic aberrations. Molluscs, crustaceans and amphibians appear to be especially sensitive to these compounds, and biological effects are observed at environmentally relevant exposures in the low ng l−1 to µg l−1 range. In contrast, most effects in fish (except for disturbance in spermatogenesis) occur at higher concentrations. Most plasticizers appear to act by interfering with the functioning of various hormone systems, but some phthalates have wider pathways of disruption. Effect concentrations of plasticizers in laboratory experiments coincide with measured environmental concentrations, and thus there is a very real potential for effects of these chemicals on some wildlife populations. The most striking gaps in our current knowledge on the impacts of plasticizers on wildlife are the lack of data for long-term exposures to environmentally relevant concentrations and their ecotoxicity when part of complex mixtures. Furthermore, the hazard of plasticizers has been investigated in annelids, molluscs and arthropods only, and given the sensitivity of some invertebrates, effects assessments are warranted in other invertebrate phyla. PMID:19528055

  12. Identification of phthalate esters in the serum of young Puerto Rican girls with premature breast development.

    PubMed Central

    Colón, I; Caro, D; Bourdony, C J; Rosario, O

    2000-01-01

    Premature breast development (thelarche) is the growth of mammary tissue in girls younger than 8 years of age without other manifestations of puberty. Puerto Rico has the highest known incidence of premature thelarche ever reported. In the last two decades since this serious public health anomaly has been observed, no explanation for this phenomenon has been found. Some organic pollutants, including pesticides and some plasticizers, can disrupt normal sexual development in wildlife, and many of these have been widely used in Puerto Rico. This investigation was designed to identify pollutants in the serum of Puerto Rican girls with premature thelarche. A method for blood serum analysis was optimized and validated using pesticides and phthalate esters as model compounds of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Recovery was > 80% for all compounds. We performed final detection by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. We analyzed 41 serum samples from thelarche patients and 35 control samples. No pesticides or their metabolite residues were detected in the serum of the study or control subjects. Significantly high levels of phthalates [dimethyl, diethyl, dibutyl, and di-(2-ethylhexyl)] and its major metabolite mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were identified in 28 (68%) samples from thelarche patients. Of the control samples analyzed, only one showed significant levels of di-isooctyl phthalate. The phthalates that we identified have been classified as endocrine disruptors. This study suggests a possible association between plasticizers with known estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity and the cause of premature breast development in a human female population. PMID:11017896

  13. Determination of pesticide and phthalate residues in tea by QuEChERS method and their fate in processing.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Sapna; Rai, Satyajeet; Srivastava, Ashutosh K; Panchal, Smita; Patel, D K; Sharma, V P; Jain, Sudha; Srivastava, L P

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method was applied for the analysis of the multiclass pesticide residues of 12 organochlorines (OCs), 9 organophosphates (OPs), 11 synthetic pyrethroids (SPs), 4 herbicides, 6 phthalates in raw tea (loose tea, branded tea and herbal tea), and tea infusion in 4 different containers (glass cup, earthen cup, plastic bag and disposal cup). In loose tea and branded tea residues, malathion (0.257 and 0.118 mg kg -1 ), cypermethrin (0.065 and 0.030 mg kg -1 ), and fenvalerate (0.032 and 0.030 mg kg -1 ) were detected, respectively. In herbal tea, residues of only cypermethrin (0.053 mg kg -1 ) and fenvalerate (0.045 mg kg -1 ) were detected. Tea infusion samples contained in a plastic bag were found to be contaminated with only dibutyl phthalate (DBP) (0.038 mg kg -1 ). Disposable cup was found to be contaminated with DBP (0.026 mg kg -1 ) and diethyl phthalate (DEP) (0.004 mg kg -1 ). Further, to know the processing behavior of pesticides, the spiked raw tea was subjected to tea infusion at different brewing times (2, 5, 10 min). The analysis demonstrated that dimethoate, dichlorvos, and malathion had shown more than 10 % of translocation at 5 min of brewing time. Further brewing for 10 min revealed the reduction in concentration of pesticides. Leaching of phthalate residues from different plastic containers was also studied at 10, 30, and 60 min. DBP, benzyl butyl phthalate (BzBP), and di-2-(ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were leached in the tea infusion samples packed in plastic bags. On the other hand, in disposable cups, leaching of DBP, DEP, and dimethyl phthalate were found. The concentration of phthalate residues increased with retention time. Pesticide and phthalate contaminants were recorded at low quantities in few samples only.

  14. Evaluation of DNA, BSA binding, and antimicrobial activity of new synthesized neodymium complex containing 29-dimethyl 110-phenanthroline.

    PubMed

    Moradi, Zohreh; Khorasani-Motlagh, Mozhgan; Rezvani, Ali Reza; Noroozifar, Meissam

    2018-02-01

    In order to evaluate biological potential of a novel synthesized complex [Nd(dmp) 2 Cl 3 .OH 2 ] where dmp is 29-dimethyl 110-phenanthroline, the DNA-binding, cleavage, BSA binding, and antimicrobial activity properties of the complex are investigated by multispectroscopic techniques study in physiological buffer (pH 7.2).The intrinsic binding constant (K b ) for interaction of Nd(III) complex and FS-DNA is calculated by UV-Vis (K b  = 2.7 ± 0.07 × 10 5 ) and fluorescence spectroscopy (K b  = 1.13 ± 0.03 × 10 5 ). The Stern-Volmer constant (K SV ), thermodynamic parameters including free energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (∆H°), and entropy change (∆S°), are calculated by fluorescent data and Vant' Hoff equation. The experimental results show that the complex can bind to FS-DNA and the major binding mode is groove binding. Meanwhile, the interaction of Nd(III) complex with protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), has also been studied by using absorption and emission spectroscopic tools. The experimental results show that the complex exhibits good binding propensity to BSA. The positive ΔH° and ∆S° values indicate that the hydrophobic interaction is main force in the binding of the Nd(III) complex to BSA, and the complex can quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA remarkably through a static quenching process. Also, DNA cleavage was investigated by agarose gel electrophoresis that according to the results cleavage of DNA increased with increasing of concentration of the complex. Antimicrobial screening test gives good results in the presence of Nd(III) complex system.

  15. Identification of polymer types and additives in marine microplastic particles using pyrolysis-GC/MS and scanning electron microscopy.

    PubMed

    Fries, Elke; Dekiff, Jens H; Willmeyer, Jana; Nuelle, Marie-Theres; Ebert, Martin; Remy, Dominique

    2013-10-01

    Any assessment of plastic contamination in the marine environment requires knowledge of the polymer type and the additive content of microplastics. Sequential pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS) was applied to simultaneously identify polymer types of microplastic particles and associated organic plastic additives (OPAs). In addition, a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalyser was used to identify the inorganic plastic additives (IPAs) contained in these particles. A total of ten particles, which were optically identified as potentially being plastics, were extracted from two sediment samples collected from Norderney, a North Sea island, by density separation in sodium chloride. The weights of these blue, white and transparent fragments varied between 10 and 350 μg. Polymer types were identified by comparing the resulting pyrograms with those obtained from the pyrolysis of selected standard polymers. The particles consisted of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene, polystyrene, polyamide, chlorinated PE and chlorosulfonated PE. The polymers contained diethylhexyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, benzaldehyde and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol. Sequential Py-GC/MS was found to be an appropriate tool for identifying marine microplastics for polymer types and OPAs. The IPAs identified were titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs), barium, sulphur and zinc. When polymer-TiO2 composites are degraded in the marine environment, TiO2-NPs are probably released. Thus, marine microplastics may act as a TiO2-NP source, which has not yet been considered.

  16. Energy Dispersive XAFS: Characterization of Electronically Excited States of Copper(I) Complexes

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Energy dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy (ED-XAS), in which the whole XAS spectrum is acquired simultaneously, has been applied to reduce the real-time for acquisition of spectra of photoinduced excited states by using a germanium microstrip detector gated around one X-ray bunch of the ESRF (100 ps). Cu K-edge XAS was used to investigate the MLCT states of [Cu(dmp)2]+ (dmp =2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) and [Cu(dbtmp)2]+ (dbtmp =2,9-di-n-butyl-3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) with the excited states created by excitation at 450 nm (10 Hz). The decay of the longer lived complex with bulky ligands, was monitored for up to 100 ns. DFT calculations of the longer lived MLCT excited state of [Cu(dbp)2]+ (dbp =2,9-di-n-butyl-1,10-phenanthroline) with the bulkier diimine ligands, indicated that the excited state behaves as a Jahn–Teller distorted Cu(II) site, with the interligand dihedral angle changing from 83 to 60° as the tetrahedral coordination geometry flattens and a reduction in the Cu–N distance of 0.03 Å. PMID:23718738

  17. Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphorous Pesticides and Fetal Growth: Pooled Results from Four Longitudinal Birth Cohort Studies.

    PubMed

    Harley, Kim G; Engel, Stephanie M; Vedar, Michelle G; Eskenazi, Brenda; Whyatt, Robin M; Lanphear, Bruce P; Bradman, Asa; Rauh, Virginia A; Yolton, Kimberly; Hornung, Richard W; Wetmur, James G; Chen, Jia; Holland, Nina T; Barr, Dana Boyd; Perera, Frederica P; Wolff, Mary S

    2016-07-01

    Organophosphorous (OP) pesticides are associated with reduced fetal growth in animals, but human studies are inconsistent. We pooled data from four cohorts to examine associations of prenatal OP exposure with birth weight (n = 1,169), length (n = 1,152), and head circumference (n = 1,143). Data were from the CHAMACOS, HOME, Columbia, and Mount Sinai birth cohorts. Concentrations of three diethyl phosphate (ΣDEP) and three dimethyl phosphate (ΣDMP) metabolites of OP pesticides [summed to six dialkyl phosphates (ΣDAPs)] were measured in maternal urine. Linear regression and mixed-effects models were used to examine associations with birth outcomes. We found no significant associations of ΣDEP, ΣDMP, or ΣDAPs with birth weight, length, or head circumference overall. However, among non-Hispanic black women, increasing urinary ΣDAP and ΣDMP concentrations were associated with decreased birth length (β = -0.4 cm; 95% CI: -0.9, 0.0 and β = -0.4 cm; 95% CI: -0.8, 0.0, respectively, for each 10-fold increase in metabolite concentration). Among infants with the PON1192RR genotype, ΣDAP and ΣDMP were negatively associated with length (β = -0.4 cm; 95% CI: -0.9, 0.0 and β = -0.5 cm; 95% CI: -0.9, -0.1). This study confirms previously reported associations of prenatal OP exposure among black women with decreased infant size at birth, but finds no evidence of smaller birth weight, length, or head circumference among whites or Hispanics. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found stronger inverse associations of DAPs and birth outcome in infants with the less susceptible PON1192RR genotype. The large pooled data set facilitated exploration of interactions by race/ethnicity and PON1 genotype, but was limited by differences in study populations. Harley KG, Engel SM, Vedar MG, Eskenazi B, Whyatt RM, Lanphear BP, Bradman A, Rauh VA, Yolton K, Hornung RW, Wetmur JG, Chen J, Holland NT, Barr DB, Perera FP, Wolff MS. 2016. Prenatal exposure to organophosphorous pesticides and fetal growth: pooled results from four longitudinal birth cohort studies. Environ Health Perspect 124:1084-1092; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409362.

  18. Endocrine disrupting compounds in the atmosphere of the urban area of Thessaloniki, Greece

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salapasidou, M.; Samara, C.; Voutsa, D.

    2011-07-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in a complex urban atmosphere. Target compounds were alkylphenols (NP, tOP, nOP), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO), bisphenol A (BPA), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), and phthalates (DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, DEHP, DNOP). EDCs were determined in ambient PM10 from two sampling sites, one urban-traffic and one urban-industrial, located in the city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. At both sites, DEHP and NP were found to be the predominant EDCs in airborne PM10. Concentrations of NP did not exhibit any spatial difference, whereas concentrations of DEHP were significantly higher at the urban-traffic site. Wind direction was not found to have any significant effect on ambient EDCs concentrations suggesting impact from local sources rather than transport; however some peak concentrations might be attributed to short-distance sources. The gas/particle partition coefficient, Kp, and the gaseous phase of EDCs were calculated by employing two approaches based on literature data (a) for the subcooled liquid vapor pressure ( PL0) and (b) the octanol-air partition coefficient ( KOA). It appeared that the g/ p partition of phthalates estimated by the KOA approach is in better agreement with experimental partition data reported by other investigators. Absorption in organic matter was found to be significant partition mechanism at the urban-traffic site.

  19. Supramolecular assemblies of tetrafluoroterephthalic acid and N-heterocycles via various strong hydrogen bonds and weak Csbnd H⋯F interactions: Synthons cooperation, robust motifs and structural diversity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Yanjing; Hu, Hanbin; Li, Yingying; Chen, Ruixin; Yang, Yu; Wang, Lei

    2016-10-01

    A series of organic solid states including three salts, two co-crystals, and three hydrates based on tetrafluoroterephthalic acid (H2tfBDC) and N-bearing ligands (2,4-(1H,3H)-pyrimidine dione (PID), 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methyl pyrimidine (DHMPI), 2-amino-4,6-dimethyl pyrimidine (ADMPI), 2-amino-4,6-dimenthoxy pyrimidine (ADMOPI), 5,6-dimenthyl benzimidazole (DMBI), 2-aminobenzimidazole (ABI), 3,5-dimethyl pyrazole (DMP), and 3-cyanopyridine (3-CNpy)), namely, [(PID)2·(H2tfBDC)] (1), [(DHMPI)2·(H2tfBDC)] (2), [(H-ADMPI+)2·(tfBDC2-)·2(H2O)] (3), [(H-ADMOPI+)2·(tfBDC2-)·(H2O)] (4), [(H-DMBI+)2·(tfBDC2-)·2(H2O)] (5), [(H-ABI+)2·(tfBDC2-)] (6), [(H-DMP+)·(HtfBDC-)] (7), and [(H-3-CNpy+)·(HtfBDC-)] (8), were synthesized by solvent evaporation method. Crystal structures analyses show that the F atom of the H2tfBDC participates in multiple Csbnd H⋯F hydrogen bond formations, producing different supramolecular synthons. The weak hydrogen bonding Csbnd H⋯F and Nsbnd H⋯F play an important part in constructing the diversity structures 2-8, except in crystal 1. In complexes 1-3, they present the same synthon R22(8) with different N-heterocyclic compounds, which may show the strategy in constructing the supramolecular. Meanwhile, the complex 3 exhibits a 2D layer, and the independent molecules of water exist in the adjacent layers. In complexes 4 and 5, the water molecules connect the neighboring layers to form 3D network by strong Osbnd H⋯O hydrogen bonding. These crystals 1-8 were fully characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy (IR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

  20. Kinetics and mechanism for degradation of dichlorvos by permanganate in drinking water treatment.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chao; Qiang, Zhimin; Adams, Craig; Tian, Fang; Zhang, Tao

    2009-08-01

    The degradation kinetics and mechanism of dichlorvos by permanganate during drinking water treatment were investigated. The reaction of dichlorvos with permanganate was of second-order overall with negligible pH dependence and an activation energy of 29.5 kJ x mol(-1). At pH 7.0 and 25 degrees C, the rate constant was 25.2+/-0.4M(-1)s(-1). Dichlorvos was first degraded to trimethyl phosphate (TMP) and dimethyl phosphate (DMP) simultaneously which approximately accounted for <5% and >or=95% with respect to phosphorus mass, respectively. Further oxidation of DMP generated a final byproduct, monomethyl phosphate (MMP). MMP was for the first time identified as a major byproduct in chemical oxidation of dichlorvos. The kinetic model based on degradation mechanism and determined reaction rate constants allowed us to predict the evolution of dichlorvos and its byproduct concentrations during permanganate pre-oxidation process at water treatment plants. These results suggest that even though the dichlorvos concentration in surface water complies with the surface water quality standards of China (50 microg L(-1)), its concentration after conventional water treatment will most probably exceed the drinking water quality standards (1 microg L(-1)). Moreover, luminescent bacteria test shows that the acute toxicity of dichlorvos solution evidently increased after permanganate oxidation.

  1. The rescue of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1)-deficient tooth defects by the transgenic expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) indicates that DSPP is a downstream effector molecule of DMP1 in dentinogenesis.

    PubMed

    Gibson, Monica Prasad; Zhu, Qinglin; Wang, Suzhen; Liu, Qilin; Liu, Ying; Wang, Xiaofang; Yuan, Baozhi; Ruest, L Bruno; Feng, Jian Q; D'Souza, Rena N; Qin, Chunlin; Lu, Yongbo

    2013-03-08

    Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) are essential for the formation of dentin. Previous in vitro studies have indicated that DMP1 might regulate the expression of DSPP during dentinogenesis. To examine whether DMP1 controls dentinogenesis through the regulation of DSPP in vivo, we cross-bred transgenic mice expressing normal DSPP driven by a 3.6-kb rat Col1a1 promoter with Dmp1 KO mice to generate mice expressing the DSPP transgene in the Dmp1 KO genetic background (referred to as "Dmp1 KO/DSPP Tg mice"). We used morphological, histological, and biochemical techniques to characterize the dentin and alveolar bone of Dmp1 KO/DSPP Tg mice compared with Dmp1 KO and wild-type mice. Our analyses showed that the expression of endogenous DSPP was remarkably reduced in the Dmp1 KO mice. Furthermore, the transgenic expression of DSPP rescued the tooth and alveolar bone defects of the Dmp1 KO mice. In addition, our in vitro analyses showed that DMP1 and its 57-kDa C-terminal fragment significantly up-regulated the Dspp promoter activities in a mesenchymal cell line. In contrast, the expression of DMP1 was not altered in the Dspp KO mice. These results provide strong evidence that DSPP is a downstream effector molecule that mediates the roles of DMP1 in dentinogenesis.

  2. Occurrence of phthalate esters in water and sediment of urban lakes in a subtropical city, Guangzhou, South China.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Feng; Cui, Kunyan; Xie, Zhiyong; Liu, Min; Li, Yangjie; Lin, Yujun; Zeng, Zunxiang; Li, Fangbai

    2008-04-01

    Extensive use of phthalate esters (PAEs) in both industrial processes and consumer products has resulted in the ubiquitous presence of these chemicals in the environment. This study reports the first data on the concentrations of 16 phthalate esters (PAEs) in water and sediments of the urban lakes in Guangzhou City. PAEs were detected in all samples analyzed, mainly originating from urban stormwater runoff, atmospheric deposition, as well as untreated discharge of industrial wastewater and municipal sewage. The Sigma(16)PAEs concentrations in water and sediments ranged from 1.69 to 4.72 microg L(-1) and 2.27 to 74.94 microg g(-1)-dry weight (dw), with the mean concentrations of 2.91 microg L(-1) and 20.85 microg g(-1)-dw, respectively, which indicates that sediment is a significant sink for PAEs. Variability of the Sigma 16PAEs concentrations in water and sediment in the urban lakes was almost consistent. The spatial distribution of PAEs was site-specific. Of the 16 PAEs, DMP, DEP, DnBP, DiBP, DMPP, and DEHP were present in all water and sediment samples. DnBP was abundant in water (53.0-81.2%), while no single dominant congener was found in sediments. The abundances of DiBP were similar to those of DEHP, and DiBP and DEHP collectively accounted for 77.2-97.6% of the Sigma 16PAEs concentrations. Congener specific analysis confirmed that DnBP was a predictive indicator for the dissolved summation operator16 PAEs concentration (correlation coefficient r=0.968, p<0.01), and that DiBP was a predictive indicator for the sediment summation operator16 PAEs concentration (r=0.975, p<0.01). As compared to the results for other studies, the urban lakes of Guangzhou were moderately polluted by PAEs.

  3. Application of non-ionic surfactant as a developed method for the enhancement of two-phase solvent bar microextraction for the simultaneous determination of three phthalate esters from water samples.

    PubMed

    Bandforuzi, Samereh Ranjbar; Hadjmohammadi, Mohammad Reza

    2018-08-03

    The extraction of phthalate esters (PEs) from aqueous matrices using two-phase solvent bar microextraction by organic micellar phase was investigated. A short hollow fiber immobilized with reverse micelles of Brij 35 surfactant in 1-octanol was served as the solvent bar for microextraction. Experimental results show that the extraction efficiency were much higher using two-phase solvent bar microextraction based on non-ionic surfactant than conventional two-phase solvent bar microextraction because of a positive effect of surfactant-containing extraction phase in promoting the partition process by non-ionic intermolecular forces such as polar and hydrophobicity interactions. The nature of the extraction solvent, type and concentration of non-ionic surfactant, extraction time, sample pH, temperature, stirring rate and ionic strength were the effecting parameters which optimized to obtain the highest extraction recovery. Analysis of recovered analytes was carried out with high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). Under the optimum conditions, linearity was observed in the range of 1-800 ng mL -1 for dimethylphthalate (DMP) and 0.5-800 ng mL -1 for diethylphthalate (DEP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) with correlation determination values above 0.99 for them. The limits of detection and quantification were ranged from 0.012 to 0.03 ng mL -1 and 0.04-0.1 ng mL -1 , respectively. The ranges of intra-day and inter-day RSD (n = 3) at 20 ng mL -1 of PEs were 1.8-2.1% and 2.1-2.6%, respectively. Results showed that developed method can be a very powerful, innovative and promising sample preparation technique in PEs analysis from environmental and drinking water samples. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Transgenic Expression of Dspp Partially Rescued the Long Bone Defects of Dmp1-null Mice

    PubMed Central

    Jani, Priyam H.; Gibson, Monica P.; Liu, Chao; Zhang, Hua; Wang, Xiaofang; Lu, Yongbo; Qin, Chunlin

    2016-01-01

    Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) belong to the Small Integrin-Binding Ligand N-linked Glycoprotein (SIBLING) family. In addition to the features common to all SIBLING members, DMP1 and DSPP share several unique similarities in chemical structure, proteolytic activation and tissue localization. Mutations in, or deletion of DMP1, cause autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets along with dental defects; DSPP mutations or its ablation are associated with dentinogenesis imperfecta. While the roles and functional mechanisms of DMP1 in osteogenesis have been extensively studied, those of DSPP in long bones have been studied only to a limited extent. Previous studies by our group revealed that transgenic expression of Dspp completely rescued the dentin defects of Dmp1-null (Dmp1−/−) mice. In this investigation, we assessed the effects of transgenic Dspp on osteogenesis by analyzing the formation and mineralization of the long bones in Dmp1−/− mice that expresses a transgene encoding full-length DSPP driven by a 3.6-kb rat Col1a1 promoter (referred as “Dmp1−/−;Dspp-Tg mice”). We characterized the long bones of the Dmp1−/−;Dspp-Tg mice at different ages and compared them with those from Dmp1−/− and Dmp1+/− (normal control) mice. Our analyses showed that the long bones of Dmp1−/−;Dspp-Tg mice had a significant increase in cortical bone thickness, bone volume and mineral density along with a remarkable restoration of trabecular thickness compared to those of the Dmp1−/− mice. The long bones of Dmp1−/−;Dspp-Tg mice underwent a dramatic reduction in the amount of osteoid, significant improvement of the collagen fibrillar network, and better organization of the lacunocanalicular system, compared to the Dmp1−/− mice. The elevated levels of biglycan, bone sialoprotein and osteopontin in Dmp1−/− mice were also noticeably corrected by the transgenic expression of Dspp. These findings suggest that DSPP and DMP1 may function synergistically within the complex milieus of bone matrices. PMID:26686820

  5. Blocking of proteolytic processing and deletion of glycosaminoglycan side chain of mouse DMP1 by substituting critical amino acid residues.

    PubMed

    Peng, Tao; Huang, Bingzhen; Sun, Yao; Lu, Yongbo; Bonewald, Lynda; Chen, Shuo; Butler, William T; Feng, Jerry Q; D'Souza, Rena N; Qin, Chunlin

    2009-01-01

    Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is present in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of dentin and bone as processed NH(2)- and COOH-terminal fragments, resulting from proteolytic cleavage at the NH(2) termini of 4 aspartic acid residues during rat DMP1 processing. One cleavage site residue, Asp(181) (corresponding to Asp(197) of mouse DMP1), and its flanking region are highly conserved across species. We speculate that cleavage at the NH(2) terminus of Asp(197) of mouse DMP1 represents an initial, first-step scission in the whole cascade of proteolytic processing. To test if Asp(197) is critical for initiating the proteolytic processing of mouse DMP1, we substituted Asp(197) with Ala(197) by mutating the corresponding nucleotides of mouse cDNA that encode this amino acid residue. This mutant DMP1 cDNA was cloned into a pcDNA3.1 vector. Data from transfection experiments indicated that this single substitution blocked the proteolytic processing of mouse DMP1 in HEK-293 cells, indicating that cleavage at the NH(2) terminus of Asp(197) is essential for exposing other cleavage sites for the conversion of DMP1 to its fragments. The NH(2)-terminal fragment of DMP1 occurs as a proteoglycan form (DMP1-PG) that contains a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain. Previously, we showed that a GAG chain is linked to Ser(74) in rat DMP1 (Ser(89) in mouse DMP1). To confirm that mouse DMP1-PG possesses a single GAG chain attached to Ser(89), we substituted Ser(89) by Gly(89). Data from transfection analysis indicated that this substitution completely prevented formation of the GAG-containing form, confirming that DMP1-PG contains a single GAG chain attached to Ser(89) in mouse DMP1. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. ELSID-Diabetes study-evaluation of a large scale implementation of disease management programmes for patients with type 2 diabetes. Rationale, design and conduct--a study protocol [ISRCTN08471887].

    PubMed

    Joos, Stefanie; Rosemann, Thomas; Heiderhoff, Marc; Wensing, Michel; Ludt, Sabine; Gensichen, Jochen; Kaufmann-Kolle, Petra; Szecsenyi, Joachim

    2005-10-04

    Diabetes model projects in different regions of Germany including interventions such as quality circles, patient education and documentation of medical findings have shown improvements of HbA1c levels, blood pressure and occurrence of hypoglycaemia in before-after studies (without control group). In 2002 the German Ministry of Health defined legal regulations for the introduction of nationwide disease management programs (DMP) to improve the quality of care in chronically ill patients. In April 2003 the first DMP for patients with type 2 diabetes was accredited. The evaluation of the DMP is essential and has been made obligatory in Germany by the Fifth Book of Social Code. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of DMP by example of type 2 diabetes in the primary care setting of two German federal states (Rheinland-Pfalz and Sachsen-Anhalt). The study is three-armed: a prospective cluster-randomized comparison of two interventions (DMP 1 and DMP 2) against routine care without DMP as control group. In the DMP group 1 the patients are treated according to the current situation within the German-Diabetes-DMP. The DMP group 2 represents diabetic care within ideally implemented DMP providing additional interventions (e.g. quality circles, outreach visits). According to a sample size calculation a sample size of 200 GPs (each GP including 20 patients) will be required for the comparison of DMP 1 and DMP 2 considering possible drop-outs. For the comparison with routine care 4000 patients identified by diabetic tracer medication and age (> 50 years) will be analyzed. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the German Diabetes-DMP compared to a Diabetes-DMP providing additional interventions and routine care in the primary care setting of two different German federal states.

  7. ELSID-Diabetes study-evaluation of a large scale implementation of disease management programmes for patients with type 2 diabetes. Rationale, design and conduct – a study protocol [ISRCTN08471887

    PubMed Central

    Joos, Stefanie; Rosemann, Thomas; Heiderhoff, Marc; Wensing, Michel; Ludt, Sabine; Gensichen, Jochen; Kaufmann-Kolle, Petra; Szecsenyi, Joachim

    2005-01-01

    Background Diabetes model projects in different regions of Germany including interventions such as quality circles, patient education and documentation of medical findings have shown improvements of HbA1c levels, blood pressure and occurrence of hypoglycaemia in before-after studies (without control group). In 2002 the German Ministry of Health defined legal regulations for the introduction of nationwide disease management programs (DMP) to improve the quality of care in chronically ill patients. In April 2003 the first DMP for patients with type 2 diabetes was accredited. The evaluation of the DMP is essential and has been made obligatory in Germany by the Fifth Book of Social Code. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of DMP by example of type 2 diabetes in the primary care setting of two German federal states (Rheinland-Pfalz and Sachsen-Anhalt). Methods/Design The study is three-armed: a prospective cluster-randomized comparison of two interventions (DMP 1 and DMP 2) against routine care without DMP as control group. In the DMP group 1 the patients are treated according to the current situation within the German-Diabetes-DMP. The DMP group 2 represents diabetic care within ideally implemented DMP providing additional interventions (e.g. quality circles, outreach visits). According to a sample size calculation a sample size of 200 GPs (each GP including 20 patients) will be required for the comparison of DMP 1 and DMP 2 considering possible drop-outs. For the comparison with routine care 4000 patients identified by diabetic tracer medication and age (> 50 years) will be analyzed. Discussion This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the German Diabetes-DMP compared to a Diabetes-DMP providing additional interventions and routine care in the primary care setting of two different German federal states. PMID:16202151

  8. The Arf-inducing Transcription Factor Dmp1 Encodes a Transcriptional Activator of Amphiregulin, Thrombospondin-1, JunB and Egr1

    PubMed Central

    Mallakin, Ali; Sugiyama, Takayuki; Kai, Fumitake; Taneja, Pankaj; Kendig, Robert D.; Frazier, Donna P.; Maglic, Dejan; Matise, Lauren A.; Willingham, Mark C.; Inoue, Kazushi

    2009-01-01

    Dmp1 (Dmtf1) encodes a Myb-like transcription factor implicated in tumor suppression through direct activation of the Arf-p53 pathway. The human DMP1 gene is frequently deleted in non-small cell lung cancers, especially those that retain wild-type INK4a/ARF and/or p53. To identify novel genes that are regulated by Dmp1, transcriptional profiles of lung tissue from Dmp1-null and wild-type mice were generated using the GeneChip Microarray. Comparative analysis of gene expression changes between the two groups resulted in identification of numerous genes that may be regulated by Dmp1. Notably, amphiregulin (Areg), thrombospondin-1 (Tsp-1), JunB, Egr1, adrenomedullin (Adm), Bcl-3 and methyl-CpG binding domain protein 1 (Mbd1) were downregulated in the lungs from Dmp1-null mice while Gas1 and Ect2 genes were upregulated. These target genes were chosen for further analyses since they are involved in cell proliferation, transcription, angiogenesis/metastasis, apoptosis, or DNA methylation, and thus could account for the tumor suppressor phenotype of Dmp1. Dmp1 directly bound to the genomic loci of Areg, Tsp-1, JunB and Egr1. Significant upregulation or downregulation of the novel Dmp1 target genes was observed upon transient expression of Dmp1 in alveolar epithelial cells, an effect which was nullified by the inhibition of de novo mRNA synthesis. Interestingly, these genes and their protein products were significantly downregulated or upregulated in the lungs from Dmp1-heterozygous mice as well. Identification of novel Dmp1 target genes not only provides insights into the effects of Dmp1 on global gene expression, but also sheds light on the mechanism of haploid insufficiency of Dmp1 in tumor suppression. PMID:19816943

  9. [Management of chronic heart failure - a systematic review of guidelines in the context of the DMP revision].

    PubMed

    Kötter, Thomas; Bartel, Carmen; Schramm, Susanne; Lange, Petra; Höfer, Eva; Hänsel, Michaela; Waffenschmidt, Siw; Waldt, Susanne Ein; Hoffmann-Eßer, Wiebke; Rüther, Alric; Lühmann, Dagmar; Scherer, Martin

    2013-01-01

    Disease Management Programmes (DMPs) are structured treatment programmes for chronic diseases. The DMP requirements are primarily derived from evidence-based guidelines. DMPs are regularly revised to ensure that they reflect current best practice and medical knowledge. The aim of this study was to assess the need for updating the German DMP module on heart failure by comparing it to relevant guidelines and identifying recommendations that should be revised. We systematically searched for clinical guidelines on heart failure published in German, English or French, and extracted relevant guideline recommendations. All included guidelines were assessed for methodological quality. To identify revision needs in the DMP, we performed a synoptic analysis of the extracted guideline recommendations and DMP requirements. 27 guidelines were included. The extracted recommendations covered all aspects of the management of heart failure. The comparison of guideline recommendations with DMP requirements showed that, overall, guideline recommendations were more detailed than DMP requirements, and that the guidelines covered topics not included in the DMP module. The DMP module is largely consistent with current guidelines on heart failure. We did not identify any need for significant revision of the DMP requirements. However, some specific recommendations of the DMP module could benefit from revision. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  10. Evaluating the potential genotoxicity of phthalates esters (PAEs) in perfumes using in vitro assays.

    PubMed

    Al-Saleh, Iman; Al-Rajudi, Tahreer; Al-Qudaihi, Ghofran; Manogaran, Pulicat

    2017-10-01

    We previously reported high levels of phthalate esters (PAEs) added as solvents or fixatives in 47 brands of perfumes. Diethyl phthalate was the most abundant compound (0.232-23,649 ppm), and 83.3% of the perfumes had levels >1 ppm, the threshold limit cited by a Greenpeace investigation. All samples had dimethyl phthalate levels higher than its threshold limit of 0.1 ppm, and 88, 38, and 7% of the perfumes had benzyl butyl phthalate, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and dibutyl phthalate levels, respectively, above their threshold limits. The role of PAEs as endocrine disruptors has been well documented, but their effect on genotoxic behavior has received little attention. We used in vitro single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) and micronucleus (MN) assays with human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells to evaluate the genotoxic potency of 42 of the same perfumes and to determine its association with PAEs. All perfumes induced more DNA damage than a negative control (NEG), ≥ 90% of the samples caused more damage than cells treated with the vehicles possibly used in perfume's preparations such as methanol (ME) and ethanol (ET), and 11.6% of the perfumes caused more DNA damage than a positive control (hydrogen peroxide). Chromosome breakage expressed as MN frequency was higher in cells treated with 71.4, 64.3, 57.1, and 4.8% of the perfumes than in NEG, cells treated with ME or ET, and another positive control (x-rays), respectively. The genotoxic responses in the comet and MN assays were not correlated. The comet assay indicated that the damage in TK6 cells treated with five PAEs at concentrations of 0.05 and 0.2 ppm either individually or as a mixture did not differ significantly from the damage in cells treated with the perfumes. Unlike the comet assay, the sensitivity of the MN assay to PAEs was weak at both low and high concentrations, and MN frequencies were generally low. This study demonstrates for the first time the possible contribution of PAEs in perfumes to DNA damage and suggests that their use as solvents or fixatives should be regulated. Other ingredients with mutagenic/genotoxic properties, however, may also have contributed to the DNA damage. Future studies should focus on applying a series of assays that use different cellular models with various endpoints to identify the spectrum of genotoxic mechanisms involved.

  11. Molecular Analysis of DMP1 Mutants Causing Autosomal Recessive Hypophosphatemic Rickets

    PubMed Central

    Farrow, Emily G.; Davis, Siobhan I.; Ward, Leanne M.; Summers, Lelia J.; Bubbear, Judith S.; Keen, Richard; Stamp, Trevor C.B.; Baker, Laurence R. I.; Bonewald, Lynda F.; White, Kenneth E.

    2009-01-01

    We previously demonstrated that the mutations Met1Val (M1V) and the deletion of nucleotides 1484-1490 (1484-1490del) in Dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP1) cause the novel disorder autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets (ARHR), which is associated with elevated Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23). To further understand the role of DMP1 in ARHR, we undertook molecular genetic and in vitro expression studies. First, we examined a kindred with a severe hypophosphatemic rickets phenotype and recessive inheritance. Analyses of this family demonstrated that the affected members had elevated serum FGF23 and carried a large, biallelic deletion that removed the majority of DMP1. At a minimum, this deletion encompassed 49 kb between DMP1 exon 3 and an intergenic region 5′ to the next telomeric gene, integrin-binding sialoprotein (IBSP). We next performed immunofluorescent studies in cells to understand the effects of the known ARHR mutations on DMP1 cellular processing. These analyses showed that the M1V DMP1 mutant was not sorted to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and secretory pathway, but filled the entire cytoplasm. In contrast, the 1484-1490del mutant localized to the TGN and was secreted, similar to wild type DMP1. The 1484-1490del mutation replaces the DMP1 18 C-terminal amino acids with 33 non-native residues. Truncation of wild type DMP1 by these native 18 residues followed by Western blot and confocal microscopic analyses demonstrated a wild type expression pattern when compared with the 1484-1490del mutant, indicating that the last 18 residues are not critical for cellular trafficking, but that the 33 additional residues arising from the 1484-1490del mutation likely compromise DMP1 processing. The relationship between DMP1 and FGF23 is unclear. To test endogenous DMP1 response to serum metabolites that also regulate FGF23, UMR-106 cells were treated with 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D (1×10−7M) and showed a 12-fold increase in DMP1 mRNA and protein at 24 hr. In summary, we have identified a novel DMP1 deletion as the cause of ARHR, as well as demonstrated that the ARHR mutations alter DMP1 cellular processing, and that DMP1 can be regulated by vitamin D. Taken together, this work expands our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms associated with DMP1 alterations causing ARHR. PMID:19007919

  12. Dmp1 Null Mice Develop a Unique Osteoarthritis-like Phenotype

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Qi; Lin, Shuxian; Liu, Ying; Yuan, Baozhi; Harris, Steph E; Feng, Jian Q.

    2016-01-01

    Patients with hypophosphatemia rickets (including DMP1 mutations) develop severe osteoarthritis (OA), although the mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we first identified the expression of DMP1 in hypertrophic chondrocytes using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and X-gal analysis of Dmp1-knockout-lacZ-knockin heterozygous mice. Next, we characterized the OA-like phenotype in Dmp1 null mice from 7-week-old to one-year-old using multiple techniques, including X-ray, micro-CT, H&E staining, Goldner staining, scanning electronic microscopy, IHC assays, etc. We found a classical OA-like phenotype in Dmp1 null mice such as articular cartilage degradation, osteophyte formation, and subchondral osteosclerosis. These Dmp1 null mice also developed unique pathological changes, including a biphasic change in their articular cartilage from the initial expansion of hypertrophic chondrocytes at the age of 1-month to a quick diminished articular cartilage layer at the age of 3-months. Further, these null mice displayed severe enlarged knees and poorly formed bone with an expanded osteoid area. To address whether DMP1 plays a direct role in the articular cartilage, we deleted Dmp1 specifically in hypertrophic chondrocytes by crossing the Dmp1-loxP mice with Col X Cre mice. Interestingly, these conditional knockout mice didn't display notable defects in either the articular cartilage or the growth plate. Because of the hypophosphatemia remained in the entire life span of the Dmp1 null mice, we also investigated whether a high phosphate diet would improve the OA-like phenotype. A 8-week treatment of a high phosphate diet significantly rescued the OA-like defect in Dmp1 null mice, supporting the critical role of phosphate homeostasis in maintaining the healthy joint morphology and function. Taken together, this study demonstrates a unique OA-like phenotype in Dmp1 null mice, but a lack of the direct impact of DMP1 on chondrogenesis. Instead, the regulation of phosphate homeostasis by DMP1 via the axis of “FGF23-renal phosphorus reabsorption” is vital for maintaining a healthy joint. PMID:27766035

  13. Is there a survival benefit within a German primary care-based disease management program?

    PubMed

    Miksch, Antje; Laux, Gunter; Ose, Dominik; Joos, Stefanie; Campbell, Stephen; Riens, Burgi; Szecsenyi, Joachim

    2010-01-01

    To compare the mortality rate of patients with type 2 diabetes who were enrolled in the German diabetes disease management program (DMP) with the mortality rate of those who were not enrolled. This observational study was part of the ELSID study (Evaluation of a Large Scale Implementation of disease management programs) in Germany. Participants had type 2 diabetes and were either enrolled or not enrolled in the DMP. The DMP provides systems-based, multifaceted, and patient-centered interventions. To reduce imbalances between the groups, a matched sample was created using sex, age, retirement status, federal state, pharmacy-based cost groups, and diagnostic-cost groups as matching criteria. Cox proportional hazards regression model and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to assess overall mortality. The observation period was 3 years beginning on January 1, 2006. A total of 11,079 patients were included in the analysis. As of January 1, 2006, 2300 patients were enrolled in the DMP and 8779 were receiving routine care. There were 1927 matched pairs of patients in the DMP group and the non-DMP group. The overall mortality rate was 11.3% in the DMP and 14.4% in the non-DMP group (log-rank test P <.01). We found an association between participation in the German diabetes DMP and reduced mortality. This reduced mortality cannot be attributed directly to the DMP. However, further research should evaluate whether a primary care-based DMP contributes to increased life expectancy in patients with diabetes.

  14. Effects of canonical NF-κB signaling pathway on the proliferation and odonto/osteogenic differentiation of human stem cells from apical papilla.

    PubMed

    Li, Junjun; Yan, Ming; Wang, Zilu; Jing, Shuanglin; Li, Yao; Liu, Genxia; Yu, Jinhua; Fan, Zhipeng

    2014-01-01

    NF-κB signaling pathway plays a complicated role in the biological functions of mesenchymal stem cells. However, the effects of NF-κB pathway on the odonto/osteogenic differentiation of stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs) remain unclear. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of canonical NF-κB pathway on the osteo/odontogenic capacity of SCAPs in vitro. Western blot results demonstrated that NF-κB pathway in SCAPs was successfully activated by TNF-α or blocked by BMS-345541. NF-κB pathway-activated SCAPs presented a higher proliferation activity compared with control groups, as indicated by dimethyl-thiazol-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay (MTT) and flow cytometry assay (FCM). Wound scratch assay revealed that NF-κB pathway-activated SCAPs presented an improved migration capacity, enhanced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and upregulated mineralization capacity of SCAPs, as compared with control groups. Meanwhile, the odonto/osteogenic markers (ALP/ALP, RUNX2/RUNX2, OSX/OSX, OCN/OCN, OPN/OPN, BSP/BSP, DSPP/DSP, and DMP-1/DMP-1) in NF-κB pathway-activated SCAPs were also significantly upregulated as compared with control groups at both protein and mRNA levels. However, NF-κB pathway-inhibited SCAPs exhibited a lower proliferation/migration capacity, and decreased odonto/osteogenic ability in comparison with control groups. Our findings suggest that classical NF-κB pathway plays a paramount role in the proliferation and committed differentiation of SCAPs.

  15. Identification of full-length dentin matrix protein 1 in dentin and bone.

    PubMed

    Huang, Bingzhen; Maciejewska, Izabela; Sun, Yao; Peng, Tao; Qin, Disheng; Lu, Yongbo; Bonewald, Lynda; Butler, William T; Feng, Jian; Qin, Chunlin

    2008-05-01

    Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) has been identified in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of dentin and bone as the processed NH(2)-terminal and COOH-terminal fragment. However, the full-length form of DMP1 has not been identified in these tissues. The focus of this investigation was to search for the intact full-length DMP1 in dentin and bone. We used two types of anti-DMP1 antibodies to identify DMP1: one type specifically recognizes the NH(2)-terminal region and the other type is only reactive to the COOH-terminal region of the DMP1 amino acid sequence. An approximately 105-kDa protein, extracted from the ECM of rat dentin and bone, was recognized by both types of antibodies; and the migration rate of this protein was identical to the recombinant mouse full-length DMP1 made in eukaryotic cells. We concluded that this approximately 105-kDa protein is the full-length form of DMP1, which is considerably less abundant than its processed fragments in the ECM of dentin and bone. We also detected the full-length form of DMP1 and its processed fragments in the extract of dental pulp/odontoblast complex dissected from rat teeth. In addition, immunofluorescence analysis showed that in MC3T3-E1 cells the NH(2)-terminal and COOH-terminal fragments of DMP1 are distributed differently. Our findings indicate that the majority of DMP1 must be cleaved within the cells that synthesize it and that minor amounts of uncleaved DMP1 molecules are secreted into the ECM of dentin and bone.

  16. Glycosylation of DMP1 Is Essential for Chondrogenesis of Condylar Cartilage.

    PubMed

    Weng, Y; Liu, Y; Du, H; Li, L; Jing, B; Zhang, Q; Wang, X; Wang, Z; Sun, Y

    2017-12-01

    The mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) shoulders force for the subchondral bone during mastication. The cartilage matrix contains various large molecules, such as type I, II, and X collagens and proteoglycans (PGs), which jointly play essential roles in maintaining cartilage characteristics. PGs play key roles in maintaining the elasticity of cartilage and providing a cushion against mastication forces. In addition to the well-known PGs, DMP1-PG, which is the PG form of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1), is a newly identified PG. DMP1 is proteolytically processed in vivo, and the N-terminus is glycosylated into its PG form-that is, DMP1-PG, which is highly expressed not only in tooth and bone but also in the matrix of the MCC. However, the specific functions of DMP1-PG in the MCC remain unclear. In human temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis and hyperocclusion model rat specimens, PGs are significantly downregulated, and DMP1-PG is the most prominently affected PG. To further investigate the role of DMP1-PG in condylar chondrogenesis, a glycosylation site mutant (S 89 -G 89 ) mouse model was established with knock-in methods. In the MCC of the S89G-DMP1 mice, the glycosylation level of DMP1 was significantly downregulated, and a series of abnormal developmental and pathologic changes could be observed. The morphologic changes included thinner cartilage layers, deformations of the MCC, and disordered arrangements of the chondrocytes, and an earlier onset of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis-like changes was observed. In addition, markers of chondrogenesis were downregulated, and the matrix of the MCC displayed OA phenotypes in the S89G-DMP1 mice. Further investigations showed that the transforming growth factor β signaling molecules were affected in the MCC after the loss of DMP1-PG. In addition, the loss of DMP1-PG significantly accelerated the progression of cartilage injuries in the hyperocclusion models. Given these findings, we investigated the significant role of DMP1-PG in the chondrogenesis and maintenance of MCC.

  17. Better lipid target achievement for secondary prevention through disease management programs for diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease in clinical practice in Germany.

    PubMed

    Gitt, Anselm K; Sonntag, Frank; Jannowitz, Christina; Weizel, Achim; Karmann, Barbara; Schaefer, Juergen R; Pittrow, David; Hildemann, Steven K

    2016-01-01

    Disease management programs (DMP) for diabetes mellitus (DM) or coronary heart disease (CHD) address the treatment of lipid disorders. The current registry aimed to compare drug utilization, lipid lowering effects and further outcomes of outpatients at high cardiovascular risk in DMP for DM or CHD compared to patients in routine care (no-DMP). This was a prospective non-interventional registry with a 1 year follow-up which enrolled consecutive patients with known DM and/or any vascular disease on simvastatin 40 mg monotherapy, to document lipid target achievement in clinical practice in Germany according to existing guidelines. Drug use (maintenance, add-on, switch, discontinuation) and other components of care were upon the discretion of the treating physician. Of a total of 12,154 patients (mean age 65.8 years, 61.2% males), 3273 were in DMP CHD, 3265 in DMP DM and 1760 in DMP CHD + DM. In DMP patients compared to no-DMP patients, comorbidities/risk factors were more frequent. More patients in the DMP groups attained the target level of low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) <70 mg/dl (1.8 mmol/l) at baseline (8.5% DMP vs. 5.7% no-DMP), at 6 month (10.3% vs. 7.4%) and 12 month follow-up (10.1% vs. 7.1%). Cholesterol absorption inhibitors were added in 16% of the patients at the end of the baseline or at the follow-up visits, while statin treatment (including mean dose) remained largely unchanged. Target achievement rates were highest for all time points in the DMP CHD + DM group. With respect to limitations, this study was restricted to lipid disorders as qualifying diagnosis and simvastatin as qualifying treatment, which is a potential cause of selection bias. Information on non-pharmacological measures was not collected, and the 12-month follow-up period was relatively short. Patients in DMP compared to those not in DMP achieved better LDL-C lowering and higher control rates, but overall lipid target achievement rates need to be improved. Longer-term observations are needed to corroborate these findings.

  18. The monomeric form of Neisseria DNA mimic protein DMP19 prevents DNA from binding to the histone-like HU protein

    PubMed Central

    Ko, Tzu-Ping; Liao, Yi-Ting; Hsu, Kai-Cheng

    2017-01-01

    DNA mimicry is a direct and effective strategy by which the mimic competes with DNA for the DNA binding sites on other proteins. Until now, only about a dozen proteins have been shown to function via this strategy, including the DNA mimic protein DMP19 from Neisseria meningitides. We have shown previously that DMP19 dimer prevents the operator DNA from binding to the transcription factor NHTF. Here, we provide new evidence that DMP19 monomer can also interact with the Neisseria nucleoid-associated protein HU. Using BS3 crosslinking, gel filtration and isothermal titration calorimetry assays, we found that DMP19 uses its monomeric form to interact with the Neisseria HU dimer. Crosslinking conjugated mass spectrometry was used to investigate the binding mode of DMP19 monomer and HU dimer. Finally, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) confirmed that the DNA binding affinity of HU is affected by DMP19. These results showed that DMP19 is bifunctional in the gene regulation of Neisseria through its variable oligomeric forms. PMID:29220372

  19. Detection of phenols using engineered bacteria

    DOEpatents

    Wise, Arlene A.; Kuske, Cheryl R.; Terwilliger, Thomas C.

    2007-12-04

    Detection of phenols using engineered bacteria. A biosensor can be created by placing a reporter gene under control of an inducible promoter. The reporter gene produces a signal when a cognate transcriptional activator senses the inducing chemical. Creation of bacterial biosensors is currently restricted by limited knowledge of the genetic systems of bacteria that catabolize xenobiotics. By using mutagenic PCR to change the chemical specificity of the Pseudomonas species CF600 DmpR protein, the potential for engineering novel biosensors for detection of phenols has been demonstrated. DmpR, a well-characterized transcriptional activator of the P. CF600's dmp operon mediates growth on simple phenols. Transcription from Po, the promoter heading the dmp operon, is activated when the sensor domain of DmpR interacts with phenol and mono-substituted phenols. By altering the sensor domain of the DmpR, a group of DmpR derivatives that activate transcription of a Po-lacZ fusion in response to eight of the EPA's eleven priority pollutant phenols has been created. The assays and the sensor domain mutations that alter the chemical specificity of DmpR is described.

  20. Detection of phenols using engineered bacteria

    DOEpatents

    Wise, Arlene A.; Kuske, Cheryl R.; Terwilliger, Thomas C.

    2004-08-10

    Detection of phenols using engineered bacteria. A biosensor can be created by placing a reporter gene under control of an inducible promoter. The reporter gene produces a signal when a cognate transcriptional activator senses the inducing chemical. Creation of bacterial biosensors is currently restricted by limited knowledge of the genetic systems of bacteria that catabolize xenobiotics. By using mutagenic PCR to change the chemical specificity of the Pseudomonas species CF600 DmpR protein, the potential for engineering novel biosensors for detection of phenols has been demonstrated. DmpR, a well-characterized transcriptional activator of the P. CF600's dmp operon mediates growth on simple phenols. Transcription from Po, the promoter heading the dmp operon, is activated when the sensor domain of DmpR interacts with phenol and mono-substituted phenols. By altering the sensor domain of the DmpR, a group of DmpR derivatives that activate transcription of a Po-lacZ fusion in response to eight of the EPA's eleven priority pollutant phenols has been created. The assays and the sensor domain mutations that alter the chemical specificity of DmpR is described.

  1. The effects of phthalate and nonylphenol exposure on body size and secondary sexual characteristics during puberty.

    PubMed

    Hou, Jia-Woei; Lin, Ching-Ling; Tsai, Yen-An; Chang, Chia-Huang; Liao, Kai-Wei; Yu, Ching-Jung; Yang, Winnie; Lee, Ming-Jun; Huang, Po-Chin; Sun, Chien-Wen; Wang, Yin-Han; Lin, Fang-Ru; Wu, Wen-Chiu; Lee, Meng-Chih; Pan, Wen-Harn; Chen, Bai-Hsiun; Wu, Ming-Tsang; Chen, Chu-Chih; Wang, Shu-Li; Lee, Ching-Chang; Hsiung, Chao Agnes; Chen, Mei-Lien

    2015-10-01

    Some phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and nonylphenol (NP) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that are widely used in consumer products. Consequently, the general population is exposed simultaneously to both groups of chemicals. To investigate the single- and co-exposure effects of PAEs (DMP, DEP, DnBP, DiBP, BBzP, and DEHP) and NP on obesity and pubertal maturity to compare the body sizes of general adolescents with the complainants of the phthalate-tainted foods scandal that occurred in Taiwan. This study included 270 general adolescents aged 6.5-15.0 years and 38 complainants aged 6.5-8.5 years. Nine metabolites of the five PAEs and of NP were measured in urine. We used a questionnaire to evaluate pubertal maturity, measured anthropometric indices (APs) to assess body size, and collected urine samples to measure the two groups of chemicals. We found that urinary PAE metabolite concentrations (specifically, metabolites of DEP, DnBP, DiBP, and DEHP) were positively associated with the APs for abdominal obesity (including skinfold thickness, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and waist-to-hip) and indicated a dose-response relationship. Mono-methyl phthalate (MMP) exposure was inversely associated with pubarche among boys. The daily intake of DEHP in general adolescents exceeded the reference doses (RfD-20 μg/kgbw/day) and tolerable daily intake (TDI-50 μg/kgbw/day) by 3.4% and 0.4%, respectively. No associations were observed between NP exposure or co-exposure and the APs or pubertal maturity. No significant differences were observed between general adolescents and the complainants with regard to weight, height, or BMI. The study suggests that PAE (specifically, DEP, DnBP, DiBP, and DEHP) exposure is associated with abdominal obesity in adolescents and that the APs for abdominal obesity are more sensitive than BMI for measuring obesity among adolescents. We suggest that the RfD and TDI for PAEs should be revised to provide sufficient protection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  2. A chondroitin sulfate chain attached to the bone dentin matrix protein 1 NH2-terminal fragment.

    PubMed

    Qin, Chunlin; Huang, Bingzhen; Wygant, James N; McIntyre, Bradley W; McDonald, Charles H; Cook, Richard G; Butler, William T

    2006-03-24

    Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is an acidic noncollagenous protein shown by gene ablations to be critical for the proper mineralization of bone and dentin. In the extracellular matrix of these tissues DMP1 is present as fragments representing the NH2-terminal (37 kDa) and COOH-terminal (57 kDa) portions of the cDNA-deduced amino acid sequence. During our separation of bone noncollagenous proteins, we observed a high molecular weight, DMP1-related component (designated DMP1-PG). We purified DMP1-PG with a monoclonal anti-DMP1 antibody affinity column. Amino acid analysis and Edman degradation of tryptic peptides proved that the core protein for DMP1-PG is the 37-kDa fragment of DMP1. Chondroitinase treatments demonstrated that the slower migration rate of DMP1-PG is due to the presence of glycosaminoglycan. Quantitative disaccharide analysis indicated that the glycosaminoglycan is made predominantly of chondroitin 4-sulfate. Further analysis on tryptic peptides led us to conclude that a single glycosaminoglycan chain is linked to the core protein via Ser74, located in the Ser74-Gly75 dipeptide, an amino acid sequence specific for the attachment of glycosaminoglycans. Our findings show that in addition to its existence as a phosphoprotein, the NH2-terminal fragment from DMP1 occurs as a proteoglycan. Amino acid sequence alignment analysis showed that the Ser74-Gly75 dipeptide and its flanking regions are highly conserved among a wide range of species from caiman to the Homo sapiens, indicating that this glycosaminoglycan attachment domain has survived an extremely long period of evolution pressure, suggesting that the glycosaminoglycan may be critical for the basic biological functions of DMP1.

  3. Health related quality of life and comorbidity. A descriptive analysis comparing EQ-5D dimensions of patients in the German disease management program for type 2 diabetes and patients in routine care.

    PubMed

    Ose, Dominik; Miksch, Antje; Urban, Elisabeth; Natanzon, Iris; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Kunz, Cornelia Ursula; Freund, Tobias

    2011-08-02

    The co-occurance of multiple medical conditions has a negative impact on health related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with type 2 diabetes. These patients demand for intensified care programs. Participation in a disease management program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes has shown to counterbalance this effect. However, it remains unclear which dimensions of HRQoL are influenced by the DMP. The aim of this study was to explore the HRQoL dimensions of patients with type 2 diabetes in the German DMP and patients in routine care (RC). This analysis is part of a comparative evaluation of the German DMP for patients with type 2 diabetes. A questionnaire, including the HRQoL measure EQ-5D, was mailed to a random sample of 3,546 patients with type 2 diabetes (59.3% female). The EQ-5D dimensions were analyzed by grouping patients according to their participation in the German DMP for diabetes into DMP and RC. Compared to patients in DMP, patients in RC reported more problems for the dimensions mobility (P < 0.05), self care (P < 0.05) and performing usual activities (P < 0.01). Depending on the number of other conditions, remarkable differences for reporting "no problems" exist for patients with six or more comorbid conditions regarding the dimensions mobility (RC = 8.7%, DMP = 32.3%), self care (RC = 43.5%, DMP = 64.5%), usual activities (RC = 13.0%, DMP = 33.9%) and anxiety or depression (RC = 37.0%, DMP = 48.4%). Patients participating in the German DMP for type 2 diabetes mellitus show significantly higher ratings of their HRQoL in the dimensions mobility, self care and performing usual activities compared to patients in RC. This difference can also be observed in patients with significant comorbidities. As these dimensions are known to be essential for diabetes care, the German DMP may contribute to improved care even for comorbid diabetes patients.

  4. Health related quality of life and comorbidity. A descriptive analysis comparing EQ-5D dimensions of patients in the German disease management program for type 2 diabetes and patients in routine care

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The co-occurance of multiple medical conditions has a negative impact on health related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with type 2 diabetes. These patients demand for intensified care programs. Participation in a disease management program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes has shown to counterbalance this effect. However, it remains unclear which dimensions of HRQoL are influenced by the DMP. The aim of this study was to explore the HRQoL dimensions of patients with type 2 diabetes in the German DMP and patients in routine care (RC). Methods This analysis is part of a comparative evaluation of the German DMP for patients with type 2 diabetes. A questionnaire, including the HRQoL measure EQ-5D, was mailed to a random sample of 3,546 patients with type 2 diabetes (59.3% female). The EQ-5D dimensions were analyzed by grouping patients according to their participation in the German DMP for diabetes into DMP and RC. Results Compared to patients in DMP, patients in RC reported more problems for the dimensions mobility (P < 0.05), self care (P < 0.05) and performing usual activities (P < 0.01). Depending on the number of other conditions, remarkable differences for reporting "no problems" exist for patients with six or more comorbid conditions regarding the dimensions mobility (RC = 8.7%, DMP = 32.3%), self care (RC = 43.5%, DMP = 64.5%), usual activities (RC = 13.0%, DMP = 33.9%) and anxiety or depression (RC = 37.0%, DMP = 48.4%). Conclusion Patients participating in the German DMP for type 2 diabetes mellitus show significantly higher ratings of their HRQoL in the dimensions mobility, self care and performing usual activities compared to patients in RC. This difference can also be observed in patients with significant comorbidities. As these dimensions are known to be essential for diabetes care, the German DMP may contribute to improved care even for comorbid diabetes patients. PMID:21810241

  5. Continental bottled water assessment by stir bar sorptive extraction followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS/MS).

    PubMed

    Guart, Albert; Calabuig, Ignacio; Lacorte, Silvia; Borrell, Antonio

    2014-02-01

    This study was aimed to determine the presence of 69 organic contaminants in 77 representative bottled waters collected from 27 countries all over the world. All water samples were contained in polyethylene terephthalate bottles. Target compounds were (1) environmental contaminants (including 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 31 pesticides including organochlorine (OCPs), organophosphorus, and pyrethroids; 7 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); and 7 triazines) and (2) plasticizers (including 6 phthalates and 5 other compounds). Samples were analyzed by stir bar sorptive extraction followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. PAHs, OCPs, PCBs, and triazines, which are indicators of groundwater pollution, were not detected in most of the samples, except for naphthalene (0.005-0.202 μg/L, n = 16). On the other hand, plastic components were detected in 77 % of the samples. Most frequently detected compounds were dimethyl phthalate and benzophenone at concentrations of 0.005-0.125 (n = 41) and 0.014-0.921 (n = 32), respectively. Levels detected are discussed in terms of contamination origin and geographical distribution. Target compounds were detected at low concentrations. Results obtained showed the high quality of bottled water in the different countries around the world.

  6. No selection, but higher satisfaction of people participating in the disease management programme diabetes type 2 in Germany.

    PubMed

    Kellner, Christiane; Kuniss, Nadine; Kloos, Christof; Müller, Ulrich Alfons; Müller, Nicolle

    2018-04-01

    We analysed metabolic control, complications and satisfaction in people with and without DMP participation. We retrospectively analysed the German data of the GUIDANCE study. The general practices included (n = 38) were selected from the physicians' register of the Thuringian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. Half of the practices (n = 19) participated in the DMP "Diabetes mellitus type 2". Nine hundred and fifty-nine people were included in the analysis. Of these, 541 (56.4%) were enrolled in the DMP and 418 (43.6%) not. There was no difference between the two groups (DMP vs. no DMP) regarding age (67.8 vs. 67.6y), gender (female 50.6 vs. 52.2%), diabetes duration (9.8 vs. 9.5y), BMI (31.3 vs. 30.7 kg/m 2 ), HbA1c (7.2 vs. 7.2%), systolic blood pressure (139 vs. 140 mm Hg) or antihypertensive drug (89.5 vs. 88.8%). More DMP participants had regular screening of diabetic late complications: retinopathy 84.7 versus 69.9% (p < 0.001); polyneuropathy 93.0 versus 52.6% (p < 0.001). Chronic kidney disease was more frequent in DMP participants (15.0 vs. 9.3%, p = 0.005). Treatment satisfaction was higher in participants enrolled in the DMP (31.1 vs. 30.0; p = 0.002). DMP participants do not exhibit positive selection. Process quality and treatment satisfaction are higher in DMP participants.

  7. [Disease management programs in Germany: Validity of the medical documentation].

    PubMed

    Linder, R; Horenkamp-Sonntag, D; Engel, S; Köppel, D; Heilmann, T; Verheyen, F

    2014-01-01

    The specific documentation for disease management programs (DMP) in Germany with respect to § 137 Social Code Book V is the basis for evaluating the DMP. DMP run up costs of the order of a billion euro without assessing evidence-based benefit so far. Aim of this study was to question if and to which extent this documentation may be suitable for reliable quality assurance in its present form. Data of nearly 300000 insured persons of a German Statutory Health Insurance (Techniker Krankenkasse, TK) which were continuously registered from July 1st 2009 until December 31st 2010 in a DMP were analyzed. We analyzed how items which were components of claims data and of DMP documentation were matched. With regard to prescriptions there were some considerable differences. Prescription of glibenclamid was documented twice as frequently in the DMP documentation compared to prescriptions filled in pharmacies. Only a fraction of emergency hospitalizations documented in the claims data were found in the DMP documentation. Investigations of the fundus oculi for diabetics are mentioned three times more frequently in the DMP documentation than they are accounted by ophthalmologists. There are considerable differences between claims data and DMP specific documentation. The latter shows a plainly reduced validity for investigated fields in the documentation forms. Reasons for this are manifold. Former evaluations of DM Ps carried out just on the basis of DMP documentation are thus highly questionable. Therefore, the DMPs themselves and their documentation have to be reformed. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  8. Solubility enhancement of a bisnaphthalimide tumoricidal agent, DMP 840, through complexation.

    PubMed

    Raghavan, K S; Nemeth, G A; Gray, D B; Hussain, M A

    1996-10-01

    The purpose of this research was to enhance the aqueous solubility of DMP 840 by complexation with water-soluble and nontoxic agents, and to understand the nature of the interactions involved in complex formation using nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). The solubility of DMP 840 in water, saline, acetate buffers, and cosolvent mixtures was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the effect of nicotinamide and pyridoxine concentrations on the solubility of DMP 840 was examined by the phase solubility method. 1H-NMR spectra were acquired in deuterated acetate buffer at 400 MHz on a Varian Unity-400 spectrometer. The aqueous solubility of DMP 840 was sensitive to the presence of chloride and acetate anions in solution, and did not improve in the presence of cosolvents. The use of the nontoxic and water-soluble complex-forming agents nicotinamide and pyridoxine, however, resulted in a linear increase in the aqueous solubility of DMP 840 with both ligands. The solubilization appears to be due to formation of 1:1 complexes between DMP 840 and the bioorganic ligands. The complexation constants were 15.57 M-1 for the DMP 840:nicotinamide complex and 13.36 M-1 for the DMP 840:pyridoxine complex. The NMR results indicate that the interaction is a result of vertical or plane-to-plane stacking and the complexation constants were in agreement with that obtained by phase solubility. The results suggest that the aqueous solubility of a poorly water soluble drug substance such as DMP 840 can be significantly enhanced by its complexation with water-soluble and nontoxic agents.

  9. Determination of alkylphenols and phthalate esters in vegetables and migration studies from their packages by means of stir bar sorptive extraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Cacho, J I; Campillo, N; Viñas, P; Hernández-Córdoba, M

    2012-06-08

    This paper describes a method for the determination of three alkylphenols (APs), 4-tert-octylphenol (tOP), 4-n-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP), and six phthalate esters (PEs), dimethylphthalate (DMP), diethylphthalate (DEP), di-n-butylphthalate (DBP), n-butylbenzylphthalate (BBP), di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octylphthalate (DOP), in vegetables using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) in combination with thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Ultrasonic radiation was used to extract the analytes from the solid food matrix, and the extract obtained was preconcentrated by SBSE. The different parameters affecting both stages were carefully optimized. The method was applied to analyze commercial vegetables, in the form of plastic packed salads and canned greens, as well as the corresponding filling liquids of the canned food. Quantification of the samples was carried out against aqueous standards using an internal standard (anthracene). The analysis of a 2 g vegetable sample provided detection limits between 12.7 and 105.8 pg g⁻¹ for OP and DEHP, respectively. Migration studies from the plastic packages of the vegetables samples analyzed were carried out. DEP, DBP and DEHP were found to have migrated from the bags to the simulant and the same compounds were quantified in lettuce, corn salad, arugula, parsley and chard, at concentration levels in the 8-51 ng g⁻¹ range. However, OP and NP were found in only two vegetable samples and one filling liquid, but neither was detected in any package. The proposed method provided recoveries of 83-118%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Selective enrollment in Disease Management Programs for coronary heart disease in Germany - An analysis based on cross-sectional survey and administrative claims data.

    PubMed

    Röttger, Julia; Blümel, Miriam; Busse, Reinhard

    2017-04-04

    In 2002, Disease Management Programs (DMPs) were introduced within the German healthcare system with the aim to increase the quality of chronic disease care. Due to the enrollment procedures, it can be assumed a) that only certain patients actively decide to enroll in a DMP and/or b) that only certain patients get the recommendation for DMP enrollment from their physician. How strong this assumed effect of self- and/or professional selection is, is still unclear. We used data from a cross-sectional postal-survey linked on individual level with administrative claims data from a German sickness fund. The sample consisted of individuals suffering from coronary heart disease (CHD) who i) were either enrolled in the respective DMP or ii) fulfilled the disease related criteria for enrollment but were not enrolled. We applied multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess factors on patient level associated with DMP enrollment. We included 7070 individuals in our analyses. Male sex, higher age and receiving old age pension, a higher Charlson Score and a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes increased the odds for DMP-CHD enrollment significantly. Individuals with a diagnosed myocardial infarction (MI) were also more likely to be enrolled in the DMP-CHD. We found a significant interaction effect for MI and sex, indicating that the association between MI and DMP enrollment is stronger for women than for men. DMP-enrollees and non-enrollees differ in various factors. Studies analyzing the effectiveness of DMP-CHD should carefully take into account these group differences. Furthermore, the results suggest that the DMP-CHD assessed reaches men better than women.

  11. Population-Based Biomonitoring of Exposure to Organophosphate and Pyrethroid Pesticides in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Jacobson, J. Bryan; Kass, Daniel; Barr, Dana Boyd; Davis, Mark; Calafat, Antonia M.; Aldous, Kenneth M.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Organophosphates and pyrethroids are the most common classes of insecticides used in the United States. Widespread use of these compounds to control building infestations in New York City (NYC) may have caused higher exposure than in less-urban settings. Objectives: The objectives of our study were to estimate pesticide exposure reference values for NYC and identify demographic and behavioral characteristics that predict exposures. Methods: The NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was a population-based, cross-sectional study conducted in 2004 among adults ≥ 20 years of age. It measured urinary concentrations of organophosphate metabolites [dimethylphosphate (DMP), dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP), dimethyldithiophosphate, diethylphosphate, diethylthiophosphate, and diethyldithiophosphate] in 883 participants, and pyrethroid metabolites [3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (trans-DCCA), 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid, and cis-3-(2,2-dibromovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid] in 1,452 participants. We used multivariable linear regression to estimate least-squares geometric mean total dialkylphospate (ΣDAP) and 3-PBA concentrations across categories of predictors. Results: The dimethyl organophosphate metabolites had the highest 95th percentile concentrations (87.4 μg/L and 74.7 μg/L for DMP and DMTP, respectively). The highest 95th percentiles among pyrethroid metabolites were measured for 3-PBA and trans-DCCA (5.23 μg/L and 5.94 μg/L, respectively). Concentrations of ΣDAP increased with increasing age, non-Hispanic white or black compared with Hispanic race/ethnicity, professional pesticide use, and increasing frequency of fruit consumption; they decreased with non-green vegetable consumption. Absolute differences in geometric mean urinary 3-PBA concentrations across categories of predictors were too small to be meaningful. Conclusion: Estimates of exposure to pyrethroids and dimethyl organophosphates were higher in NYC than in the United States overall, underscoring the importance of considering pest and pesticide burdens in cities when formulating pesticide use regulations. Citation: McKelvey W, Jacobson JB, Kass D, Barr DB, Davis M, Calafat AM, Aldous KM. 2013. Population-based biomonitoring of exposure to organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides in New York City. Environ Health Perspect 121:1349–1356; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206015 PMID:24076605

  12. Synthesis, electrochemical, structural, spectroscopic and biological activities of mixed ligand copper (II) complexes with 2-{[(Z)-(5-bromo-2-hydroxyphenyl)methylidene]amino}benzoic acid and nitrogenous bases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choudhary, Mukesh; Patel, R. N.; Rawat, S. P.

    2014-02-01

    Three new copper (II) complexes viz. [Cu(L1)(bipy)]ṡ2H2O 1, [Cu(L1)(dmp)]ṡCH3CN 2, [Cu(L1)(phen)] 3 where L1H2 = 2-{[(Z)-(5-bromo-2-hydroxyphenyl)methylidene]amino}benzoic acid, bipy = 2,2‧-bipyridine; dmp = 2,9-dimethyl 1,10-phenanthroline, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline have been synthesized and characterized by physic-chemical and spectroscopic methods. The solid-state structures of 1 and 2 were determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography, which revealed distorted square pyramidal geometry. In solid-state structure, 1 is self-assembled via intermolecular π…π stacking and the distances between centroids of aromatic ring is 3.525 Å. L1H2 is a diprotic tridentate Schiff base ligand having ONO donor site. Infrared spectra, ligand field spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements agree with the observed crystal structures. The EPR spectra of these complexes in frozen DMSO solutions showed a single at g ca. 2. The trend in g-value (g|| > g⊥ > 2.0023) suggests that the unpaired electron on copper (II) has d character. Copper (II) complexes 1-3 yielded an irreversible couple corresponding to the Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox process. Superoxide dismutase activity of all these complexes has been revealed to catalyze the dismutation of superoxide (O2-) and IC50 values were evaluated and discussed. Antimicrobial and antifungal activities of these complexes were also investigated.

  13. Effects of Canonical NF-κB Signaling Pathway on the Proliferation and Odonto/Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Stem Cells from Apical Papilla

    PubMed Central

    Li, Junjun; Yan, Ming; Wang, Zilu; Jing, Shuanglin; Li, Yao; Liu, Genxia; Yu, Jinhua; Fan, Zhipeng

    2014-01-01

    Background Information. NF-κB signaling pathway plays a complicated role in the biological functions of mesenchymal stem cells. However, the effects of NF-κB pathway on the odonto/osteogenic differentiation of stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs) remain unclear. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of canonical NF-κB pathway on the osteo/odontogenic capacity of SCAPs in vitro. Results. Western blot results demonstrated that NF-κB pathway in SCAPs was successfully activated by TNF-α or blocked by BMS-345541. NF-κB pathway-activated SCAPs presented a higher proliferation activity compared with control groups, as indicated by dimethyl-thiazol-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay (MTT) and flow cytometry assay (FCM). Wound scratch assay revealed that NF-κB pathway-activated SCAPs presented an improved migration capacity, enhanced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and upregulated mineralization capacity of SCAPs, as compared with control groups. Meanwhile, the odonto/osteogenic markers (ALP/ALP, RUNX2/RUNX2, OSX/OSX, OCN/OCN, OPN/OPN, BSP/BSP, DSPP/DSP, and DMP-1/DMP-1) in NF-κB pathway-activated SCAPs were also significantly upregulated as compared with control groups at both protein and mRNA levels. However, NF-κB pathway-inhibited SCAPs exhibited a lower proliferation/migration capacity, and decreased odonto/osteogenic ability in comparison with control groups. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that classical NF-κB pathway plays a paramount role in the proliferation and committed differentiation of SCAPs. PMID:24864235

  14. The (Re)-Relaunching of the DMP, the French Shared Medical Record: New Features to Improve Uptake and Use.

    PubMed

    Séroussi, Brigitte; Bouaud, Jacques

    2018-01-01

    Health care delivery for patients with chronic conditions is complex and confusing. Care is often fragmented, less effective, and sometimes harmful. Given the potential for EHRs and other health IT systems to facilitate information flow between providers, patients, and settings, health IT-based measures are of particular interest for care coordination. Health information exchange (HIE) has the potential to improve the quality of healthcare by enabling providers with better access to patient information from multiple sources at the point of care. However, many barriers to HIE use have been reported. Another solution relies on the implementation of a nationwide centralized framework of clinical information sharing with "new" secure online care records stored in specifically created platforms. The French DMP follows this model but the adoption of the tool has been historically poor. In 2016, a renovation of the DMP program was launched in nine pilot French departments and new features have been implemented: the DMP content has been fully specified, patients can create their DMP by themselves, DMPs are automatically filled in by data claims, a mobile app has been developed, and technical issues about DMP and EHRs interoperability have been resolved. In October 2017, over 900,000 people have a DMP with an average new DMP being created every minute. These results have to be confirmed in 2018 when the new DMP will be deployed on the whole French territory.

  15. Dmp1-deficient Mice Display Severe Defects in Cartilage Formation Responsible for a Chondrodysplasia-like Phenotype*

    PubMed Central

    Ye, Ling; Mishina, Yuji; Chen, Di; Huang, Haiyang; Dallas, Sarah L.; Dallas, Mark R.; Sivakumar, Pitchumani; Kunieda, Tetsuo; Tsutsui, Takeo W.; Boskey, Adele; Bonewald, Lynda F.; Feng, Jian Q.

    2009-01-01

    Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which cartilage formation is regulated is essential toward understanding the physiology of both embryonic bone development and postnatal bone growth. Although much is known about growth factor signaling in cartilage formation, the regulatory role of noncollagenous matrix proteins in this process are still largely unknown. In the present studies, we present evidence for a critical role of DMP1 (dentin matrix protein 1) in postnatal chondrogenesis. The Dmp1 gene was originally identified from a rat incisor cDNA library and has been shown to play an important role in late stage dentinogenesis. Whereas no apparent abnormalities were observed in prenatal bone development, Dmp1-deficient (Dmp1−/−) mice unexpectedly develop a severe defect in cartilage formation during postnatal chondrogenesis. Vertebrae and long bones in Dmp1-deficient (Dmp1−/−) mice are shorter and wider with delayed and malformed secondary ossification centers and an irregular and highly expanded growth plate, results of both a highly expanded proliferation and a highly expanded hypertrophic zone creating a phenotype resembling dwarfism with chondrodysplasia. This phenotype appears to be due to increased cell proliferation in the proliferating zone and reduced apoptosis in the hypertrophic zone. In addition, blood vessel invasion is impaired in the epiphyses of Dmp1−/− mice. These findings show that DMP1 is essential for normal postnatal chondrogenesis and subsequent osteogenesis. PMID:15590631

  16. Increasing specialty care access through use of an innovative home telehealth-based spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP)

    PubMed Central

    Seton, Jacinta M.; Washington, Monique; Tomlinson, Suk C.; Phrasavath, Douangmala; Farrell, Karen R.; Goldstein, Barry

    2016-01-01

    Background A spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP) was developed to address the unique medical, physical, functional, and psychosocial needs of those living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). The SCI DMP was piloted to evaluate DMP clinical content and to identify issues for broader implementation across the Veterans Affairs (VA) SCI System of Care. Methods Thirty-three patients with SCI/D from four VA SCI centers participated in a 6-month pilot. Patients received customized SCI DMP questions through a data messaging device (DMD). Nurse home telehealth care coordinators (HTCC) monitored responses and addressed clinical alerts daily. One site administered the Duke Severity of Illness (DUSOI) Checklist and Short Form-8 (SF-8™) to evaluate the changes in comorbidity severity and health-related quality of life while on the SCI DMP. Results Patients remained enrolled an average of 116 days, with a mean response rate of 56%. The average distance between patient's home and their VA SCI center was 59 miles. Feedback on SCI DMP content and the DMD included requests for additional clinical topics, changes in administration frequency, and adapting the DMD for functional impairments. Improvement in clinical outcomes was seen in a subset of patients enrolled on the SCI DMP. Conclusion SCI HTCCs and patients reported that the program was most beneficial for newly injured patients recently discharged from acute rehabilitation that live far from specialty SCI care facilities. SCI DMP content changes and broader implementation strategies are currently being evaluated based on lessons learned from the pilot. PMID:24617497

  17. Costs and outcomes of the German disease management programme (DMP) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-A large population-based cohort study.

    PubMed

    Achelrod, Dmitrij; Welte, Tobias; Schreyögg, Jonas; Stargardt, Tom

    2016-09-01

    To curb costs and improve health outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a nationwide disease management programme (DMP) was introduced in Germany in 2005. Yet, its effectiveness has not been comprehensively evaluated. To examine the effects of the German COPD DMP over three years on costs and health resource utilisation from the payer perspective, process quality, morbidity and mortality. A retrospective, population-based cohort study design is applied, using administrative data. After eliminating differences in observable characteristics between the DMP and the control group with entropy balancing, difference-in-difference estimators were computed to account for time-invariant unobservable heterogeneity. 215,104 individuals were included into the analysis of whom 25,269 were enrolled in the DMP. DMP patients had a reduced mortality hazard ratio (0.89, 95%CI: 0.84-0.94) but incurred excess costs of €553 per year. DMP enrolees reveal higher healthcare utilisation with larger shares of individuals being hospitalised (3.14%), consulting an outpatient clinic due to exacerbations (11.13%) and pharmaceutical prescriptions (2.78). However, average length of hospitalisation due to COPD fell by 0.49 days, adherence to medication guidelines as well as indicators for morbidity improved. The German COPD DMP achieved significant improvements in mortality, morbidity and process quality, but at higher costs. Given the low ICER per life year gained, DMP COPD may constitute a cost-effective option to promote COPD population health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Increasing specialty care access through use of an innovative home telehealth-based spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP).

    PubMed

    Woo, Christine; Seton, Jacinta M; Washington, Monique; Tomlinson, Suk C; Phrasavath, Douangmala; Farrell, Karen R; Goldstein, Barry

    2016-01-01

    A spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP) was developed to address the unique medical, physical, functional, and psychosocial needs of those living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). The SCI DMP was piloted to evaluate DMP clinical content and to identify issues for broader implementation across the Veterans Affairs (VA) SCI System of Care. Thirty-three patients with SCI/D from four VA SCI centers participated in a 6-month pilot. Patients received customized SCI DMP questions through a data messaging device (DMD). Nurse home telehealth care coordinators (HTCC) monitored responses and addressed clinical alerts daily. One site administered the Duke Severity of Illness (DUSOI) Checklist and Short Form-8 (SF-8™) to evaluate the changes in comorbidity severity and health-related quality of life while on the SCI DMP. Patients remained enrolled an average of 116 days, with a mean response rate of 56%. The average distance between patient's home and their VA SCI center was 59 miles. Feedback on SCI DMP content and the DMD included requests for additional clinical topics, changes in administration frequency, and adapting the DMD for functional impairments. Improvement in clinical outcomes was seen in a subset of patients enrolled on the SCI DMP. SCI HTCCs and patients reported that the program was most beneficial for newly injured patients recently discharged from acute rehabilitation that live far from specialty SCI care facilities. SCI DMP content changes and broader implementation strategies are currently being evaluated based on lessons learned from the pilot.

  19. Genome-wide identification of chromatin-enriched RNA reveals that unspliced dentin matrix protein-1 mRNA regulates cell proliferation in squamous cell carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Shigeki; Hoshino, Hiroaki; Yoshida, Kazuma; Nakanishi, Jun; Tsuchiya-Hirata, Shizu; Kobuke, Seiji; Haruyama, Naoto; Nishimura, Fusanori; Shiba, Hideki

    2018-01-15

    Chromatin-enriched noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as key molecules in epigenetic processes by interacting with chromatin-associated proteins. Recently, protein-coding mRNA genes have been reported to be chromatin-tethered, similar with ncRNA. However, very little is known about whether chromatin-enriched mRNA is involved in the chromatin modification process. Here, we comprehensively examined chromatin-enriched RNA in squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) cells by RNA subcellular localization analysis, which was a combination of RNA fractionation and RNA-seq. We identified 11 mRNAs as highly chromatin-enriched RNAs. Among these, we focused on the dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1) gene because its expression in SQCC cells has not been reported. Furthermore, we clarified that DMP-1 mRNA was retained in chromatin in its unspliced form in SQCC in vitro and in vivo. As the inhibition of the unspliced DMP-1 mRNA (unspDMP-1) expression resulted in decreased cellular proliferation in SQCC cells, we performed ChIP-qPCR to identify cell cycle-related genes whose expression was epigenetically modified by unspDMP-1, and found that the CDKN1B promoter became active in SQCC cells by inhibiting unspDMP-1 expression. This result was further validated by the increased CDKN1B gene expression in the cells treated with siRNA for unspDMP-1 and by restoration of the decreased cellular proliferation rate by simultaneously inhibiting CDKN1B expression in SQCC cells. Further, to examine whether unspDMP-1 was able to associate with the CDKN1B promoter region, SQCC cells stably expressing PP7-mCherry fusion protein were transiently transfected with the unspDMP-1 fused to 24 repeats of the PP7 RNA stem loop (unspDMP-1-24xPP7) and we found that unspDMP-1-24xPP7 was efficiently precipitated with the antibody against mCherry and was significantly enriched in the CDKN1B promoter region. Thus, unspDMP-1 is a novel chromatin-enriched RNA that epigenetically regulates cellular proliferation of SQCC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. The corrosion mechanism of the sintered (Ce, Nd)-Fe-B magnets prepared by double main phase and single main phase approaches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Xiaoning; Zhu, Minggang; Zhou, Dong; Song, Liwei; Guo, Zhaohui; Li, Jia; Li, Wei

    2018-05-01

    The sintered (Ce, Nd)-Fe-B magnets were produced widely by Double Main Phase (DMP) method in China as the magnetic properties of the DMP magnets are superior to those of single main phase (SMP) magnets with the same nominal composition. In this work, the microstructure and corrosion mechanism of the sintered (Ce0.2Nd0.8)30FebalB (wt.%) magnets prepared by DMP and SMP method were studied in detail. Compared to SMP magnets, the DMP magnets have more positive corrosion potential, lower corrosion current density, larger electron transfer resistance, and lower mass loss of the free corrosion experiment in 0.5mol/l Na2SO4 aqueous solution. All of the results show that the DMP magnets have better corrosion resistance than SMP magnets. The back scattered electron images show that the crystalline grains of the DMP magnets are sphericity with a smooth surface while the SMP ones have plenty of edges and corners. Besides, the distribution of Ce/Nd is much more uneven in both magnetic phase and rare earth (Re)-rich phase of the DMP magnets than those of SMP magnets. After corrosion, DMP magnets show eroded magnetic phase and intact Re-rich phase, which indicate that galvanic corrosion of the Re-rich phase acting as the cathode appears.

  1. [Health locus of control of patients in disease management programmes].

    PubMed

    Schnee, M; Grikscheit, F

    2013-06-01

    Health locus of control beliefs plays a major role in improving self-management skills of the chronically ill - a main goal in disease management programmes (DMP). This study aims at characterising participants in disease management regarding their health locus of control. Data are based on 4 cross-sectional postal surveys between spring and autumn of 2006 and 2007 within the Health Care Monitor of the Bertelsmann Foundation. Among the 6 285 respondents, 1 266 are chronically ill and not enrolled in a DMP and 327 are participating in a DMP. A high internal locus of control (HLC) occurs significantly less often in DMP patients than in normal chronically ill patients (and healthy people) controlling for age, gender and social class. With increasing age, a high internal locus of control is also significantly less likely. When comparing healthy people, the chronically ill and the DMP participants a social gradient of a high internal locus of control belief can be observed. The weaker internal and higher doctor-related external locus of control of DMP participants should be carefully observed by the physician when trying to strengthen the patients' self-management skills. Evaluators of DMP should take into account the different baselines of DMP patients and relevant control groups and incorporate these differences into the evaluation. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  2. Single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry for the detection and identification of chemical warfare agent simulants.

    PubMed

    Martin, Audrey N; Farquar, George R; Frank, Matthias; Gard, Eric E; Fergenson, David P

    2007-08-15

    Single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) was used for the real-time detection of liquid nerve agent simulants. A total of 1000 dual-polarity time-of-flight mass spectra were obtained for micrometer-sized single particles each of dimethyl methyl phosphonate, diethyl ethyl phosphonate, diethyl phosphoramidate, and diethyl phthalate using laser fluences between 0.58 and 7.83 nJ/microm2, and mass spectral variation with laser fluence was studied. The mass spectra obtained allowed identification of single particles of the chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulants at each laser fluence used although lower laser fluences allowed more facile identification. SPAMS is presented as a promising real-time detection system for the presence of CWAs.

  3. Dentin matrix protein 1 and phosphate homeostasis are critical for postnatal pulp, dentin and enamel formation

    PubMed Central

    Rangiani, Afsaneh; Cao, Zheng-Guo; Liu, Ying; Voisey Rodgers, Anika; Jiang, Yong; Qin, Chun-Lin; Feng, Jian-Quan

    2012-01-01

    Deletion or mutation of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) leads to hypophosphatemic rickets and defects within the dentin. However, it is largely unknown if this pathological change is a direct role of DMP1 or an indirect role of phosphate (Pi) or both. It has also been previously shown that Klotho-deficient mice, which displayed a high Pi level due to a failure of Pi excretion, causes mild defects in the dentinal structure. This study was to address the distinct roles of DMP1 and Pi homeostasis in cell differentiation, apoptosis and mineralization of dentin and enamel. Our working hypothesis was that a stable Pi homeostasis is critical for postnatal tooth formation, and that DMP1 has an antiapoptotic role in both amelogenesis and dentinogenesis. To test this hypothesis, Dmp1-null (Dmp1−/−), Klotho-deficient (kl/kl), Dmp1/Klotho-double-deficient (Dmp1−/−/kl/kl) and wild-type (WT) mice were killed at the age of 6 weeks. Combinations of X-ray, microcomputed tomography (μCT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), histology, apoptosis and immunohistochemical methods were used for characterization of dentin, enamel and pulp structures in these mutant mice. Our results showed that Dmp1−/− (a low Pi level) or kl/kl (a high Pi level) mice displayed mild dentin defects such as thin dentin and a reduction of dentin tubules. Neither deficient mouse line exhibited any apparent changes in enamel or pulp structure. However, the double-deficient mice (a high Pi level) displayed severe defects in dentin and enamel structures, including loss of dentinal tubules and enamel prisms, as well as unexpected ectopic ossification within the pulp root canal. TUNEL assay showed a sharp increase in apoptotic cells in ameloblasts and odontoblasts. Based on the above findings, we conclude that DMP1 has a protective role for odontoblasts and ameloblasts in a pro-apoptotic environment (a high Pi level). PMID:23258378

  4. Loss of DMP1 causes rickets and osteomalacia and identifies a role for osteocytes in mineral metabolism

    PubMed Central

    Feng, Jian Q; Ward, Leanne M; Liu, Shiguang; Lu, Yongbo; Xie, Yixia; Yuan, Baozhi; Yu, Xijie; Rauch, Frank; Davis, Siobhan I; Zhang, Shubin; Rios, Hector; Drezner, Marc K; Quarles, L Darryl; Bonewald, Lynda F; White, Kenneth E

    2007-01-01

    The osteocyte, a terminally differentiated cell comprising 90%–95% of all bone cells1,2, may have multiple functions, including acting as a mechanosensor in bone (re)modeling3. Dentin matrix protein 1 (encoded by DMP1) is highly expressed in osteocytes4 and, when deleted in mice, results in a hypomineralized bone phenotype5. We investigated the potential for this gene not only to direct skeletal mineralization but also to regulate phosphate (Pi) homeostasis. Both Dmp1- null mice and individuals with a newly identified disorder, autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets, manifest rickets and osteomalacia with isolated renal phosphate-wasting associated with elevated fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels and normocalciuria. Mutational analyses showed that autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets family carried a mutation affecting the DMP1 start codon, and a second family carried a 7-bp deletion disrupting the highly conserved DMP1 C terminus. Mechanistic studies using Dmp1-null mice demonstrated that absence of DMP1 results in defective osteocyte maturation and increased FGF23 expression, leading to pathological changes in bone mineralization. Our findings suggest a bone-renal axis that is central to guiding proper mineral metabolism. PMID:17033621

  5. MMP2-cleavage of DMP1 generates a bioactive peptide promoting differentiation of dental pulp stem/progenitor cell.

    PubMed

    Chaussain, Catherine; Eapen, Asha Sarah; Huet, Eric; Floris, Caroline; Ravindran, Sriram; Hao, Jianjun; Menashi, Suzanne; George, Anne

    2009-11-12

    Dentin Matrix Protein 1 (DMP1) plays a regulatory role in dentin mineralization and can also function as a signaling molecule. MMP-2 (matrix metalloproteinase-2) is a predominant protease in the dentin matrix that plays a prominent role in tooth formation and a potential role during the carious process. The possibility that MMP-2 can cleave DMP1 to release biologically active peptides was investigated in this study. DMP1, both in the recombinant form and in its native state within the dentin matrix, was shown to be a substrate for MMP-2. Proteolytic processing of DMP1 by MMP-2 produced two major peptides, one that contains the C-terminal region of the protein known to carry both the ASARM (aspartic acid and serine rich domain) domain involved in biomineralization and the DNA binding site of DMP1. In vitro experiments with recombinant N- and C-terminal polypeptides mimicking the MMP-2 cleavage products of DMP1 demonstrated an effect of the C-polypeptide on the differentiation of dental pulp stem/progenitor cells to a putative odontoblast phenotype. In vivo implantation of this peptide in a rat injured pulp model induced a rapid formation of a homogeneous dentin bridge covered by a palisade of orientated cells expressing dentin sialoprotein (DSP) and DMP1, attesting an efficient repair process. These data suggest that a peptide generated through the proteolytic processing of DMP1 by MMP-2 can regulate the differentiation of mesenchymal cells during dentinogenesis and thus sustain reparative dentin formation in pathological situations such as carious decay. In addition, these data open a new therapeutic possibility of using this peptide to regenerate dentin after an injury.

  6. Analysing horizontal equity in enrolment in Disease Management Programmes for coronary heart disease in Germany 2008-2010.

    PubMed

    Bozorgmehr, Kayvan; San Sebastian, Miguel; Brenner, Hermann; Razum, Oliver; Maier, Werner; Saum, Kai-Uwe; Holleczek, Bernd; Miksch, Antje; Szecsenyi, Joachim

    2015-03-10

    Disease Management Programmes (DMPs) have been introduced in Germany ten years ago with the aim to improve effectiveness and equity of care, but little is known about the degree to which enrolment in the programme meets the principles of equity in health care. We aimed to analyse horizontal equity in DMP enrolment among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Cross-sectional analysis of horizontal inequities in physician-reported enrolment in the DMP for CHD in a large population-based cohort-study in Germany (2008-2010). We calculated horizontal inequity indices (HII) and their 95% confidence intervals [95%CI] for predicted need-standardised DMP enrolment across two measures of socio-economic status (SES) (educational attainment, regional deprivation) stratified by sex. Need-standardised DMP enrolment was predicted in multi-level logistic regression models. Among N = 1,280 individuals aged 55-84 years and diagnosed with CHD, DMP enrolment rates were 22.2% (women) and 35.0% (men). Education-related inequities in need-standardised DMP enrolment favoured groups with lower education, but HII estimates were not significant. Deprivation-related inequities among women significantly favoured groups with higher SES (HII = 0.086 [0.007 ; 0.165]. No such deprivation-related inequities were seen among men (HII = 0.014 [-0.048 ; 0.077]). Deprivation-related inequities across the whole population favoured groups with higher SES (HII estimates not significant). Need-standardised DMP enrolment was fairly equitable across educational levels. Deprivation-related inequities in DMP enrolment favoured women living in less deprived areas relative to those living in areas with higher deprivation. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to deprivation-related horizontal inequities in DMP enrolment among women.

  7. Elimination of the azeotropic point of acetone and methanol by 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate: an ab initio calculation study.

    PubMed

    Yu, Guangren; Liu, Xiaomin; Zhang, Xiaochun; Chen, Xiaochun; Liu, Zhiping; Abdeltawab, Ahmed A

    2017-03-01

    1,3-Dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate ([C 1 mim][DMP]) was observed experimentally to be able to eliminate the atmospheric azeotropic point of acetone and methanol, which is an important azeotrope generally encountered in furfural production and the Fischer-Tropsch process. Here, we employed ab initio calculation to understand the underlying mechanism of [C 1 mim][DMP] in eliminating the azeotropic point of acetone and methanol. Structure, energy and interaction in binary-, ternary- and quaternary-clusters composed of methanol, acetone, [C 1 mim] + or/and [DMP]‾ were calculated. The σ-hole, AIM and NBO analyses were performed to understand intermolecular interaction with electron density, electron occupancy, charge transfer and molecular orbital interaction. Hydrogen bond interaction plays a key role in azeotropic point elimination; due to the much stronger hydrogen bond interaction between methanol and [C 1 mim][DMP] than that between acetone and [C 1 mim][DMP], [C 1 mim][DMP] prefers to interact with methanol rather than acetone, and the original interaction between methanol and acetone is separated by [C 1 mim][DMP]. The hydrogen bond is from the orbital interaction between O lone-pair-electron orbitals of the hydrogen bond acceptor and σ * (C-H) or σ * (O-H) anti-bonding orbitals of the hydrogen bond donor, where remarkable electron or charge transfer occurs. These theoretical calculation results are in agreement with the experimental observation that [C 1 mim][DMP] eliminates the azeotropic point of methanol and acetone. This work shows that ab initio calculation may be employed to rationalize the design or synthesis of ionic liquids for separating azeotropes. Graphical Abstract Elimination of azeotropic point of acetone and methanol by [C 1 mim][DMP].

  8. Electrochemical preparation of polyaniline-polypyrrole solid-phase microextraction coating and its application in the GC determination of several esters.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Shasha; Wu, Mian; Zhao, Faqiong; Zeng, Baizhao

    2013-12-15

    A novel polyaniline-polypyrrole (PANI-PPY) composite film coated stainless steel wire was prepared by cyclic voltammetry. Firstly, PANI was electrodeposited on a stainless steel wire from a solution containing 0.1 M aniline and 1M HNO3, after the PANI coating was dried in air PPY was electrodeposited on it from a solution containing 0.1 M pyrrole and 0.1 M p-methylbenzene sulfonic acid. The resulting PANI-PPY fiber showed reticulate structure and had large specific surface area. When it was used for the headspace solid-phase microextraction of several esters (i.e. methyl anthranilate, ethyl-o-aminobenzoate, dimethyl phthalate, methyl laurate, and diethyl phthalate), followed by gas chromatographic determination, it presented higher extraction capability in comparison with PPY and PANI coatings. Under the optimized conditions, the linear ranges were 0.07-300 μg L(-1) and the detection limits were 0.05-0.38 μg L(-1) for different esters. The PANI-PPY fiber also showed high durability, after being used for about 160 times its extraction capacity only changed a little. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of these esters in real samples and the recoveries were 90-102%. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. The NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal fragments of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) localize differently in the compartments of dentin and growth plate of bone.

    PubMed

    Maciejewska, Izabela; Cowan, Cameron; Svoboda, Kathy; Butler, William T; D'Souza, Rena; Qin, Chunlin

    2009-02-01

    Multiple studies have shown that dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is essential for bone and dentin mineralization. After post-translational proteolytic cleavage, DMP1 exists within the extracellular matrix of bone and dentin as an NH2-terminal fragment, a COOH-terminal fragment, and the proteoglycan form of the NH2-terminal fragment (DMP1-PG). To begin to assess the biological function of each fragment, we evaluated the distribution of both fragments in the rat tooth and bone using antibodies specific to the NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal regions of DMP1 and confocal microscopy. In rat first molar organs, the NH2-terminal fragment localized to predentin, whereas the COOH-terminal fragment was mainly restricted to mineralized dentin. In the growth plate of bone, the NH2-terminal fragment appeared in the proliferation and hypertrophic zones, whereas the COOH-terminal fragment occupied the ossification zone. Forster resonance energy transfer analysis showed colocalization of both fragments of DMP1 in odontoblasts and predentin, as well as hypertrophic chondrocytes within the growth plates of bone. The biochemical analysis of bovine teeth showed that predentin is rich in DMP1-PG, whereas mineralized dentin primarily contains the COOH-terminal fragment. We conclude that the differential patterns of expression of NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal fragments of DMP1 reflect their potentially distinct roles in the biomineralization of dentin and bone matrices.

  10. NGO initiatives in risk reduction: an overview.

    PubMed

    Benson, C; Twigg, J; Myers, M

    2001-09-01

    NGOs appear to be well placed to play a significant role in natural disaster mitigation and preparedness (DMP), working, as they do, with poorer and marginalised groups in society. However, there is little information on the scale or nature of NGO DMP activities. This paper reports the findings of a study seeking to address that gap. It confirms that NGOs are involved in a diverse range of DMP activities but that a number of them are not labelled as such. Moreover, evidence of the demonstrable quality and benefits of DMP involvement is poor. The paper concludes that a number of problems need to be overcome before DMP can be satisfactorily mainstreamed into NGO development and post-disaster rehabilitation programmes. However, there are some early indications of momentum for change.

  11. Treating colon cancer with a suicide gene delivered by self-assembled cationic MPEG-PCL micelles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duan, Xingmei; Wang, Pan; Men, Ke; Gao, Xiang; Huang, Meijuan; Gou, Maling; Chen, Lijuan; Qian, Zhiyong; Wei, Yuquan

    2012-03-01

    Biodegradable cationic micelles show promise for applications in gene delivery. In this article, we used DOTAP to modify monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (MPEG-PCL, MP) micelles in one step, creating novel cationic self-assembled DOTAP and MPEG-PCL hybrid micelles (DMP). These micelles had a mean particle size of 46 +/- 5.6 nm and a zeta potential of 41.8 +/- 0.5 mV, and had the capacity to bind DNA. Compared with PEI25K (the gold standard), DMP micelles had higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity. Moreover, we used DMP to deliver the Survivin-T34A gene (S-T34A, a suicide gene) to treat colon cancer. DMP delivered the Survivin-T34A gene (DMP/S-T34A) and could induce apoptosis in cancer cells, resulting in inhibition of the growth of C-26 colon cancer cells in vitro. An in vivo study indicated that intraperitoneal administration of DMP micelles delivered the Survivin-T34A gene and efficiently inhibited the growth of abdominal metastatic C-26 colon cancer and the malignant ascites. These data suggest that DMP may be a novel gene carrier, and its delivery of the S-T34A gene may have promising applications in the treatment of colon cancer.

  12. A novel nonsense mutation in the DMP1 gene in a Japanese family with autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets.

    PubMed

    Koshida, Ryusuke; Yamaguchi, Hideki; Yamasaki, Koji; Tsuchimochi, Wakaba; Yonekawa, Tadato; Nakazato, Masamitsu

    2010-09-01

    Autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets (ARHR) is an extremely rare disorder of autosomal recessive inheritance, characterized by hypophosphatemia resulting from renal phosphate wasting. Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1), a noncollagenous extracellular protein, plays critical roles in bone mineralization and phosphate homeostasis. Recently, loss-of-function mutations in DMP1 gene have been identified as the molecular cause of ARHR. Here, we describe a Japanese family that includes two ARHR-affected siblings carrying a novel mutation of the DMP1 gene. The patients were a 53-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man with short stature and skeletal deformities who were the offspring of a first-cousin marriage. Biochemical examination revealed hypophosphatemia with renal phosphate excretion and low levels of 1,25(OH)(2)D. Serum calcium, parathyroid hormone, and urinary calcium excretion were within the normal range, leading to clinical diagnosis of ARHR. Sequence analysis of peripheral leukocytes from the patients revealed that they carried a novel homozygous nonsense mutation in the DMP1 gene (98G>A, W33X), which leads to a truncated DMP protein with no putative biological function. Unaffected family members were heterozygous for the mutation. This is the first report of a Japanese family with ARHR carrying a novel mutation of the DMP1 gene.

  13. Pyrazine Analogues Are Active Components of Wolf Urine That Induce Avoidance and Freezing Behaviours in Mice

    PubMed Central

    Osada, Kazumi; Kurihara, Kenzo; Izumi, Hiroshi; Kashiwayanagi, Makoto

    2013-01-01

    Background The common grey wolf (Canis lupus) is found throughout the entire Northern hemisphere and preys on many kinds of mammals. The urine of the wolf contains a number of volatile constituents that can potentially be used for predator–prey chemosignalling. Although wolf urine is put to practical use to keep rabbits, rodents, deer and so on at bay, we are unaware of any prior behavioural studies or chemical analyses regarding the fear-inducing impact of wolf urine on laboratory mice. Methodology/Principal Findings Three wolf urine samples harvested at different times were used in this study. All of them induced stereotypical fear-associated behaviors (i.e., avoidance and freezing) in female mice. The levels of certain urinary volatiles varied widely among the samples. To identify the volatiles that provoked avoidance and freezing, behavioural, chemical, and immunohistochemical analyses were performed. One of the urine samples (sample C) had higher levels of 2,6-dimethylpyrazine (DMP), trimethylpyrazine (TMP), and 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethyl pyrazine (EDMP) compared with the other two urine samples (samples A and B). In addition, sample C induced avoidance and freezing behaviours more effectively than samples A and B. Moreover, only sample C led to pronounced expression of Fos-immunoreactive cells in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) of female mice. Freezing behaviour and Fos immunoreactivity were markedly enhanced when the mice were confronted with a mixture of purified DMP, TMP, and EDMP vs. any one pyrazine alone. Conclusions/Significance The current results suggest that wolf urinary volatiles can engender aversive and fear-related responses in mice. Pyrazine analogues were identified as the predominant active components among these volatiles to induce avoidance and freezing behaviours via stimulation of the murine AOB. PMID:23637901

  14. Application of acetone acetals as water scavengers and derivatization agents prior to the gas chromatographic analysis of polar residual solvents in aqueous samples.

    PubMed

    van Boxtel, Niels; Wolfs, Kris; Van Schepdael, Ann; Adams, Erwin

    2015-12-18

    The sensitivity of gas chromatography (GC) combined with the full evaporation technique (FET) for the analysis of aqueous samples is limited due to the maximum tolerable sample volume in a headspace vial. Using an acetone acetal as water scavenger prior to FET-GC analysis proved to be a useful and versatile tool for the analysis of high boiling analytes in aqueous samples. 2,2-Dimethoxypropane (DMP) was used in this case resulting in methanol and acetone as reaction products with water. These solvents are relatively volatile and were easily removed by evaporation enabling sample enrichment leading to 10-fold improvement in sensitivity compared to the standard 10μL FET sample volumes for a selection of typical high boiling polar residual solvents in water. This could be improved even further if more sample is used. The method was applied for the determination of residual NMP in an aqueous solution of a cefotaxime analogue and proved to be considerably better than conventional static headspace (sHS) and the standard FET approach. The methodology was also applied to determine trace amounts of ethylene glycol (EG) in aqueous samples like contact lens fluids, where scavenging of the water would avoid laborious extraction prior to derivatization. During this experiment it was revealed that DMP reacts quantitatively with EG to form 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane (2,2-DD) under the proposed reaction conditions. The relatively high volatility (bp 93°C) of 2,2-DD makes it possible to perform analysis of EG using the sHS methodology making additional derivatization reactions superfluous. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Heteroleptic copper(I) complexes prepared from phenanthroline and bis-phosphine ligands.

    PubMed

    Kaeser, Adrien; Mohankumar, Meera; Mohanraj, John; Monti, Filippo; Holler, Michel; Cid, Juan-José; Moudam, Omar; Nierengarten, Iwona; Karmazin-Brelot, Lydia; Duhayon, Carine; Delavaux-Nicot, Béatrice; Armaroli, Nicola; Nierengarten, Jean-François

    2013-10-21

    Preparation of [Cu(NN)(PP)](+) derivatives has been systematically investigated starting from two libraries of phenanthroline (NN) derivatives and bis-phosphine (PP) ligands, namely, (A) 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), neocuproine (2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, dmp), bathophenanthroline (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, Bphen), 2,9-diphenethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dpep), and 2,9-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dpp); (B) bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm), 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe), 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp), 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene (dppb), 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppFc), and bis[(2-diphenylphosphino)phenyl] ether (POP). Whatever the bis-phosphine ligand, stable heteroleptic [Cu(NN)(PP)](+) complexes are obtained from the 2,9-unsubstituted-1,10-phenanthroline ligands (phen and Bphen). By contrast, heteroleptic complexes obtained from dmp and dpep are stable in the solid state, but a dynamic ligand exchange reaction is systematically observed in solution, and the homoleptic/heteroleptic ratio is highly dependent on the bis-phosphine ligand. Detailed analysis revealed that the dynamic equilibrium resulting from ligand exchange reactions is mainly influenced by the relative thermodynamic stability of the different possible complexes. Finally, in the case of dpp, only homoleptic complexes were obtained whatever the bis-phosphine ligand. Obviously, steric effects resulting from the presence of the bulky phenyl rings on the dpp ligand destabilize the heteroleptic [Cu(NN)(PP)](+) complexes. In addition to the remarkable thermodynamic stability of [Cu(dpp)2]BF4, this negative steric effect drives the dynamic complexation scenario toward almost exclusive formation of homoleptic [Cu(NN)2](+) and [Cu(PP)2](+) complexes. This work provides the definitive rationalization of the stability of [Cu(NN)(PP)](+) complexes, marking the way for future developments in this field.

  16. A direct passive method for measuring water and contaminant fluxes in porous media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatfield, Kirk; Annable, Michael; Cho, Jaehyun; Rao, P. S. C.; Klammler, Harald

    2004-12-01

    This paper introduces a new direct method for measuring water and contaminant fluxes in porous media. The method uses a passive flux meter (PFM), which is essentially a self-contained permeable unit properly sized to fit tightly in a screened well or boring. The meter is designed to accommodate a mixed medium of hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic permeable sorbents, which retain dissolved organic/inorganic contaminants present in the groundwater flowing passively through the meter. The contaminant mass intercepted and retained on the sorbent is used to quantify cumulative contaminant mass flux. The sorptive matrix is also impregnated with known amounts of one or more water soluble 'resident tracers'. These tracers are displaced from the sorbent at rates proportional to the groundwater flux; hence, in the current meter design, the resident tracers are used to quantify cumulative groundwater flux. Theory is presented and quantitative tools are developed to interpret the water flux from tracers possessing linear and nonlinear elution profiles. The same theory is extended to derive functional relationships useful for quantifying cumulative contaminant mass flux. To validate theory and demonstrate the passive flux meter, results of multiple box-aquifer experiments are presented and discussed. From these experiments, it is seen that accurate water flux measurements are obtained when the tracer used in calculations resides in the meter at levels representing 20 to 70 percent of the initial condition. 2,4-Dimethyl-3-pentanol (DMP) is used as a surrogate groundwater contaminant in the box aquifer experiments. Cumulative DMP fluxes are measured within 5% of known fluxes. The accuracy of these estimates generally increases with the total volume of water intercepted.

  17. Colocalization of dentin matrix protein 1 and dentin sialoprotein at late stages of rat molar development.

    PubMed

    Baba, Otto; Qin, Chunlin; Brunn, Jan C; Wygant, James N; McIntyre, Bradley W; Butler, William T

    2004-10-01

    Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) are acidic proteins found in the extracellular matrices of bones and teeth. Recent data from gene knockouts, along with those of gene mutations, indicate that these two phosphoproteins are critical for bone and tooth development and/or maintenance. However, the precise functions of the two proteins have not been elucidated. In order to gain insights into their functions in tooth formation, we performed systematic, comparative investigations on the immunolocalization of DMP1 and dentin sialoprotein (DSP, a cleaved fragment of DSPP), using the rat first molar at different developmental stages as a model. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed with specific, monoclonal antibodies against the COOH-terminal fragments of DMP1 and against DSP. In 1-day- and 1-week-old rats, weak immunoreactions for DMP1 were observed in dentinal tubules while stronger reactions for DSP were seen in the tubules and predentin. In rats older than 2 weeks, immunoreactions for DMP1 were found in dentinal tubules, predentin and odontoblasts. In 5-week- and 8-week-old rats, strong immunoreactions for DMP1 were widely distributed in odontoblasts and predentin. The distribution pattern of DSP was strikingly similar to that of DMP1 after 2 weeks and the localization of each was distinctly different from that of bone sialoprotein (BSP). The unique colocalization of DMP1 and DSPP in tooth development suggests that the two proteins play complementary and/or synergistic roles in formation and maintenance of healthy teeth.

  18. An isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for trace analysis of xylene and its metabolites in tissues following threshold limit value exposures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pyon, K.H.; Kracko, D.A.; Strunk, M.R.

    1995-12-01

    The existence of a nose-brain barrier that functions to protect the central nervous system (CNS) from inhaled toxicants has been postulated. Just as a blood-brain barrier protects the CNS from systemic toxicants, the nose-brain barrier may have similar characteristic functions. One component of interest is nasal xenobiotic metabolism and its effect on the transport of pollutants into the CNS at environmentally plausible levels of exposure. Previous results have shown that inhaled xylene are dimethyl phenol (DMP) and methyl benzyl alcohol (MBA), and the nonvolatile metabolites are toluic acid (TA) and methyl hippuric acid (MHA). The nonvolatile metabolites of xylene, alongmore » with a small quantity of volatiles, representing either parent xylene or volatile metabolites, are transported via the olfactory epithelium to the glomeruli within the olfactory bulbs of the brain. Further work will be done to establish the linearity for each analyte at the actual highest detection limit of the GC/MS.« less

  19. Developing Mathematical Processes (DMP). Field Test Evaluation, 1973-1974.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schall, William; And Others

    The Developing Mathematical Processes (DMP) program was field-tested in the kindergarten and first three grades of one parochial and five public schools. DMP is an activity-based program developed around a comprehensive list of behavioral objectives. The program is concerned with the development of intuitive geometric concepts as well as…

  20. Developing Mathematical Processes (DMP). Field Test Evaluation, 1972-1973.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schall, William E.; And Others

    The field test of the Developing Mathematical Processes (DMP) program was conducted jointly by the Falconer Central School, St. Mary's Elementary School in Dunkirk, New York, and the Teacher Education Research Center at the State University College in Fredonia, New York. DMP is a research-based, innovative, process-oriented elementary mathematics…

  1. Unusual Synthetic Pathway for an {Fe(NO) 2} 9 Dinitrosyl Iron Complex (DNIC) and Insight into DNIC Electronic Structure via Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Speelman, Amy L.; Zhang, Bo; Silakov, Alexey

    2016-06-06

    Dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) are among the most abundant NO-derived cellular species. Monomeric DNICs can exist in the {Fe(NO) 2} 9 or {Fe(NO) 2} 10 oxidation state (in the Enemark -Feltham notation). However, experimental studies of analogous DNICs in both oxidation states are rare, which prevents a thorough understanding of the di ff erences in the electronic structures of these species. Here, the {Fe(NO) 2} 9 DNIC [Fe(dmp)(NO) 2](OTf) ( 1 ; dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10- phenanthroline) is synthesized from a ferrous precursor via an unusual pathway, involving disproportionation of an {FeNO} 7 complex to yield the {Fe(NO) 2} 9 DNICmore » and a ferric species, which is subsequently reduced by NO gas to generate a ferrous complex that re-enters the reaction cycle. In contrast to most {Fe(NO) 2} 9 DNICs with neutral N-donor ligands, 1 exhibits high solution stability and can be characterized structurally and spectroscopically. Reduction of 1 yields the corresponding {Fe(NO) 2} 10 DNIC [Fe(dmp)(NO) 2](2). The Mo ssbauer isomer shift of 2 is 0.08 mm/s smaller than that of 1 , which indicates that the iron center is slightly more oxidized in the reduced complex. The nuclear resonance vibrational spectra (NRVS) of 1 and 2 are distinct and provide direct experimental insight into di ff erences in bonding in these complexes. In particular, the symmetric out-of-plane Fe -N - O bending mode is shifted to higher energy by 188 cm -1 in 2 in comparison to 1 . Using quantum chemistry centered normal coordinate analysis (QCC-NCA), this is shown to arise from an increase in Fe - NO bond order and a sti ff ening of the Fe(NO) 2 unit upon reduction of 1 to 2 . DFT calculations demonstrate that the changes in bonding arise from an iron- centered reduction which leads to a distinct increase in Fe - NO π -back-bonding in {Fe(NO) 2} 10 DNICs in comparison to the corresponding {Fe(NO) 2} 9 complexes, in agreement with all experimental findings. Finally, the implications of the electronic structure of DNICs for their reactivity are discussed, especially with respect to N-N bond formation in NO reductases.« less

  2. Evaluation of a disease management program for COPD using propensity matched control group.

    PubMed

    George, Pradeep Paul; Heng, Bee Hoon; Lim, Tow Keang; Abisheganaden, John; Ng, Alan Wei Keong; Verma, Akash; Lim, Fong Seng

    2016-07-01

    Disease management programs (DMPs) have proliferated recently as a means of improving the quality and efficiency of care for patients with chronic illness. These programs include education about disease, optimization of evidence-based medications, information and support from case managers, and institution of self-management principles. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Singapore and worldwide. DMP aims to reduce mortality, hospitalizations, and average length of stay in such patients. This study assesses the outcomes of the DMP, comparing the propensity score matched DMP patients with controls. DMP patients were compared with the controls, who were COPD patients fulfilling the DMP's inclusion criteria but not included in the program. Control patients were identified from Operations Data Store (ODS) database. The outcomes of interest were average length of stay, number of days admitted to hospital per 100 person days, readmission, and mortality rates per person year. The risk of death and readmission was estimated using Cox, and competing risk regression respectively. Propensity score was estimated to identify the predictors of DMP enrolment. DMP patients and controls were matched on their propensity score. There were 170 matched DMP patients and control patients having 287 and 207 hospitalizations respectively. Program patient had lower mortality than the controls (0.12 vs. 0.27 per person year); cumulative 1-year survival was 91% among program patient and 76% among the control patients. Readmission, and hospital days per 100 person-days was higher for the program patients (0.36 vs. 0.17 per person year), and (2.19 vs. 1.88 per person year) respectively. Participation in "DMP" was associated with lower all-cause mortality when compared to the controls. This survival gain in the program patients was paradoxically associated with an increase in readmission rate and total hospital days.

  3. Use of short-term breath measures to estimate daily methane production by cattle.

    PubMed

    Velazco, J I; Mayer, D G; Zimmerman, S; Hegarty, R S

    2016-01-01

    Methods to measure enteric methane (CH4) emissions from individual ruminants in their production environment are required to validate emission inventories and verify mitigation claims. Estimates of daily methane production (DMP) based on consolidated short-term emission measurements are developing, but method verification is required. Two cattle experiments were undertaken to test the hypothesis that DMP estimated by averaging multiple short-term breath measures of methane emission rate did not differ from DMP measured in respiration chambers (RC). Short-term emission rates were obtained from a GreenFeed Emissions Monitoring (GEM) unit, which measured emission rate while cattle consumed a dispensed supplement. In experiment 1 (Expt. 1), four non-lactating cattle (LW=518 kg) were adapted for 18 days then measured for six consecutive periods. Each period consisted of 2 days of ad libitum intake and GEM emission measurement followed by 1 day in the RC. A prototype GEM unit releasing water as an attractant (GEM water) was also evaluated in Expt. 1. Experiment 2 (Expt. 2) was a larger study based on similar design with 10 cattle (LW=365 kg), adapted for 21 days and GEM measurement was extended to 3 days in each of the six periods. In Expt. 1, there was no difference in DMP estimated by the GEM unit relative to the RC (209.7 v. 215.1 g CH(4)/day) and no difference between these methods in methane yield (MY, 22.7 v. 23.7 g CH(4)/kg of dry matter intake, DMI). In Expt. 2, the correlation between GEM and RC measures of DMP and MY were assessed using 95% confidence intervals, with no difference in DMP or MY between methods and high correlations between GEM and RC measures for DMP (r=0.85; 215 v. 198 g CH(4)/day SEM=3.0) and for MY (r=0.60; 23.8 v. 22.1 g CH(4)/kg DMI SEM=0.42). When data from both experiments was combined neither DMP nor MY differed between GEM- and RC-based measures (P>0.05). GEM water-based estimates of DMP and MY were lower than RC and GEM (P<0.05). Cattle accessed the GEM water unit with similar frequency to the GEM unit (2.8 v. 3.5 times/day, respectively) but eructation frequency was reduced from 1.31 times/min (GEM) to once every 2.6 min (GEM water). These studies confirm the hypothesis that DMP estimated by averaging multiple short-term breath measures of methane emission rate using GEM does not differ from measures of DMP obtained from RCs. Further, combining many short-term measures of methane production rate during supplement consumption provides an estimate of DMP, which can be usefully applied in estimating MY.

  4. Life prolonging of disease management programs in patients with type 2 diabetes is cost-effective.

    PubMed

    Drabik, A; Büscher, G; Sawicki, P T; Thomas, K; Graf, C; Müller, D; Stock, S

    2012-02-01

    Our objective was to examine the cost-effectiveness of disease management programs (DMPs) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) taking into account their life prolonging effect. We compared real life costs in 19,888 propensity score matched pairs of T2DM DMP participants and T2DM patients in routine care (RC) according to sickness funds data. We estimated mean annual costs for survivors, last year of life costs for decedents, the influence of ageing on costs, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and effects on hospitalization. Annual costs for survivors were 3,318€ (DMP) and 3,570€ (RC). The mean costs in the last year of life were 16,911€ (DMP) and 15,763€ (RC). Ageing had a cost triggering effect for survivors (30€/36€ per year in DMP-/RC-group; p<0.001) and a cost decreasing effect in the last year of life (546€/483€ per year in DMP-/RC-group; p<0.001). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of the DMP vs. RC was -1396€ per life-year gained. Hospitalizations increased with age in case of survival and decreased with age in case of death but were always lower in the DMP-group. Despite increase in costs due to longer life DMPs are cost-effective. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Neisseria conserved protein DMP19 is a DNA mimic protein that prevents DNA binding to a hypothetical nitrogen-response transcription factor

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Hao-Ching; Ko, Tzu-Ping; Wu, Mao-Lun; Ku, Shan-Chi; Wu, Hsing-Ju; Wang, Andrew H.-J.

    2012-01-01

    DNA mimic proteins occupy the DNA binding sites of DNA-binding proteins, and prevent these sites from being accessed by DNA. We show here that the Neisseria conserved hypothetical protein DMP19 acts as a DNA mimic. The crystal structure of DMP19 shows a dsDNA-like negative charge distribution on the surface, suggesting that this protein should be added to the short list of known DNA mimic proteins. The crystal structure of another related protein, NHTF (Neisseria hypothetical transcription factor), provides evidence that it is a member of the xenobiotic-response element (XRE) family of transcriptional factors. NHTF binds to a palindromic DNA sequence containing a 5′-TGTNAN11TNACA-3′ recognition box that controls the expression of an NHTF-related operon in which the conserved nitrogen-response protein [i.e. (Protein-PII) uridylyltransferase] is encoded. The complementary surface charges between DMP19 and NHTF suggest specific charge–charge interaction. In a DNA-binding assay, we found that DMP19 can prevent NHTF from binding to its DNA-binding sites. Finally, we used an in situ gene regulation assay to provide evidence that NHTF is a repressor of its down-stream genes and that DMP19 can neutralize this effect. We therefore conclude that the interaction of DMP19 and NHTF provides a novel gene regulation mechanism in Neisseria spps. PMID:22373915

  6. Synthesis and biological evaluation of (99m)Tc-DMP-NGA as a novel hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor imaging agent.

    PubMed

    Yang, Wenjiang; Mou, Tiantian; Zhang, Xianzhong; Wang, Xuebin

    2010-01-01

    A novel bifunctional coupling agents-biomolecular compound DMP-NGA was prepared by coupling the SATP with galactosyl-neoglycoalbumin (NGA). The DMP-NGA was labeled with technetium-99m, and the radiochemical purity in excess of 98% after purified with HPLC. In vivo biodistribution showed that (99m)Tc-DMP-NGA had very high initial liver uptake with good retention. The liver accumulated 99.35+/-9.77%, 74.25+/-3.03%, 52.47+/-7.58% of the injected dose per gram at 5, 30 and 120min after injection, respectively. It had relative higher initial liver uptake and much lower blood uptake than that of (99m)Tc-GSA. The liver/blood ratio reached 83.4 at 30min post-injection, while the ratio of liver/kidney was 14.4. The uptakes in other organs in the abdomen were also slightly low. In addition, the hepatic uptake of (99m)Tc-DMP-NGA was blocked by preinjecting free GSA as blocking agent. The result indicates that (99m)Tc-DMP-NGA has specific binding to ASGP receptor. Images acquired with Kodak In-Vivo Imaging System FX Pro showed significant difference before and after inhibition. The promising biological properties of (99m)Tc-DMP-NGA afford potential applications in liver receptor imaging for assessment of hepatocyte function.

  7. Efficiency of the Austrian disease management program for diabetes mellitus type 2: a historic cohort study based on health insurance provider's routine data.

    PubMed

    Ostermann, Herwig; Hoess, Victoria; Mueller, Michael

    2012-06-29

    The Austrian diabetes disease management program (DMP) was introduced in 2007 in order to improve health care delivery for diabetics via the promotion of treatment according to guidelines. Considering the current low participation rates in the DMP and the question of further promotion of the program, it is of particular interest for health insurance providers in Austria to assess whether enrollment in the DMP leads to differences in the pattern of the provision of in- and outpatient services, as well as to the subsequent costs in order to determine overall program efficiency. Historic cohort study comparing average annual levels of in- and outpatient health services utilization and its associated costs for patients enrolled and not enrolled in the DMP before (2006) and 2 years after (2009) the implementation of the program in Austria. Data on the use of services and data on costs were extracted from the records of the Austrian Social Insurance Institution for Business. 12,199 persons were identified as diabetes patients treated with anti-diabetic medication or anti-diabetics with insulin throughout the study period. 314 diabetics were enrolled in the DMP. Patients enrolled in the diabetes DMP received a more evolved pattern of outpatient care, featuring higher numbers of services provided by general practitioners and specialists (79 vs. 62), more diagnostic services (22 vs. 15) as well as more services provided by outpatient care centers (9 vs. 6) in line with increased levels of participation in medical assessments as recommended by the treatment guideline in 2009. Hospitalization was lower for DMP patients spending 3.75 days in hospital, as compared to 6.03 days for diabetes patients in regular treatment. Overall, increases in costs of care and medication throughout the study period were lower for enrolled patients (€ 718 vs. € 1.684), resulting in overall costs of € 5,393 p.c. for DMP patients and € 6,416 p.c. for the control group in 2009. Seen from a health insurance provider's perspective, the assessment of the Austrian diabetes DMP shows promising results indicating improved quality of outpatient care as well as overall cost advantages due to the lower hospitalization rates. Due to methodological limitations of the retrospective study and to the restricted data access, further promotion of the DMP must be accompanied by prospective research and preferably controlled trials in order to provide a solid basis for the decision of whether to include diabetes DMP into the insurer's basic benefit package.

  8. Distinct compartmentalization of dentin matrix protein 1 fragments in mineralized tissues and cells.

    PubMed

    Maciejewska, Izabela; Qin, Disheng; Huang, Bingzhen; Sun, Yao; Mues, Gabrielle; Svoboda, Kathy; Bonewald, Lynda; Butler, William T; Feng, Jerry Q; Qin, Chunlin

    2009-01-01

    Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) has been shown to be critical for the formation of dentin and bone. However, the precise pathway by which DMP1 participates in dentinogenesis and osteogenesis remains to be clarified. DMP1 is present in the extracellular matrix of dentin and bone as processed NH(2)- and COOH-terminal fragments. The NH(2)-terminal fragment occurs as a proteoglycan, whereas the COOH-terminal fragment is highly phosphorylated. The differences in biochemical properties suggest that these fragments may have different tissue and cell distribution in association with distinct functions. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of the NH(2)- and COOH-terminal fragments of DMP1 in tooth, bone, osteocytes as well as MC3T3-E1 and HEK-293 cells. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed using antibodies specific to the NH(2)- or COOH-terminal region of DMP1. Clear differences in the distribution of these fragments were observed. In the teeth and bone, the NH(2)-terminal fragment was primarily located in the nonmineralized predentin and cartilage of the growth plate, while the COOH-terminal fragment accumulated in the mineralized zones. In osteocytes, the NH(2)-terminal fragment appeared more abundant along cell membrane and processes of osteocytes, while the COOH-terminal fragment was often found in the nuclei. This pattern of distribution in cellular compartments was further confirmed by analyses on MC3T3-E1 and HEK-293 cells transfected with a construct containing DMP1 cDNA. In these cell lines, the COOH-terminal fragment accumulated in cell nuclei, while the NH(2)-terminal fragment was in the cytosol. The different distribution of DMP1 fragments indicates that these DMP1 variants must perform distinct functions. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  9. Bone Mass and Strength are Significantly Improved in Mice Overexpressing Human WNT16 in Osteocytes.

    PubMed

    Alam, Imranul; Reilly, Austin M; Alkhouli, Mohammed; Gerard-O'Riley, Rita L; Kasipathi, Charishma; Oakes, Dana K; Wright, Weston B; Acton, Dena; McQueen, Amie K; Patel, Bhavmik; Lim, Kyung-Eun; Robling, Alexander G; Econs, Michael J

    2017-04-01

    Recently, we demonstrated that osteoblast-specific overexpression of human WNT16 increased both cortical and trabecular bone mass and structure in mice. To further identify the cell-specific role of Wnt16 in bone homeostasis, we created transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing human WNT16 in osteocytes using Dmp1 promoter (Dmp1-hWNT16 TG) on C57BL/6 (B6) background. We analyzed bone phenotypes and serum bone biomarkers, performed gene expression analysis and measured dynamic bone histomorphometry in Dmp1-hWNT16 TG and wild-type (WT) mice. Compared to WT mice, Dmp1-hWNT16 TG mice exhibited significantly higher whole-body, spine and femoral aBMD, BMC and trabecular (BV/TV, Tb.N, and Tb.Th) and cortical (bone area and thickness) parameters in both male and female at 12 weeks of age. Femur stiffness and ultimate force were also significantly improved in the Dmp1-hWNT16 TG female mice, compared to sex-matched WT littermates. In addition, female Dmp1-hWNT16 TG mice displayed significantly higher MS/BS, MAR and BFR/BS compared to the WT mice. Gene expression analysis demonstrated significantly higher mRNA level of Alp in both male and female Dmp1-hWNT16 TG mice and significantly higher levels of Osteocalcin, Opg and Rankl in the male Dmp1-hWNT16 TG mice in bone tissue compared to sex-matched WT mice. These results indicate that WNT16 plays a critical role for acquisition of both cortical and trabecular bone mass and strength. Strategies designed to use WNT16 as a target for therapeutic interventions will be valuable to treat osteoporosis and other low bone mass conditions.

  10. Bone Mass and Strength are Significantly Improved in Mice Overexpressing Human WNT16 in Osteocytes

    PubMed Central

    Alam, Imranul; Reilly, Austin M.; Alkhouli, Mohammed; Gerard-O’Riley, Rita L.; Kasipathi, Charishma; Oakes, Dana K.; Wright, Weston B.; Acton, Dena; McQueen, Amie K.; Patel, Bhavmik; Lim, Kyung-Eun; Robling, Alexander G.; Econs, Michael J.

    2017-01-01

    Recently, we demonstrated that osteoblast-specific overexpression of human WNT16 increased both cortical and trabecular bone mass and structure in mice. To further identify the cell-specific role of Wnt16 in bone homeostasis, we created transgenic (TG) mice over-expressing human WNT16 in osteocytes using Dmp1 promoter (Dmp1-hWNT16 TG) on C57BL/6 (B6) background. We analyzed bone phenotypes and serum bone biomarkers, performed gene expression analysis and measured dynamic bone histomorphometry in Dmp1-hWNT16 TG and wild-type (WT) mice. Compared to WT mice, Dmp1-hWNT16 TG mice exhibited significantly higher whole body, spine and femoral aBMD, BMC and trabecular (BV/TV, Tb.N, and Tb.Th) and cortical (bone area and thickness) parameters in both male and female at 12 weeks of age. Femur stiffness and ultimate force were also significantly improved in the Dmp1-hWNT16 TG female mice, compared to sex-matched WT littermates. In addition, female Dmp1-hWNT16 TG mice displayed significantly higher MS/BS, MAR and BFR/BS compared to the WT mice. Gene expression analysis demonstrated significantly higher mRNA level of Alp in both male and female Dmp1-hWNT16 TG mice and significantly higher levels of Osteocalcin, Opg and Rankl in the male Dmp1-hWNT16 TG mice in bone tissue compared to sex-matched WT mice. These results indicate that WNT16 plays a critical role for acquisition of both cortical and trabecular bone mass and strength. Strategies designed to use WNT16 as a target for therapeutic interventions will be valuable to treat osteoporosis and other low bone mass conditions. PMID:28013361

  11. Evaluating cis-2,6-Dimethylpiperidide (cis-DMP) as a Base Component in Lithium-Mediated Zincation Chemistry

    PubMed Central

    Armstrong, David R; Garden, Jennifer A; Kennedy, Alan R; Leenhouts, Sarah M; Mulvey, Robert E; O'Keefe, Philip; O'Hara, Charles T; Steven, Alan

    2013-01-01

    Most recent advances in metallation chemistry have centred on the bulky secondary amide 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (TMP) within mixed metal, often ate, compositions. However, the precursor amine TMP(H) is rather expensive so a cheaper substitute would be welcome. Thus this study was aimed towards developing cheaper non-TMP based mixed-metal bases and, as cis-2,6-dimethylpiperidide (cis-DMP) was chosen as the alternative amide, developing cis-DMP zincate chemistry which has received meagre attention compared to that of its methyl-rich counterpart TMP. A new lithium diethylzincate, [(TMEDA)LiZn(cis-DMP)Et2] (TMEDA=N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine) has been synthesised by co-complexation of Li(cis-DMP), Et2Zn and TMEDA, and characterised by NMR (including DOSY) spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, which revealed a dinuclear contact ion pair arrangement. By using N,N-diisopropylbenzamide as a test aromatic substrate, the deprotonative reactivity of [(TMEDA)LiZn(cis-DMP)Et2] has been probed and contrasted with that of the known but previously uninvestigated di-tert-butylzincate, [(TMEDA)LiZn(cis-DMP)tBu2]. The former was found to be the superior base (for example, producing the ortho-deuteriated product in respective yields of 78 % and 48 % following D2O quenching of zincated benzamide intermediates). An 88 % yield of 2-iodo-N,N-diisopropylbenzamide was obtained on reaction of two equivalents of the diethylzincate with the benzamide followed by iodination. Comparisons are also drawn using 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazide (HMDS), diisopropylamide and TMP as the amide component in the lithium amide, Et2Zn and TMEDA system. Under certain conditions, the cis-DMP base system was found to give improved results in comparison to HMDS and diisopropylamide (DA), and comparable results to a TMP system. Two novel complexes isolated from reactions of the di-tert-butylzincate and crystallographically characterised, namely the pre-metallation complex [{(iPr)2N(Ph)C=O}LiZn(cis-DMP)tBu2] and the post-metallation complex [(TMEDA)Li(cis-DMP){2-[1-C(=O)N(iPr)2]C6H4}Zn(tBu)], shed valuable light on the structures and mechanisms involved in these alkali-metal-mediated zincation reactions. Aspects of these reactions are also modelled by DFT calculations. PMID:23955639

  12. Characteristics, management and attainment of lipid target levels in diabetic and cardiac patients enrolled in Disease Management Program versus those in routine care: LUTZ registry

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background Since 2002 the sick funds in Germany have widely implemented disease management programs (DMPs) for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary heart disease (CHD). Little is known about the characteristics, treatment and target attainment lipid levels of these patients enrolled in DMPs compared to patients in routine care (non-DMP). Methods In an open, non-interventional registry (LUTZ) in Germany, 6551 physicians documented 15,211 patients with DM (10,110 in DMP, 5101 in routine care) and 14,222 (6259 in DMP, 7963 in routine care) over a follow-up period of 4 months. They received the NCEP ATP III guidelines as a reminder on lipid level targets. Results While demographic characteristics of DMP patients were similar to routine care patients, the former had higher rates of almost all cardiovascular comorbidities. Patients in DMPs received pharmacological treatment (in almost all drug classes) more often than non-DMP patients (e.g. antiplatelets: in DM 27.0% vs 23.8%; in CHD 63.0% vs. 53.6%). The same applied for educational measures (on life style changes and diet etc.). The rate of target level attainment for low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) < 100 mg/dl was somewhat higher in DMP patients at inclusion compared to non-DMP patients (DM: 23.9% vs. 21.3%; CHD: 30.6% vs. 23.8%) and increased after 4 months (DM: 38.3% vs. 36.9%; CHD: 49.8% vs. 43.3%). Individual LDL-C target level attainment rates as assessed by the treating physicians were higher (at 4 months in DM: 59.6% vs. 56.5%; CHD: 49.8% vs 43.3%). Mean blood pressure (BP) and HbA1c values were slightly lowered during follow-up, without substantial differences between DMP and non-DMP patients. Conclusion Patients with DM, and (to a greater extent) with CHD in DMPs compared to non-DMP patients in routine care have a higher burden of comorbidities, but also receive more intensive pharmacological treatment and educational measures. The present data support that the substantial additional efforts in DMPs aimed at improving outcomes resulted in quality gains for achieving target LDL-C levels, but not for BP or HbA1c. Longer-term follow-up is needed to substantiate these results. PMID:19653899

  13. Health promoting schools and children’s oral health related quality of life

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The study objective was to compare children’s oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) in schools with 6 years of implementation of a health promoting school model in Malaysia, i.e. the Doktor Muda Programme (DMP) and in schools without the DMP. Methods This report was part of a larger study to evaluate the DMP impact on schoolchildren’s oral health knowledge, attitudes, behaviour, caries progression and OHRQoL. It was conducted in Negri Sembilan state. The sample comprised 3455, Year 6 (11–12 year old) children; 1282 from DMP (intervention) and 2173 from non-DMP (control) schools. The Malay Child-OIDP index was used to evaluate children’s levels of oral impacts on 8 daily performances after 6 years of DMP implementation (2006–2011). Prevalence, score, impact intensity, causes and extent of impacts were compared. Chi-square and Mann–Whitney tests were used in the data analysis. Results Overall response rate was 95.1%. Prevalence of overall impacts was 57.8% and 60.8% (mean total impact score was 7.10 and 7.77) in the intervention and control group, respectively. The three most frequently affected performances in both groups were eating, cleaning teeth and emotional stability. Significantly less DMP children had oral impact on cleaning teeth (p = 0.034). The majority of children with impacts in both groups reported ‘very little’ to ‘moderate’ levels of impact intensity. Significantly more DMP children reported having ‘very little’ and ‘little’ levels of impact intensity on cleaning teeth (p = 0.037) and emotional stability (p = 0.020), respectively. Significantly less DMP children reported having ‘very severe’ level of impact intensity on speaking (p = 0.038). The most prevalent cause of impacts in both groups was toothache. Significantly less DMP children reported bleeding gums (p = 0.016) and presence of plaque/calculus as causes of impacts (p = 0.032). About 75% of children with impacts in both groups reported having up to four daily performances affected. Conclusion This study showed that the health promoting school model, i.e. the Doktor Muda Programme for primary schools in Malaysia had some positive impacts on 11–12 year old children’s oral health related quality of life. PMID:24325653

  14. A novel auditory ossicles membrane and the development of conductive hearing loss in Dmp1-null mice.

    PubMed

    Lv, Kun; Huang, Haiyang; Yi, Xing; Chertoff, Mark E; Li, Chaoyuan; Yuan, Baozhi; Hinton, Robert J; Feng, Jian Q

    2017-10-01

    Genetic mouse models are widely used for understanding human diseases but we know much less about the anatomical structure of the auditory ossicles in the mouse than we do about human ossicles. Furthermore, current studies have mainly focused on disease conditions such as osteomalacia and rickets in patients with hypophosphatemia rickets, although the reason that these patients develop late-onset hearing loss is unknown. In this study, we first analyzed Dmp1 lac Z knock-in auditory ossicles (in which the blue reporter is used to trace DMP1 expression in osteocytes) using X-gal staining and discovered a novel bony membrane surrounding the mouse malleus. This finding was further confirmed by 3-D micro-CT, X-ray, and alizarin red stained images. We speculate that this unique structure amplifies and facilitates sound wave transmissions in two ways: increasing the contact surface between the eardrum and malleus and accelerating the sound transmission due to its mineral content. Next, we documented a progressive deterioration in the Dmp1-null auditory ossicle structures using multiple imaging techniques. The auditory brainstem response test demonstrated a conductive hearing loss in the adult Dmp1-null mice. This finding may help to explain in part why patients with DMP1 mutations develop late-onset hearing loss, and supports the critical role of DMP1 in maintaining the integrity of the auditory ossicles and its bony membrane. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Rumen-protected lysine, methionine, and histidine increase milk protein yield in dairy cows fed a metabolizable protein-deficient diet.

    PubMed

    Lee, C; Hristov, A N; Cassidy, T W; Heyler, K S; Lapierre, H; Varga, G A; de Veth, M J; Patton, R A; Parys, C

    2012-10-01

    The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of supplementing a metabolizable protein (MP)-deficient diet with rumen-protected (RP) Lys, Met, and specifically His on dairy cow performance. The experiment was conducted for 12 wk with 48 Holstein cows. Following a 2-wk covariate period, cows were blocked by DIM and milk yield and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets, based on corn silage and alfalfa haylage: control, MP-adequate diet (ADMP; MP balance: +9 g/d); MP-deficient diet (DMP; MP balance: -317 g/d); DMP supplemented with RPLys (AminoShure-L, Balchem Corp., New Hampton, NY) and RPMet (Mepron; Evonik Industries AG, Hanau, Germany; DMPLM); and DMPLM supplemented with an experimental RPHis preparation (DMPLMH). The analyzed crude protein content of the ADMP and DMP diets was 15.7 and 13.5 to 13.6%, respectively. The apparent total-tract digestibility of all measured nutrients, plasma urea-N, and urinary N excretion were decreased by the DMP diets compared with ADMP. Milk N secretion as a proportion of N intake was greater for the DMP diets compared with ADMP. Compared with ADMP, dry matter intake (DMI) tended to be lower for DMP, but was similar for DMPLM and DMPLMH (24.5, 23.0, 23.7, and 24.3 kg/d, respectively). Milk yield was decreased by DMP (35.2 kg/d), but was similar to ADMP (38.8 kg/d) for DMPLM and DMPLMH (36.9 and 38.5kg/d, respectively), paralleling the trend in DMI. The National Research Council 2001model underpredicted milk yield of the DMP cows by an average (±SE) of 10.3 ± 0.75 kg/d. Milk fat and true protein content did not differ among treatments, but milk protein yield was increased by DMPLM and DMPLMH compared with DMP and was not different from ADMP. Plasma essential amino acids (AA), Lys, and His were lower for DMP compared with ADMP. Supplementation of the DMP diets with RP AA increased plasma Lys, Met, and His. In conclusion, MP deficiency, approximately 15% below the National Research Council requirements from 2001, decreased DMI and milk yield in dairy cows. Supplementation of the MP-deficient diet with RPLys and RPMet diminished the difference in DMI and milk yield compared with ADMP and additional supplementation with RPHis eliminated it. As total-tract fiber digestibility was decreased with the DMP diets, but DMI tended to increase with RP AA supplementation, we propose that, similar to monogastric species, AA play a role in DMI regulation in dairy cows. Our data implicate His as a limiting AA in high-producing dairy cows fed corn silage- and alfalfa haylage-based diets, deficient in MP. The MP-deficient diets clearly increased milk N efficiency and decreased dramatically urinary N losses. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Efficiency of the Austrian disease management program for diabetes mellitus type 2: a historic cohort study based on health insurance provider’s routine data

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The Austrian diabetes disease management program (DMP) was introduced in 2007 in order to improve health care delivery for diabetics via the promotion of treatment according to guidelines. Considering the current low participation rates in the DMP and the question of further promotion of the program, it is of particular interest for health insurance providers in Austria to assess whether enrollment in the DMP leads to differences in the pattern of the provision of in- and outpatient services, as well as to the subsequent costs in order to determine overall program efficiency. Methods Historic cohort study comparing average annual levels of in- and outpatient health services utilization and its associated costs for patients enrolled and not enrolled in the DMP before (2006) and 2 years after (2009) the implementation of the program in Austria. Data on the use of services and data on costs were extracted from the records of the Austrian Social Insurance Institution for Business. 12,199 persons were identified as diabetes patients treated with anti-diabetic medication or anti-diabetics with insulin throughout the study period. 314 diabetics were enrolled in the DMP. Results Patients enrolled in the diabetes DMP received a more evolved pattern of outpatient care, featuring higher numbers of services provided by general practitioners and specialists (79 vs. 62), more diagnostic services (22 vs. 15) as well as more services provided by outpatient care centers (9 vs. 6) in line with increased levels of participation in medical assessments as recommended by the treatment guideline in 2009. Hospitalization was lower for DMP patients spending 3.75 days in hospital, as compared to 6.03 days for diabetes patients in regular treatment. Overall, increases in costs of care and medication throughout the study period were lower for enrolled patients (€ 718 vs. € 1.684), resulting in overall costs of € 5,393 p.c. for DMP patients and € 6,416 p.c. for the control group in 2009. Conclusions Seen from a health insurance provider’s perspective, the assessment of the Austrian diabetes DMP shows promising results indicating improved quality of outpatient care as well as overall cost advantages due to the lower hospitalization rates. Due to methodological limitations of the retrospective study and to the restricted data access, further promotion of the DMP must be accompanied by prospective research and preferably controlled trials in order to provide a solid basis for the decision of whether to include diabetes DMP into the insurer’s basic benefit package. PMID:22742209

  17. Effects of dietary protein concentration and coconut oil supplementation on nitrogen utilization and production in dairy cows.

    PubMed

    Lee, C; Hristov, A N; Heyler, K S; Cassidy, T W; Long, M; Corl, B A; Karnati, S K R

    2011-11-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of metabolizable protein (MP) deficiency and coconut oil supplementation on N utilization and production in lactating dairy cows. The hypothesis of the study was that a decrease in ruminal protozoal counts with coconut oil would increase microbial protein synthesis in the rumen, thus compensating for potential MP deficiency. The experiment was conducted for 10 wk with 36 cows (13 primiparous and 23 multiparous), including 6 ruminally cannulated cows. The experimental period, 6 wk, was preceded by 2-wk adaptation and 2-wk covariate periods. Cows were blocked by parity, days in milk, milk yield, and rumen cannulation and randomly assigned to one of the following diets: a diet with a positive MP balance (+44 g/d) and 16.7% dietary crude protein (CP) concentration (AMP); a diet deficient in MP (-156 g/d) and 14.8% CP concentration (DMP); or DMP supplemented with approximately 500 g of coconut oil/head per day (DMPCO). Ruminal ammonia tended to be greater and plasma urea N (20.1, 12.8, and 13.1 mg/dL, for AMP, DMP, and DMPCO diets, respectively) and milk urea N (12.5, 8.3, and 9.5mg/dL, respectively) were greater for AMP compared with DMP and DMPCO. The DMPCO diet decreased total protozoa counts (by 60%) compared with DMP, but had no effect on the methanogens profile in the rumen. Total tract apparent digestibility of dry matter and CP was decreased by DMP compared with AMP. Fiber digestibility was lower for both DMP and DMPCO compared with AMP. Urinary N excretion was decreased (by 37%) by both DMP and DMPCO compared with AMP. The DMP and DMPCO diets resulted in greater milk N efficiency compared with AMP (32.0 and 35.1 vs. 27.6%, respectively). Milk yield was decreased by both DMP and DMPCO compared with AMP (36.2, 34.4, and 39.3 kg/d, respectively) and coconut oil supplementation suppressed feed intake and caused milk fat depression. Coconut oil supplementation decreased short-chain fatty acid (C4:0, C6:0, and C8:0) concentration and increased medium-chain (C12:0 and C14:0) and total trans fatty acids in milk. Overall, the MP-deficient diets decreased N losses, but could not sustain milk production in this study. Coconut oil decreased feed intake and similar to DMP, suppressed fiber digestibility. Despite decreased protozoal counts, coconut oil had no effect on the methanogen population in the rumen. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Identification of Secretory Odontoblasts Using DMP1-GFP Transgenic Mice

    PubMed Central

    Balic, Anamaria; Mina, Mina

    2011-01-01

    Terminal differentiation of odontoblasts from dental papilla is a long process involving several intermediate steps and changes in the transcriptional profile and expression of proteins secreted by cells in the odontoblast lineage. Transgenic mouse lines in which GFP expression is under the control of tissue-and stage specific promoters have provided powerful experimental tools for identification and isolation of cells at specific stages of differentiation along a lineage. Our previous studies showed utilization of pOBCol3.6GFP and pOBCol2.3GFP animals for identification of odontoblasts at early and late stages of polarization respectively. In the present study we used the DMP1-GFP transgenic animal as an experimental model to examine its expression during the differentiation of odontoblasts from progenitor cells in vivo and in vitro. Our observations showed that DMP1-GFP transgene is first activated in secretory/functional odontoblasts engaged in secretion of predentin and then transiently expressed at high levels in newly differentiated odontoblasts. Expression of DMP1-GFP was down-regulated in highly differentiated odontoblasts. The temporal and spatial pattern of expression of DMP1-GFP transgene closely mimics the expression of endogenous DMP1. This transgenic animal will facilitate studies of gene expression and biological functions in secretory/functional odontoblasts. PMID:21172466

  19. Disease management programs for patients with asthma in Germany: a longitudinal population-based study.

    PubMed

    Mehring, Michael; Donnachie, Ewan; Mutschler, Robert; Hofmann, Frank; Keller, Manfred; Schneider, Antonius

    2013-07-01

    The primary aim of the disease management program (DMP) for patients with asthma is to improve health outcomes and to reduce costs. Five years after its introduction in Germany, no consensus has yet been reached as to whether DMP has been effective in reaching these goals. To evaluate the DMP for asthma in Bavaria using routinely collected subject medical records. A longitudinal population-based study encompassing over 100,000 DMP participants between 2006 (when the program began) and 2010. The prescription rate of oral corticosteroids dropped from 15.7% in 2006 to 13.6% in 2007, and again from 7.5% in 2008 to 5.9% in 2010 (P < .001). The proportion of subjects with asthma self-management education increased from 4.4% to 23.4% (P < .001). Utilization of an individual asthma action plan increased from 40.3% to 69.3% (P < .001). Hospitalization decreased from 2.8% to 0.7% (P < .001). In the first 4 years of DMP there was an improvement in pharmacotherapy and patient self management. The proportion of subjects requiring hospitalization decreased. Our results suggest that the German DMP for asthma has been effective in enhancing the quality of care in regard to an improved symptom frequency, adherence to guidelines, pharmacotherapy, and hospitalization.

  20. Evidence for the proteolytic processing of dentin matrix protein 1. Identification and characterization of processed fragments and cleavage sites.

    PubMed

    Qin, Chunlin; Brunn, Jan C; Cook, Richard G; Orkiszewski, Ralph S; Malone, James P; Veis, Arthur; Butler, William T

    2003-09-05

    Full-length cDNA coding for dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) has been cloned and sequenced, but the corresponding complete protein has not been isolated. In searching for naturally occurring DMP1, we recently discovered that the extracellular matrix of bone contains fragments originating from DMP1. Shortened forms of DMP1, termed 37K and 57K fragments, were treated with alkaline phosphatase and then digested with trypsin. The resultant peptides were purified by a two-dimensional method: size exclusion followed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Purified peptides were sequenced by Edman degradation and mass spectrometry, and the sequences compared with the DMP1 sequence predicted from cDNA. Extensive sequencing of tryptic peptides revealed that the 37K fragments originated from the NH2-terminal region, and the 57K fragments were from the COOH-terminal part of DMP1. Phosphate analysis indicated that the 37K fragments contained 12 phosphates, and the 57K fragments had 41. From 37K fragments, two peptides lacked a COOH-terminal lysine or arginine; instead they ended at Phe173 and Ser180 and were thus COOH termini of 37K fragments. Two peptides were from the NH2 termini of 57K fragments, starting at Asp218 and Asp222. These findings indicated that DMP1 is proteolytically cleaved at four bonds, Phe173-Asp174, Ser180-Asp181, Ser217-Asp218, and Gln221-Asp222, forming eight fragments. The uniformity of cleavages at the NH2-terminal peptide bonds of aspartyl residues suggests that a single proteinase is involved. Based on its reported specificity, we hypothesize that these scissions are catalyzed by PHEX protein. We envision that the proteolytic processing of DMP1 plays a crucial role during osteogenesis and dentinogenesis.

  1. Risk of Nonfatal Stroke in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Retrospective Comparison Between Disease Management Programs and Standard Care

    PubMed Central

    Wiefarn, Stefan; Heumann, Christian; Rettelbach, Anja; Kostev, Karel

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The present retrospective study examines the influence of disease management programs on nonfatal stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Germany. Methods: The evaluation is based on retrospective patient data from the Disease Analyzer (IMS Health). The analysis included 169 414 T2DM patients aged 40 years and older with an initial prescription of antihyperglycemic therapy between January 2004 and December 2014. A total of 86 713 patients participated in a disease management program (DMP) for T2DM and 82 701 patients received standard care. The main outcome measure of this study was nonfatal stroke. Kaplan-Meier curves of DMP and SC patients were compared using log rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to provide an adjusted estimate of the DMP effect. Results: It is apparent from the baseline characteristics that the general health of patients receiving standard care was poorer than that of patients participating in a DMP. The baseline HbA1c value was 7.6% in the DMP group and 7.8% in the SC group. Furthermore, the SC group had a higher proportion of preexisting conditions, such as coronary heart disease (CHD), peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAOD), and renal insufficiency. The proportion of patients who received insulin in first year therapy was higher in the SC group. Time to event analysis showed that DMP was associated with a delayed occurrence of stroke, because stroke occurred an average of 350 days later in DMP patients than in patients receiving SC (DMP: 1.216 days, RV: 866 days). The Cox model with covariable adjustment confirmed the significant association of DMPs with nonfatal stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (HR 0.71; 95% CI: 0.69-0.74). Conclusion: The present study indicates that DMPs are positively associated with stroke. The possible reasons for this must be verified in further studies. PMID:28300432

  2. Risk of Nonfatal Stroke in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Retrospective Comparison Between Disease Management Programs and Standard Care.

    PubMed

    Wiefarn, Stefan; Heumann, Christian; Rettelbach, Anja; Kostev, Karel

    2017-07-01

    The present retrospective study examines the influence of disease management programs on nonfatal stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Germany. The evaluation is based on retrospective patient data from the Disease Analyzer (IMS Health). The analysis included 169 414 T2DM patients aged 40 years and older with an initial prescription of antihyperglycemic therapy between January 2004 and December 2014. A total of 86 713 patients participated in a disease management program (DMP) for T2DM and 82 701 patients received standard care. The main outcome measure of this study was nonfatal stroke. Kaplan-Meier curves of DMP and SC patients were compared using log rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to provide an adjusted estimate of the DMP effect. It is apparent from the baseline characteristics that the general health of patients receiving standard care was poorer than that of patients participating in a DMP. The baseline HbA1c value was 7.6% in the DMP group and 7.8% in the SC group. Furthermore, the SC group had a higher proportion of preexisting conditions, such as coronary heart disease (CHD), peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAOD), and renal insufficiency. The proportion of patients who received insulin in first year therapy was higher in the SC group. Time to event analysis showed that DMP was associated with a delayed occurrence of stroke, because stroke occurred an average of 350 days later in DMP patients than in patients receiving SC (DMP: 1.216 days, RV: 866 days). The Cox model with covariable adjustment confirmed the significant association of DMPs with nonfatal stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (HR 0.71; 95% CI: 0.69-0.74). The present study indicates that DMPs are positively associated with stroke. The possible reasons for this must be verified in further studies.

  3. Impact of Disease Management Programs on HbA1c Values in Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Germany.

    PubMed

    Kostev, Karel; Rockel, Timo; Jacob, Louis

    2017-01-01

    The aim was to analyze the impact of disease management programs on HbA1c values in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Germany. This study included 9017 patients followed in disease management programs (DMPs) who started an antihyperglycemic treatment upon inclusion in a DMP. Standard care (SC) patients were included after individual matching (1:1) to DMP cases based on age, gender, physician (diabetologist versus nondiabetologist care), HbA1c values at baseline, and index year. The main outcome was the share of patients with HbA1c <7.5% or 6.5% after at least 6 months and less than 12 months of therapy in DMP and SC groups. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted with HbA1c level as a dependent variable and the potential predictor (DMP versus SC). The mean age was 64.3 years and 54.7% of the patients were men. The mean HbA1c level at baseline was equal to 8.7%. In diabetologist practices, 64.7% of DMP patients and 55.1% of SC patients had HbA1c levels <7.5%, while 23.4% of DMP patients and 16.9% of SC patients had HbA1c levels <6.5% ( P values < .001). By comparison, in general practices, 72.4% of DMP patients and 65.7% of SC patients had HbA1c levels <7.5%, while 29.0% of DMP patients and 25.4% of SC patients had HbA1c levels <6.5% ( P values < .001). DMPs increased the likelihood of HbA1c levels lower than 7.5% or 6.5% after 6 months of therapy in both diabetologist and general care practices. The present study indicates that the enrollment of T2DM patients in DMPs has a positive impact on HbA1c values in Germany.

  4. [Effect of the Disease Management Program on HbA1c Value in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Retrospective Comparison between Disease Management Programs and Standard Care].

    PubMed

    Wiefarn, Stefan; Kostev, Karel; Heumann, Christian; Rettelbach, Anja

    2017-10-01

    Background  This retrospective study aims to measure the effect of the disease management program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients on HbA 1c value within Germany. Methods  This study is based on patient data from the Disease Analyzer panel (IMS Health). An adequate control group was created using 2:1 propensity score matching. After matching, the analysis included 14 759 patients. Of these, 5875 participated in a DMP while 8884 received standard care. The DMP effect was estimated on the basis of the matched data, using an unpaired t-test. In addition, subgroups were considered from the perspective of personalized medicine. Results  The reduction in HbA 1c values in the DMP group amounted to an average of 1.0 percentage point (baseline HbA 1c  = 8.1 vs. final HbA 1c  = 7.1), while the SC group was able to achieve an average reduction in HbA 1c values of 0.9 percentage point (baseline HbA 1c  = 8.1 vs. final HbA 1c  = 7.2). The DMP group thus achieved an average reduction in HbA 1c values that exceeded that of the SC group by only 0.1 percentage point (95 % CI: 0.04 - 0.16). Descriptively, it also became apparent that patients from the DMP group received a greater average number of annual prescriptions and had more HbA 1c measurements. The subgroup analysis identified groups of patients who benefit more from DMPs than others. Thus, young patients or patients who are being treated by diabetologists are able to benefit most from a DMP. Furthermore, the baseline HbA 1c value has an influence on the DMP effect. Conclusion  T2DM patients in the DMP exhibit a significantly higher reduction in HbA 1c value. However, it is questionable whether this effect is clinically relevant. Certain groups of patients benefit more from DMPs than others. Nevertheless, further studies are needed in order to better understand the impact of the DMP on HbA 1c value and the reasons for the subgroup effects. Such studies should be carried out using a randomized controlled design. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  5. The effectiveness of German disease management programs (DMPs) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease: results from an observational longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Laxy, Michael; Stark, Renée; Meisinger, Christa; Kirchberger, Inge; Heier, Margit; von Scheidt, Wolfgang; Holle, Rolf

    2015-01-01

    Although the population-based German disease management programs (DMPs) for diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary heart disease (CHD) are among the biggest worldwide, evidence on the effectiveness of these programs is still inconclusive or missing, particularly for high risk patients with comorbidities. The objective of this study was therefore to analyze the impact of DMPs on process and outcome parameters in patients with both, type 2 DM and CHD. Analyses are based on two postal surveys of patients from the KORA myocardial infarction registry (southern Germany) with type 2 DM and on two postal validation studies with patients' general physicians (2006, n = 312 and 2011, n = 212). The association between DMP enrollment (being enrolled in either DMP-DM or DMP-CHD) and guideline care (defined by several process indicators) at baseline (2006) and its development until follow-up (2011) was analyzed using logistic regression models accounting for the repeated measurements structure. The impact of DMP enrollment/guideline care on cumulated (quality-adjusted) life years ((QA)LYs) over a 4-year time horizon (2006-2010) was assessed using multiple linear regression methods. Logistic regression models were applied to analyze the association between DMP status and patient self-management at follow-up. Being enrolled in a DMP was associated with better guideline care at baseline [OR = 2.3 (95 % CI 1.27-4.03)], but not at follow-up [OR = 0.80 (95 % CI 0.40-1.58); p value for time-interaction <0.01]. DMP enrollment was not significantly [+0.15 LYs (95 % CI -0.07, 0.37); +0.06 QALYs (95 % CI -0.15, 0.26)], but treatment according to guideline care significantly [+0.40 LYs (95 % CI 0.21-0.60); +0.28 QALYs (95 % CI 0.10-0.45)] associated with higher (quality-adjusted) survival over the 4-year follow-up period. DMP enrollees further reported a somewhat better self-management than patients not being enrolled into a DMP. The results of this study concerning the effectiveness of DMPs in patients with DM and CHD are mixed, but are weakly in favor of DMPs. However, we found a clear positive impact of guideline care on quality adjusted survival in this patient group. The development of the association between DMP enrollment and guideline care over the follow-up time indicates some external effects, which should be the subject of further investigations.

  6. The disease management program for type 2 diabetes in Germany enhances process quality of diabetes care - a follow-up survey of patient's experiences

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background In summer 2003 a disease management program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes was introduced on a nationwide basis in Germany. Patient participation and continuity of care within the DMP are important factors to achieve long-term improvements in clinical endpoints. Therefore it is of interest, if patients experience any positive or negative effects of the DMP on their treatment that would support or hamper further participation. The main objective of the study was to find out if the German Disease Management Program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes improves process and outcome quality of medical care for patients in the light of their subjective experiences over a period of one year. Methods Cohort study with a baseline interview and a follow-up after 10.4 ± 0.64 months. Data on process and outcome measures were collected by telephone interviews with 444 patients enrolled and 494 patients not enrolled in the German DMP for type 2 diabetes. Data were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results DMP enrolment was significantly associated with a higher process quality of care. At baseline enrolled patients more often reported that they had attended a diabetes education course (OR = 3.4), have ≥ 4 contacts/year with the attending physician (OR = 3.3), have at least one annual foot examination (OR = 3.1) and one referral to an ophthalmologist (OR = 3.4) and possess a diabetes passport (OR = 2.4). Except for the annual referral to an ophthalmologist these parameters were also statistically significant at follow-up. In contrast, no differences between enrolled and not enrolled patients were found concerning outcome quality indicators, e.g. self-rated health, Glycated hemoglobin (GHb) and blood pressure. However, 16-36% of the DMP participants reported improvements of body weight and/or GHb and/or blood pressure values due to enrolment - unchanged within one year of follow-up. Conclusions In the light of patient's experiences the DMP enhances the process quality of medical care for type 2 diabetes in Germany. The lack of significant differences in outcome quality between enrolled and not enrolled patients might be due to the short program duration. Our data suggest that the DMP for type 2 diabetes should not be withdrawn unless an evidently more promising approach is found. PMID:20199685

  7. The disease management program for type 2 diabetes in Germany enhances process quality of diabetes care - a follow-up survey of patient's experiences.

    PubMed

    Schäfer, Ingmar; Küver, Claudia; Gedrose, Benjamin; Hoffmann, Falk; Russ-Thiel, Barbara; Brose, Hans-Peter; van den Bussche, Hendrik; Kaduszkiewicz, Hanna

    2010-03-03

    In summer 2003 a disease management program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes was introduced on a nationwide basis in Germany. Patient participation and continuity of care within the DMP are important factors to achieve long-term improvements in clinical endpoints. Therefore it is of interest, if patients experience any positive or negative effects of the DMP on their treatment that would support or hamper further participation. The main objective of the study was to find out if the German Disease Management Program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes improves process and outcome quality of medical care for patients in the light of their subjective experiences over a period of one year. Cohort study with a baseline interview and a follow-up after 10.4 +/- 0.64 months. Data on process and outcome measures were collected by telephone interviews with 444 patients enrolled and 494 patients not enrolled in the German DMP for type 2 diabetes. Data were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analyses. DMP enrolment was significantly associated with a higher process quality of care. At baseline enrolled patients more often reported that they had attended a diabetes education course (OR = 3.4), have > or = 4 contacts/year with the attending physician (OR = 3.3), have at least one annual foot examination (OR = 3.1) and one referral to an ophthalmologist (OR = 3.4) and possess a diabetes passport (OR = 2.4). Except for the annual referral to an ophthalmologist these parameters were also statistically significant at follow-up. In contrast, no differences between enrolled and not enrolled patients were found concerning outcome quality indicators, e.g. self-rated health, Glycated hemoglobin (GHb) and blood pressure. However, 16-36% of the DMP participants reported improvements of body weight and/or GHb and/or blood pressure values due to enrolment - unchanged within one year of follow-up. In the light of patient's experiences the DMP enhances the process quality of medical care for type 2 diabetes in Germany. The lack of significant differences in outcome quality between enrolled and not enrolled patients might be due to the short program duration. Our data suggest that the DMP for type 2 diabetes should not be withdrawn unless an evidently more promising approach is found.

  8. Evaluating the learning experience of non medical prescribing students with their designated medical practitioners in their period of learning in practice: results of a survey.

    PubMed

    Ahuja, Jaya

    2009-11-01

    To evaluate the learning experience of non medical prescribing (NMP) students during their period of learning in practice and to explore strategies for improvement. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from two consecutive NMP student cohorts. Of 57 NMP students, the majority (64.9%) worked in primary care setting. In contrast to those from primary care setting, the students working in secondary/tertiary care setting had significantly greater chance of knowing their designated medical practitioner (DMP) prior to starting their course (p=0.044). However, this did not influence whether the student did a learning agreement and time schedule agreement with the DMP at the beginning of practice setting. A learning agreement and time schedule was done by 91.2% and 57.9% students, respectively, at beginning of the course. Prior time schedule agreement was a significant determinant in determining the number of hours that student spent subsequently under direct supervision of DMP: 75.8% of those who did a prior time schedule spent >30% of practice hours under the direct supervision of DMP as compared to only 50% of those who did not. Spending >30% of the practice hours under direct supervision of the DMP was significantly associated with student satisfaction (p=0.025). There was greater likelihood of a student being assessed formatively if a prior learning agreement had been done (p=0.035) resulting in increased student satisfaction. Time and workload constraints, organisational issues and peer support emerged as barriers to student learning. Students commented on difficulties in getting doctors as a DMP; and therefore suggested that learning experience can be enhanced if a qualified practicing Non Medical Prescriber could act as a "co-mentor". There were also suggestions of providing incentives to doctors and giving them more information about the role of NMP to encourage more doctors to act as DMP. Learning agreement and a time schedule with DMP at the beginning of the supervised period in practice significantly improved the students' learning experience, and was a major determinant of subsequent student satisfaction. Those who spent at least 30% of practice development time under direct supervision of their DMP were likely to be more satisfied with the learning process.

  9. The Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Austrians Disease Management Program in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

    PubMed

    Riedl, Regina; Robausch, Martin; Berghold, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of the Austrian Disease Management Program (DMP) 'Therapie aktiv-Diabetes im Griff' for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus concerning patient-relevant outcomes (mortality, myocardial infarction and stroke) and costs. Based on routine health insurance data, we conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using a propensity score (PS) matched control group design. The DMP-group consists of participants enrolled in the program during 2008 and 2009 (n = 7181). Out of 208.532 patients with no participation in the DMP up to 2013, PS-matched controls were selected with a matching ratio 1:3. In the PS-model, patient's characteristics, form of antidiabetic drug therapy, several prescriptions, the number of hospital admissions and days, main discharge diagnoses and costs at baseline were included. Over a follow-up period of four years, we observed a significantly lower mortality rate in the DMP-group (9.4%) in comparison with the control group (15.9%, p<0.001). The cumulative number of hospital days and mean annual hospital costs were lower for DMP-participants resulting in significantly lower mean annual total costs, amounting to € 8226.80 per patient in the DMP-group and € 9231.10 in the control group respectively (p<0.001). The evaluation shows a survival benefit and an average reduction of costs for participants in the DMP compared with the control-group. Despite we took great effort to ensure comparable groups, we cannot entirely rule out an influence by residual and unmeasured confounding due to the observational study design and the use of routine data. However, the results indicate that the disease management program implemented in Austria improves quality of care for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

  10. A Mutation in the Dmp1 Gene Alters Phosphate Responsiveness in Mice

    PubMed Central

    Gerard-O'Riley, Rita L.; Acton, Dena; McQueen, Amie K.; Strobel, Isabel E.; Witcher, Phillip C.; Feng, Jian Q.; Econs, Michael J.

    2017-01-01

    Mutations in the dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) gene cause autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets (ARHR). Hypophosphatemia in ARHR results from increased circulating levels of the phosphaturic hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). Similarly, elevated FGF23, caused by mutations in the PHEX gene, is responsible for the hypophosphatemia in X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH). Previously, we demonstrated that a Phex mutation in mice creates a lower set point for extracellular phosphate, where an increment in phosphorus further stimulates Fgf23 production to maintain low serum phosphorus levels. To test the presence of the similar set point defect in ARHR, we generated 4- and 12-week-old Dmp1/Galnt3 double knockout mice and controls, including Dmp1 knockout mice (a murine model of ARHR), Galnt3 knockout mice (a murine model of familial tumoral calcinosis), and phenotypically normal double heterozygous mice. Galnt3 knockout mice had increased proteolytic cleavage of Fgf23, leading to low circulating intact Fgf23 levels with consequent hyperphosphatemia. In contrast, Dmp1 knockout mice had little Fgf23 cleavage and increased femoral Fgf23 expression, resulting in hypophosphatemia and low femoral bone mineral density (BMD). However, introduction of the Galnt3 null allele to Dmp1 knockout mice resulted in a significant increase in serum phosphorus and normalization of BMD. This increased serum phosphorus was accompanied by markedly elevated Fgf23 expression and circulating Fgf23 levels, an attempt to reduce serum phosphorus in the face of improving phosphorus levels. These data indicate that a Dmp1 mutation creates a lower set point for extracellular phosphate and maintains it through the regulation of Fgf23 cleavage and expression. PMID:28005411

  11. A Mutation in the Dmp1 Gene Alters Phosphate Responsiveness in Mice.

    PubMed

    Ichikawa, Shoji; Gerard-O'Riley, Rita L; Acton, Dena; McQueen, Amie K; Strobel, Isabel E; Witcher, Phillip C; Feng, Jian Q; Econs, Michael J

    2017-03-01

    Mutations in the dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) gene cause autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets (ARHR). Hypophosphatemia in ARHR results from increased circulating levels of the phosphaturic hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). Similarly, elevated FGF23, caused by mutations in the PHEX gene, is responsible for the hypophosphatemia in X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH). Previously, we demonstrated that a Phex mutation in mice creates a lower set point for extracellular phosphate, where an increment in phosphorus further stimulates Fgf23 production to maintain low serum phosphorus levels. To test the presence of the similar set point defect in ARHR, we generated 4- and 12-week-old Dmp1/Galnt3 double knockout mice and controls, including Dmp1 knockout mice (a murine model of ARHR), Galnt3 knockout mice (a murine model of familial tumoral calcinosis), and phenotypically normal double heterozygous mice. Galnt3 knockout mice had increased proteolytic cleavage of Fgf23, leading to low circulating intact Fgf23 levels with consequent hyperphosphatemia. In contrast, Dmp1 knockout mice had little Fgf23 cleavage and increased femoral Fgf23 expression, resulting in hypophosphatemia and low femoral bone mineral density (BMD). However, introduction of the Galnt3 null allele to Dmp1 knockout mice resulted in a significant increase in serum phosphorus and normalization of BMD. This increased serum phosphorus was accompanied by markedly elevated Fgf23 expression and circulating Fgf23 levels, an attempt to reduce serum phosphorus in the face of improving phosphorus levels. These data indicate that a Dmp1 mutation creates a lower set point for extracellular phosphate and maintains it through the regulation of Fgf23 cleavage and expression. Copyright © 2017 by the Endocrine Society.

  12. Identification of a novel dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1) mutation and dental anomalies in a kindred with autosomal recessive hypophosphatemia.

    PubMed

    Turan, Serap; Aydin, Cumhur; Bereket, Abdullah; Akcay, Teoman; Güran, Tülay; Yaralioglu, Betul Akmen; Bastepe, Murat; Jüppner, Harald

    2010-02-01

    An autosomal recessive form of hypophosphatemia (ARHP) was recently shown to be caused by homozygous mutations in DMP1, the gene encoding dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1), a non-collagenous bone matrix protein with an important role in the development and mineralization of bone and teeth. Here, we describe a previously not reported consanguineous ARHP kindred in which the three affected individuals carry a novel homozygous DMP-1 mutation. The index case presented at the age of 3 years with bowing of his legs and showed hypophosphatemia due to insufficient renal phosphate retention. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity was elevated, with initially normal PTH. FGF23 was inappropriately normal at an older age while being treated with oral phosphate and 1,25(OH)(2)D. Similar clinical and biochemical findings, except for elevated FGF23 levels, were present in his 16-month-old brother and his 12.5-year-old female cousin; the parents of the three affected children are first-degree cousins. Nucleotide sequence analysis was performed on PCR-amplified exons encoding DMP-1 and flanking intronic regions. A novel homozygous frame-shift mutation (c.485Tdel; p.Glu163ArgfsX53) in exon 6 resulting in a premature stop codon was identified in all effected individuals. The parents and available unaffected siblings were heterozygous for c.485Tdel. Tooth growth and shape were normal for the index case, his affected brother and cousin, but their permanent and deciduous teeth displayed enlarged pulp chambers. The identified genetic mutation underscores the importance of DMP-1 mutations in the pathogenesis of ARHP. Furthermore, DMP-1 mutations appear to contribute, through yet unknown mechanisms, to tooth development. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Identification of a Novel Dentin Matrix Protein-1 (DMP-1) Mutation and Dental Anomalies in a Kindred with Autosomal Recessive Hypophosphatemia

    PubMed Central

    Turan, Serap; Aydin, Cumhur; Bereket, Abdullah; Akcay, Teoman; Güran, Tülay; Yaralioglu, Betul Akmen; Bastepe, Murat; Jüppner, Harald

    2009-01-01

    An autosomal recessive form of hypophosphatemia (ARHP) was recently shown to be caused by homozygous mutations in DMP1, the gene encoding dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1), a non-collagenous bone matrix protein with an important role in the development and mineralization of bone and teeth. Here, we report a previously not reported consanguineous ARHP kindred in which the three affected individuals carry a novel homozygous DMP-1 mutation. The index case presented at the age of 3 years with bowing of his legs, and showed hypophosphatemia due to insufficient renal phosphate retention. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity was elevated, with initially normal PTH. FGF23 was inappropriately normal at an older age while being treated with oral phosphate and 1,25(OH)2D. Similar clinical and biochemical findings, except for elevated FGF23 levels, were present in his 16 month-old brother and his 12.5 year-old female cousin; the parents of the three affected children are first-degree cousins. Nucleotide sequence analysis was performed on PCR-amplified exons encoding DMP-1 and flanking intronic regions. A novel homozygous frame-shift mutation (c.485Tdel; p.Glu163ArgfsX53) in exon 6 resulting in a premature stop codon was identified in all effected individuals. The parents and available unaffected siblings were heterozygous for c.485Tdel. Tooth growth and shape were normal for the index case, his affected brother and cousin, but their permanent and deciduous teeth displayed enlarged pulp chambers. The identified genetic mutation underscores the importance of DMP-1 mutations in the pathogenesis of ARHP. Furthermore, DMP-1 mutations appear to contribute, through yet unknown mechanisms, to tooth development. PMID:19796717

  14. Cancer detection rates following enrolment in a disease management programme for type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Geier, A S; Wellmann, J; Wellmann, I; Kajüter, H; Heidinger, O; Hempel, G; Hense, H W

    2013-09-01

    Recent prospective studies found an elevated cancer risk shortly after diabetes diagnosis, and this was probably due to increased ascertainment. This study investigated whether site-specific cancer risks are also raised following enrolment in a disease management programme for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DMP-DM2). We linked records from a DMP-DM2 to population cancer registry data. The study period was from June 2003 to December 2009. Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for time intervals following DMP enrolment using the cancer incidence rates of the general source population. Additionally, Poisson regression with natural splines was used to assess time-dependent cancer incidence by diabetes duration. There were 2,034 first invasive cancer cases identified over 163,738 person-years of follow-up. Pancreatic cancer risk was significantly increased mainly in the first year after enrolment (SIR 1.62); the increment was only seen for patients in whom diabetes had been diagnosed less than 1 year before DMP-DM2 enrolment. Risk of endometrial cancer was similarly raised in the first year after DMP-DM2 enrolment among individuals newly diagnosed with diabetes but decreased rapidly thereafter. There was no time dependence in the incidence of cancers of the liver, lung, colon, breast and prostate. Enrolment in a DMP-DM2 did not appear to induce ascertainment bias for most cancers. Cancer risks were initially increased, especially for pancreatic cancer, potentially as a result of reverse causality. Ascertainment bias and time-dependent incidence of cancer appear to be less of a problem in settings using DMP-like structures for the study of the association between diabetes duration, glucose-lowering medication and cancer incidence.

  15. Patients with type 2 diabetes benefit from primary care-based disease management: a propensity score matched survival time analysis.

    PubMed

    Drabik, Anna; Büscher, Guido; Thomas, Karsten; Graf, Christian; Müller, Dirk; Stock, Stephanie

    2012-08-01

    This study aimed to assess the impact of a nationwide German diabetes mellitus disease management program (DMP) on survival time and costs in comparison to routine care. The authors conducted a retrospective observational cohort study using routine administration data from Germany's largest sickness fund to identify insured suffering from diabetes in 2002. A total of 95,443 insured with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were born before January 1, 1962 met the defined inclusion criteria, resulting in 19,888 pairs of DMP participants and nonparticipants matched for socioeconomic and health status using propensity score matching methods. This is the first time propensity score matching has been used to evaluate a survival benefit of DMPs. In the time frame analyzed (3 years), mean survival time for the DMP group was 1045 days vs. 985 days for the routine care group (P<0.001). Mean daily hospital and total costs (including DMP administration and medical costs) were lower for the DMP group in the case of deceased insureds (92€ vs. 139€ and 122€ vs. 169€, respectively) as well as for censored observations (6€ vs. 7€ and 12.9€ vs. 13.4€, respectively). Mean daily drug costs were slightly lower for deceased insured in the DMP group (difference 0.6€), while no identifiable difference was found for censored observations. In this study, insured who were enrolled in a DMP for diabetes mellitus in the German Statutory Health Insurance showed a significant benefit in survival time. They also incurred lower costs compared to propensity score matched insured in routine care.

  16. 40 CFR 464.11 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... (dichloromethane) 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 84. pyrene 85... 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70...) 65. phenol 66. bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 73. benzo...

  17. 40 CFR 464.41 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... (dichloromethane) 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 85.... naphthalene 65. phenol 66. bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 85...) 55. naphthalene 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 85...

  18. 40 CFR 464.41 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... (dichloromethane) 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 85.... naphthalene 65. phenol 66. bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 85...) 55. naphthalene 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 85...

  19. Impact of disease-management programs on metabolic control in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Kun; Yang, Xiaoping; Wu, Yixi; Chen, Shuru; Yin, Guoshu; Zhan, Jianjun; Lin, Chujia; Xu, Wencan; Chen, Yongsong; Lin, Dan; Xie, Peiwen; Fang, Yishan; Lin, Qiuqiang; Lin, Shaoda

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of diabetes disease management program (DMP) on glycemic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients in Shantou China. A sample of 240 participants recruited from 3C study Shantou subgroup was followed up in DMP for 3 years. The DMP provided self-management education, individualized therapy plan, diabetes complications screening, and laboratory examination periodical according to clinical practice guidelines. Primary outcomes were changes in hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c). Two hundred one of the participants completed the follow-up. There was a significant decrease in the HbA1c levels after DMP implemented. The mean (± SD) pre- and post-intervention HbA1c levels were 10.26% ± 3.30% and 8.57% ± 1.57% respectively with a P value <0.001. General linear mixed model analyse demonstrated that changes in glycemic control were associated with insulin treatment regimen, frequency of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG), diabetes diet adherence, physical activity, and duration of diabetes. DMP helped to improve glycemic control and should be general implemented in China's T1DM. Individuals with basal-bolus regimen (multiple daily injections or pump therapy), more frequency of SMBG, following a diabetes diet, more physical activity, shorter diabetes duration may derive greater benefits from DMP. PMID:28033258

  20. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aplin, H.M.; Hirst, K.L.; Crosby, A.H.

    Dentinogenesis imperfecta type II (DGI1) is an autosomal dominant disorder of dentin formation, which has been mapped to human chromosome 4q12-q21. The region most likely to contain the DGI1 locus is a 3.2-cM region surrounding the osteopontin (SPP1) locus. Recently, a novel dentin-specific acidic phosphoprotein (dmp1) has been cloned in the rat and mapped to mouse chromosome 5q21. In the current investigation, we have isolated a cosmid containing the human DMP1 gene. The isolation of a short tandem repeat polymorphism at this locus has allowed us to map the DMP1 locus to human chromosome 4q21 and demonstrate that it ismore » tightly linked to DGI1 in two families (Z{sub max} = 11.01, {theta} = 0.001). The creation of a yeast artificial chromosome contig around SPP1 has further allowed us to demonstrate that DMP1 is located within 150 kb of the bone sialoprotein and 490 kb of the SPP1 loci, respectively. DMP1 is therefore a strong candidate for the DGI1 locus. 12 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.« less

  1. Data management plans: the missing perspective.

    PubMed

    Williams, Mary; Bagwell, Jacqueline; Nahm Zozus, Meredith

    2017-07-01

    The National Institutes of Health requires data sharing plans for projects with over five hundred thousand dollars in direct costs in a single year and has recently released a new guidance on rigor and reproducibility in grant applications. The National Science Foundation outright requires Data Management Plans (DMPs) as part of applications for funding. However, there is no general and definitive list of topics that should be covered in a DMP for a research project. We identified and reviewed DMP requirements from research funders. Forty-three DMP topics were identified. The review uncovered inconsistent requirements for written DMPs as well as high variability in required or suggested DMP topics among funder requirements. DMP requirements were found to emphasize post-publication data sharing rather than upstream activities that impact data quality, provide traceability or support reproducibility. With the emphasis equalized, the forty-three identified topics can aid Data Managers in systematically generating comprehensive DMPs that support research project planning and funding application evaluation as well as data management conduct and post-publication data sharing. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Impact of primary care-based disease management on the health-related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes and comorbidity.

    PubMed

    Ose, Dominik; Wensing, Michel; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Joos, Stefanie; Hermann, Katja; Miksch, Antje

    2009-09-01

    This study examined the effectiveness of the German diabetes disease management program (DMP) for patients with varying numbers of other medical conditions with respect to their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A questionnaire, including the HRQoL-measured EQ-5D, was mailed to a random sample of 3,546 patients with type 2 diabetes (59.3% female). The EQ-5D score was analyzed by grouping patients according to those on a DMP and those receiving routine care. The analysis showed that participation in the DMP (P < 0.001), the number of other medical conditions (P < 0.001), and the interaction between the DMP and the number of other conditions (P < 0.05) had a significant impact on the EQ-5D score. Our findings suggest that the number of other medical conditions may have a negative impact on the HRQoL of patients with type 2 diabetes. The results demonstrate that the German DMP for type 2 diabetes may help counterbalance this effect.

  3. Exposure to phthalic acid, phthalate diesters and phthalate monoesters from foodstuffs: UK total diet study results.

    PubMed

    Bradley, Emma L; Burden, Richard A; Bentayeb, Karim; Driffield, Malcolm; Harmer, Nick; Mortimer, David N; Speck, Dennis R; Ticha, Jana; Castle, Laurence

    2013-01-01

    Phthalates are ubiquitous in the environment and thus exposure to these compounds can occur in various forms. Foods are one source of such exposure. There are only a limited number of studies that describe the levels of phthalates (diesters, monoesters and phthalic acid) in foods and assess the exposure from this source. In this study the levels of selected phthalate diesters, phthalate monoesters and phthalic acid in total diet study (TDS) samples are determined and the resulting exposure estimated. The methodology for the determination of phthalic acid and nine phthalate monoesters (mono-isopropyl phthalate, mono-n-butyl phthalate, mono-isobutyl phthalate, mono-benzyl phthalate, mono-cyclohexyl phthalate, mono-n-pentyl phthalate, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, mono-n-octyl phthalate and mono-isononyl phthalate) in foods is described. In this method phthalate monoesters and phthalic acid are extracted from the foodstuffs with a mixture of acidified acetonitrile and dichloromethane. The method uses isotope-labelled phthalic acid and phthalate monoester internal standards and is appropriate for quantitative determination in the concentration range of 5-100 µg kg⁻¹. The method was validated in-house and its broad applicability demonstrated by the analysis of high-fat, high-carbohydrate and high-protein foodstuffs as well as combinations of all three major food constituents. The methodology used for 15 major phthalate diesters has been reported elsewhere. Phthalic acid was the most prevalent phthalate, being detected in 17 food groups. The highest concentration measured was di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in fish (789 µg kg⁻¹). Low levels of mono-n-butyl phthalate and mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were detected in several of the TDS animal-based food groups and the highest concentrations measured corresponded with the most abundant diesters (di-n-butyl phthalate and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate). The UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) considered the levels found and concluded that they did not indicate a risk to human health from dietary exposure alone.

  4. Social disparities in Disease Management Programmes for coronary heart disease in Germany: a cross-classified multilevel analysis

    PubMed Central

    Bozorgmehr, Kayvan; Maier, Werner; Brenner, Hermann; Saum, Kai-Uwe; Stock, Christian; Miksch, Antje; Holleczek, Bernd; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Razum, Oliver

    2015-01-01

    Background Disease Management Programmes (DMPs) aim to improve effectiveness and equity of care but may suffer from selective enrolment. We analysed social disparities in DMP enrolment among elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in Germany, taking into account contextual effects at municipality and primary care practice levels. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of effects of educational attainment and regional deprivation on physician-reported DMP enrolment in a subsample of a large population-based cohort study in Germany, adjusting for individual-level, practice-level and area-level variables. We calculated OR and their 95% CIs (95% CI) in cross-classified, multilevel logistic regression models. Results Among N=1280 individuals with CHD (37.3% women), DMP enrolment rates were 22.2% (women) and 35% (men). The odds of DMP enrolment were significantly higher for male patients (OR=1.98 (1.50 to 2.62)), even after adjustment for potential confounding by individual-level, practice-level and area-level variables (range: OR=1.60 (1.08 to 2.36) to 2.16 (1.57 to 2.98)). Educational attainment was not significantly associated with DMP enrolment. Compared to patients living in least-deprived municipalities, the adjusted propensity of DMP enrolment was statistically significantly lower for patients living in medium-deprived municipalities (OR=0.41 (0.24 to 0.71)), and it also tended to be lower for patients living in the most-deprived municipalities (OR=0.70 (0.40 to 1.21)). Models controlling for the social situation (instead of health-related behaviour) yielded comparable effect estimates (medium-deprived/most-deprived vs least-deprived areas: OR=0.45 (0.26 to 0.78)/OR=0.68 (0.33 to 1.19)). Controlling for differences in comorbidity attenuated the deprivation effect estimates. Conclusions We found evidence for marked gender, but not educational disparities in DMP enrolment among patients with CHD. Small-area deprivation was associated with DMP enrolment, but the effects were partly explained by differences in comorbidity. Future studies on DMPs should consider contextual effects when analysing programme effectiveness or impacts on equity and efficiency. PMID:26082518

  5. Selective phenol methylation to 2,6-dimethylphenol in a fluidized bed of iron-chromium mixed oxide catalyst with o-cresol circulation.

    PubMed

    Zukowski, Witold; Berkowicz, Gabriela; Baron, Jerzy; Kandefer, Stanisław; Jamanek, Dariusz; Szarlik, Stefan; Wielgosz, Zbigniew; Zielecka, Maria

    2014-01-01

    2,6-dimethylphenol (2,6-DMP) is a product of phenol methylation, especially important for the plastics industry. The process of phenol methylation in the gas phase is strongly exothermic. In order to ensure good temperature equalization in the catalyst bed, the process was carried out using a catalyst in the form of a fluidized bed - in particular, the commercial iron-chromium catalyst TZC-3/1. Synthesis of 2,6-dimethylphenol from phenol and methanol in fluidized bed of iron-chromium catalyst was carried out and the fluidization of the catalyst was examined. Stable state of fluidized bed of iron-chromium catalyst was achieved. The measured velocities allowed to determine the minimum flow of reactants, ensuring introduction of the catalyst bed in the reactor into the state of fluidization. Due to a high content of o-cresol in products of 2,6-dimethylphenol synthesis, circulation in the technological node was proposed. A series of syntheses with variable amount of o-cresol in the feedstock allowed to determine the parameters of stationary states. A stable work of technological node with o-cresol circulation is possible in the temperature range of350-380°C, and o-cresolin/phenolin molar ratio of more than 0.48. Synthesis of 2,6-DMP over the iron-chromium catalyst is characterized by more than 90% degree of phenol conversion. Moreover, the O-alkylation did not occur (which was confirmed by GC-MS analysis). By applying o-cresol circulation in the 2,6-DMP process, selectivity of more than 85% degree of 2,6-DMP was achieved. The participation levels of by-products: 2,4-DMP and 2,4,6-TMP were low. In the optimal conditions based on the highest yield of 2,6-DMP achieved in the technological node applying o-cresol circulation, there are 2%mol. of 2,4-DMP and 6%mol. of 2,4,6-TMP in the final mixture, whereas 2,4,6-TMP can be useful as a chain stopper and polymer's molar mass regulator during the polymerization of 2,6-DMP.

  6. Phthalate levels in Norwegian indoor air related to particle size fraction.

    PubMed

    Rakkestad, Kirsten Eline; Dye, Christian Jarle; Yttri, Karl Espen; Holme, Jørn Andreas; Hongslo, Jan Kenneth; Schwarze, Per Everhard; Becher, Rune

    2007-12-01

    Phthalates are found in numerous consumer products, including interior materials like polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Several studies have identified phthalates in indoor air. A recent case-control study demonstrated associations between allergic symptoms in children and the concentration of phthalates in dust collected from their homes. Here we have analyzed the content of selected phthalates in particulate matter (PM): PM(10) and PM(2.5) filter samples collected in 14 different indoor environments. The results showed the presence of the phthalates di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) and diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) in the samples. The dominating phthalate in both PM(10) and PM(2.5) samples from all locations was DBP. More than a 10-fold variation in the mean concentration of total phthalates between sampling sites was observed. The highest levels of total phthalates were detected in one children's room, one kindergarten, in two primary schools, and in a computer room. The relative contribution of total phthalates in PM(10) and PM(2.5) was 1.1 +/- 0.3% for both size fractions. The contribution of total phthalates in PM(2.5) to total phthalates in PM(10) ranged from 23-81%, suggesting different sources. Of the phthalates that were analyzed in the PM material, DBP was found to be the major phthalate in rubber from car tyres. However, our analyses indicate that tyre wear was of minor importance for indoor levels of both DBP as well as total phthalates. Overall, these results support the notion that inhalation of indoor PM contributes to the total phthalate exposure.

  7. Decision Gate Process for Assessment of a NASA Technology Development Portfolio

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kohli, Rajiv; Fishman, Julianna L.; Hyatt, Mark J.

    2012-01-01

    The NASA Dust Management Project (DMP) was established to provide technologies (to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6) required to address adverse effects of lunar dust to humans and to exploration systems and equipment, to reduce life cycle cost and risk, and to increase the probability of sustainable and successful lunar missions. The technology portfolio of DMP consisted of different categories of technologies whose final product was either a technology solution in itself, or one that contributes toward a dust mitigation strategy for a particular application. A Decision Gate Process (DGP) was developed to assess and validate the achievement and priority of the dust mitigation technologies as the technologies progress through the development cycle. The DGP was part of continuous technology assessment and was a critical element of DMP risk management. At the core of the process were technology-specific criteria developed to measure the success of each DMP technology in attaining the technology readiness levels assigned to each decision gate. The DGP accounts for both categories of technologies and qualifies the technology progression from technology development tasks to application areas. The process provided opportunities to validate performance, as well as to identify non-performance in time to adjust resources and direction. This paper describes the overall philosophy of the DGP and the methodology for implementation for DMP, and describes the method for defining the technology evaluation criteria. The process is illustrated by example of an application to a specific DMP technology.

  8. Decision Gate Process for Assessment of a Technology Development Portfolio

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kohli, Rajiv; Fishman, Julianna; Hyatt, Mark

    2012-01-01

    The NASA Dust Management Project (DMP) was established to provide technologies (to TRL 6 development level) required to address adverse effects of lunar dust to humans and to exploration systems and equipment, which will reduce life cycle cost and risk, and will increase the probability of sustainable and successful lunar missions. The technology portfolio of DMP consisted of different categories of technologies whose final product is either a technology solution in itself, or one that contributes toward a dust mitigation strategy for a particular application. A Decision Gate Process (DGP) was developed to assess and validate the achievement and priority of the dust mitigation technologies as the technologies progress through the development cycle. The DGP was part of continuous technology assessment and was a critical element of DMP risk management. At the core of the process were technology-specific criteria developed to measure the success of each DMP technology in attaining the technology readiness levels assigned to each decision gate. The DGP accounts for both categories of technologies and qualifies the technology progression from technology development tasks to application areas. The process provided opportunities to validate performance, as well as to identify non-performance in time to adjust resources and direction. This paper describes the overall philosophy of the DGP and the methodology for implementation for DMP, and describes the method for defining the technology evaluation criteria. The process is illustrated by example of an application to a specific DMP technology.

  9. Impact of disease-management programs on metabolic control in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A cohort study in Shantou, China.

    PubMed

    Lin, Kun; Yang, Xiaoping; Wu, Yixi; Chen, Shuru; Yin, Guoshu; Zhan, Jianjun; Lin, Chujia; Xu, Wencan; Chen, Yongsong; Lin, Dan; Xie, Peiwen; Fang, Yishan; Lin, Qiuqiang; Lin, Shaoda

    2016-12-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of diabetes disease management program (DMP) on glycemic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients in Shantou China.A sample of 240 participants recruited from 3C study Shantou subgroup was followed up in DMP for 3 years. The DMP provided self-management education, individualized therapy plan, diabetes complications screening, and laboratory examination periodical according to clinical practice guidelines. Primary outcomes were changes in hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c).Two hundred one of the participants completed the follow-up. There was a significant decrease in the HbA1c levels after DMP implemented. The mean (± SD) pre- and post-intervention HbA1c levels were 10.26% ± 3.30% and 8.57% ± 1.57% respectively with a P value <0.001. General linear mixed model analyse demonstrated that changes in glycemic control were associated with insulin treatment regimen, frequency of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG), diabetes diet adherence, physical activity, and duration of diabetes.DMP helped to improve glycemic control and should be general implemented in China's T1DM. Individuals with basal-bolus regimen (multiple daily injections or pump therapy), more frequency of SMBG, following a diabetes diet, more physical activity, shorter diabetes duration may derive greater benefits from DMP.

  10. Nanoporous Cyanate Ester Resins: Structure-Gas Transport Property Relationships

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gusakova, Kristina; Fainleib, Alexander; Espuche, Eliane; Grigoryeva, Olga; Starostenko, Olga; Gouanve, Fabrice; Boiteux, Gisèle; Saiter, Jean-Marc; Grande, Daniel

    2017-04-01

    This contribution addresses the relationships between the structure and gas transport properties of nanoporous thermostable cyanate ester resins (CERs) derived from polycyclotrimerization of 1,1'-bis(4-cyanatophenyl)ethane in the presence of 30 or 50 wt% of inert high-boiling temperature porogens (i.e., dimethyl- or dibutyl phthalates), followed by their quantitative removal. The nanopores in the films obtained were generated via a chemically induced phase separation route with further porogen extraction from the densely crosslinked CERs. To ensure a total desorption of the porogen moieties from the networks, an additional short-term thermal annealing at 250 °C was performed. The structure and morphology of such nanoporous CER-based films were investigated by FTIR and SEM techniques, respectively. Further, the gas transport properties of CER films were analyzed after the different processing steps, and relationships between the material structure and the main gas transport parameters were established.

  11. Prevalence and predictors of phthalate exposure in pregnant women in Charleston, SC.

    PubMed

    Wenzel, Abby G; Brock, John W; Cruze, Lori; Newman, Roger B; Unal, Elizabeth R; Wolf, Bethany J; Somerville, Stephen E; Kucklick, John R

    2018-02-01

    Phthalates are plasticizers commonly detected in human urine due to widespread exposure from PVC plastics, food packaging, and personal care products. Several phthalates are known antiandrogenic endocrine disruptors, which raises concern for prenatal exposure during critical windows of fetal development. While phthalate exposure is ubiquitous, certain demographics are subject to greater or lesser exposure. We sampled urine from 378 pregnant women during the second trimester of gestation living in Charleston, SC, and measured eight urinary phthalate metabolites as biomarkers of phthalate exposure: monobutyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and monomethyl phthalate (MMP). Demographic data was collected from questionnaires administered at the time of specimen collection. All phthalate metabolites were detected in over 93% of urine samples. On average, concentrations were highest for MEP (median = 47.0 ng/mL) and lowest for MMP (median = 1.92 ng/mL). Sociodemographic characteristics associated with elevated phthalate concentrations included being unmarried, less educated, having a low income, high body mass index (BMI), and/or being African American. After racial stratification, age, BMI, education, and income were significantly associated with phthalate concentrations in African American women. Marital status was associated with phthalate concentrations in Caucasian women only, with greater concentrations of MBP, MEHHP, MiBP, and MMP in unmarried versus married women. Results of this cross-sectional study provide evidence for significant racial and demographic variations in phthalate exposure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Excited-State Conformational/Electronic Responses of Saddle-Shaped N,N'-Disubstituted-Dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines: Wide-Tuning Emission from Red to Deep Blue and White Light Combination.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Zhiyun; Wu, Yu-Sin; Tang, Kuo-Chun; Chen, Chi-Lin; Ho, Jr-Wei; Su, Jianhua; Tian, He; Chou, Pi-Tai

    2015-07-08

    A tailored strategy is utilized to modify 5,10-dimethylphenazine (DMP) to donor-acceptor type N,N'-disubstituted-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines. The representative compounds DMAC (N,N'-dimethyl), DPAC (N,N'-diphenyl), and FlPAC (N-phenyl-N'-fluorenyl) reveal significant nonplanar distortions (i.e., a saddle shape) and remarkably large Stokes-shifted emission independent of the solvent polarity. For DPAC and FlPAC with higher steric hindrance on the N,N'-substituents, normal Stokes-shifted emission also appears, for which the peak wavelength reveals solvent-polarity dependence. These unique photophysical behaviors are rationalized by electronic configuration coupled conformation changes en route to the geometry planarization in the excited state. This proposed mechanism is different from the symmetry rule imposed to explain the anomalously long-wavelength emission for DMP and is firmly supported by polarity-, viscosity-, and temperature-dependent steady-state and nanosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. Together with femtosecond early dynamics and computational simulation of the reaction energy surfaces, the results lead us to establish a sequential, three-step kinetics. Upon electronic excitation of N,N'-disubstituted-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines, intramolecular charge-transfer takes place, followed by the combination of polarization stabilization and skeletal motion toward the planarization, i.e., elongation of the π-delocalization over the benzo[a,c]phenazines moiety. Along the planarization, DPAC and FlPAC encounter steric hindrance raised by the N,N'-disubstitutes, resulting in a local minimum state, i.e., the intermediate. The combination of initial charge-transfer state, intermediate, and the final planarization state renders the full spectrum of interest and significance in their anomalous photophysics. Depending on rigidity, the N,N'-disubstituted-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines exhibit multiple emissions, which can be widely tuned from red to deep blue and even to white light generation upon optimization of the surrounding media.

  13. Preosteocytes/Osteocytes Have the Potential to Dedifferentiate Becoming a Source of Osteoblasts

    PubMed Central

    Torreggiani, Elena; Matthews, Brya G.; Pejda, Slavica; Matic, Igor; Horowitz, Mark C.; Grcevic, Danka; Kalajzic, Ivo

    2013-01-01

    Presently there is no clear evidence for the ability of mature osteogenic lineage cells to dedifferentiate. In order to identify and trace mature osteogenic lineage cells, we have utilized transgenic mouse models in which the dentin matrix protein 1 (Dmp1) promoter drives expression of GFP (active marker) or Cre recombinase (historic label) in preosteocytes/osteocytes. In long bone chip outgrowth cultures, in which cells on the bone surface were enzymatically removed, cells with previous activity of the Dmp1 promoter migrated onto plastic and down-regulated Dmp1-GFP expression. Dmp1Cre-labeled cells from these cultures had the potential to re-differentiate into the osteogenic lineage, while the negative population showed evidence of adipogenesis. We observed numerous Dmp1Cre-labeled osteoblasts on the surface of bone chips following their in vivo transplantation. Our data indicate that cells embedded in bone matrix are motile, and once given access to the extra bony milieu will migrate out of their lacunae. This population of cells is phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous in vitro. Once the preosteocytes/osteocytes leave lacunae, they can dedifferentiate, potentially providing an additional source of functional osteoblasts. PMID:24040401

  14. Phthalates in toys available in Indian market.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Sapna; Saikia, Nirmali; Sahu, Ramakant

    2011-06-01

    Twenty four children's toys and child care articles available in the local market of India were analyzed for eight phthalates as children toys are plasticized with phthalates. All toy samples showed the presence of one or more phthalates including di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (96% of the samples), di-iso-nonyl phthalate and di-iso-decyl phthalate (42% of the samples) at a concentration ranging from 0.1% to 16.2%. Soft toys contain higher levels of phthalates as compared to hard toys as primary function of phthalates is softening of hard plastic materiel.

  15. Prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts reproduction in F1 female mice

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying; Flaws, Jodi A., E-ma

    Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, such as building materials, medical devices, and personal care products. Most previous studies on the toxicity of phthalates have focused on single phthalates, but it is also important to study the effects of phthalate mixtures because humans are exposed to phthalate mixtures. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture adversely affects female reproduction in mice. To test this hypothesis, pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200 μg/kg/day, 200 and 500 mg/kg/day) daily frommore » gestational day 10 to birth. The mixture was based on the composition of phthalates detected in urine samples from pregnant women in Illinois. The mixture included 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% diisononyl phthalate, 8% diisobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate. Female mice born to the exposed dams were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests at different ages. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture significantly increased uterine weight and decreased anogenital distance on postnatal days 8 and 60, induced cystic ovaries at 13 months, disrupted estrous cyclicity, reduced fertility-related indices, and caused some breeding complications at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Collectively, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts aspects of female reproduction in mice. - Highlights: • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture disrupts F1 estrous cyclicity. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture induces F1 ovarian cysts. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture decreases F1 female fertility-related indices. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture induces F1 breeding complications.« less

  16. Assessment of fetal testis function and postnatal development of the male rat following in utero exposure to diethylhexyl phthalate, dipentyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, diisoheptyl phthalate and diisononyl phthalate

    EPA Science Inventory

    Phthalate esters are a large class of plasticizer compounds widely used in many consumer product applications. Some phthalates induce male fetal endocrine toxicity and reproductive malformations through disruption of hormone production during sexual differentiation. Regulatory ag...

  17. URINARY AND AMNIOTIC FLUID LEVELS OF PHTHALATE MONOESTERS IN RATS AFTER THE ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHTHALATE AND DI-N-BUTYL PHTHALATE

    EPA Science Inventory

    Two studies were designed to examine amniotic fluid and maternal urine concentrations of the di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolite mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and the di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) metabolite monobutyl phthalate (MBP) after administration of DEHP and D...

  18. Prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts reproduction in F1 female mice

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying; Flaws, Jodi A.

    2017-01-01

    Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, such as building materials, medical devices, and personal care products. Most previous studies on the toxicity of phthalates have focused on single phthalates, but it is also important to study the effects of phthalate mixtures because humans are exposed to phthalate mixtures. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture adversely affects female reproduction in mice. To test this hypothesis, pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200 μg/kg/day, 200 and 500 mg/kg/day) daily from gestational day 10 to birth. The mixture was based on the composition of phthalates detected in urine samples from pregnant women in Illinois. The mixture included 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% diisononyl phthalate, 8% diisobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate. Female mice born to the exposed dams were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests at different ages. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture significantly increased uterine weight and decreased anogenital distance on postnatal days 8 and 60, induced cystic ovaries at 13 months, disrupted estrous cyclicity, reduced fertility-related indices, and caused some breeding complications at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Collectively, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts aspects of female reproduction in mice. PMID:28126412

  19. Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations among pregnant women in Northern Puerto Rico: distribution, temporal variability, and predictors.

    PubMed

    Cantonwine, David E; Cordero, José F; Rivera-González, Luis O; Anzalota Del Toro, Liza V; Ferguson, Kelly K; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Calafat, Antonia M; Crespo, Noe; Jiménez-Vélez, Braulio; Padilla, Ingrid Y; Alshawabkeh, Akram N; Meeker, John D

    2014-01-01

    Phthalate contamination exists in the North Coast karst aquifer system in Puerto Rico. In light of potential health impacts associated with phthalate exposure, targeted action for elimination of exposure sources may be warranted, especially for sensitive populations such as pregnant women. However, information on exposure to phthalates from a variety of sources in Puerto Rico is lacking. The objective of this study was to determine concentrations and predictors of urinary phthalate biomarkers measured at multiple times during pregnancy among women living in the Northern karst area of Puerto Rico. We recruited 139 pregnant women in Northern Puerto Rico and collected urine samples and questionnaire data at three separate visits (18 ± 2 weeks, 22 ± 2 weeks, and 26 ± 2 weeks of gestation). Urine samples were analyzed for eleven phthalate metabolites: mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate, mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate, mono-benzyl phthalate, mono-isobutyl phthalate, mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP), mono carboxyisononyl phthalate (MCNP), and mono carboxyisooctyl phthalate (MCOP). Detectable concentrations of phthalate metabolites among pregnant women living in Puerto Rico was prevalent, and metabolite concentrations tended to be higher than or similar to those measured in women of reproductive age from the general US population. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from very weak (MCNP; 0.05) to moderate (MEP; 0.44) reproducibility among all phthalate metabolites. We observed significant or suggestive positive associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and water usage/storage habits (MEP, MCNP, MCOP), use of personal care products (MEP), and consumption of certain food items (MCPP, MCNP, and MCOP). To our knowledge this is the first study to report concentrations, temporal variability, and predictors of phthalate biomarkers among pregnant women in Puerto Rico. Preliminary results suggest several potentially important exposure sources to phthalates in this population and future analysis from this ongoing prospective cohort will help to inform targeted approaches to reduce exposure. © 2013.

  20. Evaluation of a disease management program for COPD using propensity matched control group

    PubMed Central

    George, Pradeep Paul; Heng, Bee Hoon; Lim, Tow Keang; Abisheganaden, John; Ng, Alan Wei Keong; Lim, Fong Seng

    2016-01-01

    Background Disease management programs (DMPs) have proliferated recently as a means of improving the quality and efficiency of care for patients with chronic illness. These programs include education about disease, optimization of evidence-based medications, information and support from case managers, and institution of self-management principles. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Singapore and worldwide. DMP aims to reduce mortality, hospitalizations, and average length of stay in such patients. This study assesses the outcomes of the DMP, comparing the propensity score matched DMP patients with controls. Methods DMP patients were compared with the controls, who were COPD patients fulfilling the DMP’s inclusion criteria but not included in the program. Control patients were identified from Operations Data Store (ODS) database. The outcomes of interest were average length of stay, number of days admitted to hospital per 100 person days, readmission, and mortality rates per person year. The risk of death and readmission was estimated using Cox, and competing risk regression respectively. Propensity score was estimated to identify the predictors of DMP enrolment. DMP patients and controls were matched on their propensity score. Results There were 170 matched DMP patients and control patients having 287 and 207 hospitalizations respectively. Program patient had lower mortality than the controls (0.12 vs. 0.27 per person year); cumulative 1-year survival was 91% among program patient and 76% among the control patients. Readmission, and hospital days per 100 person-days was higher for the program patients (0.36 vs. 0.17 per person year), and (2.19 vs. 1.88 per person year) respectively. Conclusions Participation in “DMP” was associated with lower all-cause mortality when compared to the controls. This survival gain in the program patients was paradoxically associated with an increase in readmission rate and total hospital days. PMID:27499955

  1. Can we reduce preventable heart failure readmissions in patients enrolled in a Disease Management Programme?

    PubMed

    Phelan, D; Smyth, L; Ryder, M; Murphy, N; O'Loughlin, C; Conlon, C; Ledwidge, M; McDonald, K

    2009-06-01

    Disease Management Programmes (DMPs) are successful in reducing hospital readmissions in heart failure (HF). However, there remain a number of patients enrolled in a DMP who are readmitted with HF. The primary aim of the study was to determine the proportion of preventable readmissions (PR). The secondary aim was to recognise patient characteristics which would identify certain patients at risk of having a PR. A retrospective chart search was performed on patients readmitted over a 1-year period. 38.5% of readmissions were classified as PR. None of these patients made prior contact with the DMP. Admission levels of BNP, potassium, urea and creatinine were significantly lower in the PR group. DMP have proven benefits in reducing hospital readmission nonetheless a significant proportion of these readmissions are preventable. Further work is required to prospectively analyse why these patients fail to contact the DMP.

  2. Use of a Nationwide Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record by Healthcare Professionals and Patients: A Case Study with the French DMP.

    PubMed

    Seroussi, Brigitte; Bouaud, Jacques

    2017-01-01

    If the wide adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) is necessary to address health information sharing and care coordination issues, it is not sufficient. In order to address health information sharing, some countries, among which, France, have implemented a centralized framework with "new" nationwide care records. The French DMP is a centralized, nationally shared, electronic medical record, created according to the opt-in model. More than five years after the launching of the DMP project, DMPs have been created for 1.5% of the target population, which demonstrates the poor adoption of the tool by healthcare professionals. Among the 583,997 existing DMPs in June 2016, 41% were empty, and 24% of non-empty DMPs were actually accessed. If these "active" DMPs were equally accessed by both healthcare professionals and patients, patients accessed DMP documents four times more than healthcare professionals.

  3. Occurrence of phthalate esters in over-the-counter medicines from China and its implications for human exposure.

    PubMed

    Jia, Lu-Lu; Lou, Xiang-Ying; Guo, Ying; Leung, Kelvin Sze-Yin; Zeng, Eddy Y

    2017-01-01

    Food, air, personal care products and indoor dust have been recognized as the main routes of exposure to phthalates in Chinese population, but other sources may have been overlooked, e.g., medicines. To fill the knowledge gap, phthalate esters were measured in 96 over-the-counter medicines made in China, including selected 71 Chinese patented medicines and 25 western medicines. It was found that none of the medicines was free of phthalates. The mean concentrations of individual phthalates ranged from 0.001μg/g (dicyclohexyl phthalate) to 5.85μg/g (diethyl phthalate). Among 9 targeted phthalates, di-n-butyl phthalate was the dominant congener, accounting for >65% of the total phthalates in all medicine samples, followed by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and diethyl phthalate. Phthalates in medicines appeared to derive from gastroresistant film coatings, plastic packing materials or phthalate contaminated rural herbal plants (especially for Chinese patented medicines). Daily human exposure to phthalates was estimated for local patients for one treatment cycle (e.g., one week) based on suggested consumption dosage and phthalate concentrations. Almost all exposure levels were below the guidelines suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or European Food Safety Authority, indicating low health risk with phthalates from consumption of the medicines. In addition, concentration levels of phthalates in patients would increase upon administration but are expected to decrease to the same values as those in patients before they took medicines in several days. Because the number of medicine samples was limited and the concentrations of phthalates varied in a large range, further investigations are needed to acquire more data for better assessment of human health effects for Chinese population. Capsule: Distribution of phthalate esters in over-the-counter medicines and related exposure for Chinese population are examined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Phthalate Metabolites, Consumer Habits and Health Effects

    PubMed Central

    Wallner, Peter; Kundi, Michael; Hohenblum, Philipp; Scharf, Sigrid; Hutter, Hans-Peter

    2016-01-01

    Phthalates are multifunctional chemicals used in a wide variety of consumer products. The aim of this study was to investigate whether levels of urinary phthalate metabolites in urine samples of Austrian mothers and their children were associated with consumer habits and health indicators. Within an Austrian biomonitoring survey, urine samples from 50 mother-child pairs of five communities (two-stage random stratified sampling) were analysed. The concentrations of 14 phthalate metabolites were determined, and a questionnaire was administered. Monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (5oxo-MEHP), mono-(5-carboxy-2-ethylpentyl) phthalate (5cx-MEPP), and 3-carboxy-mono-propyl phthalate (3cx-MPP) could be quantified in the majority of samples. Significant correlations were found between the use of hair mousse, hair dye, makeup, chewing gum, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and the diethyl phthalate (DEP) metabolite MEP. With regard to health effects, significant associations of MEP in urine with headache, repeated coughing, diarrhoea, and hormonal problems were observed. MBzP was associated with repeated coughing and MEHP was associated with itching. PMID:27428989

  5. Phthalate Metabolites, Consumer Habits and Health Effects.

    PubMed

    Wallner, Peter; Kundi, Michael; Hohenblum, Philipp; Scharf, Sigrid; Hutter, Hans-Peter

    2016-07-15

    Phthalates are multifunctional chemicals used in a wide variety of consumer products. The aim of this study was to investigate whether levels of urinary phthalate metabolites in urine samples of Austrian mothers and their children were associated with consumer habits and health indicators. Within an Austrian biomonitoring survey, urine samples from 50 mother-child pairs of five communities (two-stage random stratified sampling) were analysed. The concentrations of 14 phthalate metabolites were determined, and a questionnaire was administered. Monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (5oxo-MEHP), mono-(5-carboxy-2-ethylpentyl) phthalate (5cx-MEPP), and 3-carboxy-mono-propyl phthalate (3cx-MPP) could be quantified in the majority of samples. Significant correlations were found between the use of hair mousse, hair dye, makeup, chewing gum, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and the diethyl phthalate (DEP) metabolite MEP. With regard to health effects, significant associations of MEP in urine with headache, repeated coughing, diarrhoea, and hormonal problems were observed. MBzP was associated with repeated coughing and MEHP was associated with itching.

  6. Classification of phthalates based on an in vitro neurosphere assay using rat mesencephalic neural stem cells.

    PubMed

    Ishido, Masami; Suzuki, Junko

    2014-02-01

    Exposure to environmental neurotoxic chemicals both in utero and during the early postnatal period can cause neurodevelopmental disorders. To evaluate the disruption of neurodevelopmental programming, we previously established an in vitro neurosphere assay system using rat mesencephalic neural stem cells that can be used to evaluate. Here, we extended the assay system to examine the neurodevelopmental toxicity of the endocrine disruptors butyl benzyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, di(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate, di-n-pentyl phthalate, and dihexyl phthalate at a range of concentrations (0-100 μM). All phthalates tested inhibited cell migration with a linear or non-linear range of concentrations when comparing migration distance to the logarithm of the phthalate concentrations. On the other hand, some, but not all, phthalates decreased the number of proliferating cells. Apoptotic cells were not observed upon phthalate exposure under any of the conditions tested, whereas the dopaminergic toxin rotenone induced significant apoptosis. Thus, we were able to classify phthalate toxicity based on cell migration and cell proliferation using the in vitro neurosphere assay.

  7. Prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts reproduction in F1 female mice.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying; Flaws, Jodi A

    2017-03-01

    Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, such as building materials, medical devices, and personal care products. Most previous studies on the toxicity of phthalates have focused on single phthalates, but it is also important to study the effects of phthalate mixtures because humans are exposed to phthalate mixtures. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture adversely affects female reproduction in mice. To test this hypothesis, pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200μg/kg/day, 200 and 500mg/kg/day) daily from gestational day 10 to birth. The mixture was based on the composition of phthalates detected in urine samples from pregnant women in Illinois. The mixture included 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% diisononyl phthalate, 8% diisobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate. Female mice born to the exposed dams were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests at different ages. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture significantly increased uterine weight and decreased anogenital distance on postnatal days 8 and 60, induced cystic ovaries at 13months, disrupted estrous cyclicity, reduced fertility-related indices, and caused some breeding complications at 3, 6, and 9months of age. Collectively, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts aspects of female reproduction in mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. 40 CFR 464.11 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    .... fluoranthene 44. methylene chloride (dichloromethane) 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 84. pyrene 85. tetrachloroethylene 87. trichloroethylene (2) Die Casting (§ 464.15(c...) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 72. benzo (a)anthracene...

  9. 40 CFR 464.11 - Specialized definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    .... fluoranthene 44. methylene chloride (dichloromethane) 65. phenol 66. bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 84. pyrene 85. tetrachloroethylene 87. trichloroethylene (2) Die Casting (§ 464.15(c...) phthalate 67. butyl benzyl phthalate 68. di-n-butyl phthalate 70. diethyl phthalate 72. benzo (a)anthracene...

  10. An Intact Dorsomedial Posterior Arcuate Nucleus is Not Necessary for Photoperiodic Responses in Siberian Hamsters1

    PubMed Central

    Teubner, Brett J.W.; Leitner, Claudia; Thomas, Michael A.; Ryu, Vitaly; Bartness, Timothy J.

    2015-01-01

    Seasonal responses of many animal species are triggered by changes in daylength and its transduction into a neuroendocrine signal by the pineal gland through the nocturnal duration of melatonin (MEL) release. The precise central sites necessary to receive, transduce, and relay the short day (SD) fall-winter MEL signals into seasonal responses and changes in physiology and behavior are unclear. In Siberian hamsters, SDs trigger decreases in body and lipid mass, testicular regression and pelage color changes. Several candidate genes and their central sites of expression have been proposed as components of the MEL transduction system with considerable recent focus on the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and its component, the dorsomedial posterior arcuate nucleus (dmpARC). This site has been postulated as a critical relay of SD information through the modulation of a variety of neurochemicals/receptors important for the control of energy balance. Here the necessity of an intact dmpARC for SD responses was tested by making electrolytic lesions of the Siberian hamster dmpARC and then exposing them to either long days (LD) or SDs for 12 weeks. The SD typical decreases in body and fat mass, food intake, testicular volume, serum testosterone concentrations, pelage color change and increased UCP-1 protein expression (a proxy for brown adipose tissue thermogenesis) all occurred despite the lack of an intact dmpARC. Although the Siberian hamster dmpARC contains photoperiod-modulated constituents, these data demonstrate that an intact dmpARC is not necessary for SD responses and not integral to the seasonal energy- and reproductive-related responses measured here. PMID:25647158

  11. A prospective examination of disease management program use by complex cardiac outpatients.

    PubMed

    Gravely, Shannon; Reid, Robert D; Oh, Paul; Ross, Heather; Stewart, Donna E; Grace, Sherry L

    2012-01-01

    The use of disease management programs (DMPs) by patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with improved outcomes. Although rates of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) use are well established, less is known about other DMPs. The objectives of this study were to describe the degree of DMP utilization by CVD outpatients, and examine factors related to use. This study represents a secondary analysis of a larger prospective cohort study. In hospital, 2635 CVD inpatients from 11 hospitals in Ontario Canada completed a survey that assessed factors affecting DMP utilization. One year later, 1803 participants completed a mailed survey that assessed DMP utilization. One thousand seventy-three (59.5%) participants reported using at least 1 DMP. Overall, 951 (52.7%) reported participating in cardiac rehabilitation, and among participants with a comorbid indication, 212 (41.2%) reported attending a diabetes education centre, 28 (25.9%) attended stroke rehabilitation, 35 (12.9%) used a heart failure clinic, and 13 (11.7%) attended a smoking cessation program. A multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that compared with no DMP use, participants that attended 1 or multiple programs were younger, married, diagnosed with a myocardial infarction, less likely to have had a percutaneous coronary intervention and had higher perceptions of personal control over their heart condition. There were few differences between participants that used 1 vs multiple DMPs, however, having diabetes or comorbid stroke significantly increased the likelihood of multiple DMP use. Approximately 40% of CVD outpatients do not access DMPs. An integrated approach to vascular disease management appears warranted. Copyright © 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Variability and predictors of urinary phthalate metabolites in Spanish pregnant women.

    PubMed

    Valvi, Damaskini; Monfort, Nuria; Ventura, Rosa; Casas, Maribel; Casas, Lidia; Sunyer, Jordi; Vrijheid, Martine

    2015-03-01

    Developmental exposure to phthalates may be associated with adverse health outcomes but information on the variability and predictors of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations during pregnancy is limited. We evaluated in Spanish pregnant women (n=391) the reproducibility of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and predictors of exposure. We measured mono-(4-methyl-7-hydroxyoctyl) phthalate (7-OHMMeOP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono-(2-carboxyhexyl) phthalate (MCMHP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) in two spot urine samples collected in the first and third pregnancy trimesters. Questionnaires on predictors and food-frequency questionnaires were administered in the first and/or third pregnancy trimesters. Using creatinine-adjusted phthalate metabolite concentrations (log10-trasformed) we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Linear mixed and regression models assessed the associations between predictors and phthalate metabolites. The ICCs ranged from 0.24 to 0.07 and were higher for MBzP, MEP, MiBP, and lower for MEOHP and MEHHP. Overweight, lower education and social class, and less frequent consumption of organic food were associated with higher levels of some phthalate metabolites. The use of household cleaning products (bleach, ammonia, glass cleaners, oven cleaning sprays and degreasing products) at least once per week during pregnancy was associated with 10-44% higher urinary phthalate metabolites. Bottled-water consumption, consumption of food groups usually stored in plastic containers or cans, use of plastic containers for heating food and cosmetic use were not associated with increased concentrations of phthalate metabolites. This large study with repeated phthalate measurements suggests that, in this Spanish setting, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and household cleaning product use are better predictors of phthalate exposure levels in pregnant women than average water and food consumption and use of plastic containers and cosmetics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  13. Phthalates biodegradation in the environment.

    PubMed

    Liang, Da-Wei; Zhang, Tong; Fang, Herbert H P; He, Jianzhong

    2008-08-01

    Phthalates are synthesized in massive amounts to produce various plastics and have become widespread in environments following their release as a result of extensive usage and production. This has been of an environmental concern because phthalates are hepatotoxic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic by nature. Numerous studies indicated that phthalates can be degraded by bacteria and fungi under aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic conditions. This paper gives a review on the biodegradation of phthalates and includes the following aspects: (1) the relationship between the chemical structure of phthalates and their biodegradability, (2) the biodegradation of phthalates by pure/mixed cultures, (3) the biodegradation of phthalates under various environments, and (4) the biodegradation pathways of phthalates.

  14. Selection effects may account for better outcomes of the German Disease Management Program for type 2 diabetes

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background The nationwide German disease management program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes was introduced in 2003. Meanwhile, results from evaluation studies were published, but possible baseline differences between DMP and usual-care patients have not been examined. The objective of our study was therefore to find out if patient characteristics as socio-demographic variables, cardiovascular risk profile or motivation for life style changes influence the chance of being enrolled in the German DMP for type 2 diabetes and may therefore account for outcome differences between DMP and usual-care patients. Methods Case control study comparing DMP patients with usual-care patients at baseline and follow up; mean follow-up period of 36 ± 14 months. We used chart review data from 51 GP surgeries. Participants were 586 DMP and 250 usual-care patients with type 2 diabetes randomly selected by chart registry. Data were analysed by multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses. Significance levels were p ≤ 0.05. Results There was a better chance for enrolment if patients a) had a lower risk status for diabetes complications, i.e. non-smoking (odds ratio of 1.97, 95% confidence interval of 1.11 to 3.48) and lower systolic blood pressure (1.79 for 120 mmHg vs. 160 mmHg, 1.15 to 2.81); b) had higher activity rates, i.e. were practicing blood glucose self-monitoring (1.67, 1.03 to 2.76) and had been prescribed a diabetes patient education before enrolment (2.32, 1.29 to 4.19) c) were treated with oral medication (2.17, 1.35 to 3.49) and d) had a higher GP-rated motivation for diabetes education (4.55 for high motivation vs. low motivation, 2.21 to 9.36). Conclusions At baseline, future DMP patients had a lower risk for diabetes complications, were treated more intensively and were more active and motivated in managing their disease than usual-care patients. This finding a) points to the problem that the German DMP may not reach the higher risk patients and b) selection bias may impair the assessment of differences in outcome quality between enrolled and usual-care patients. Suggestions for dealing with this bias in evaluation studies are being made. PMID:21194442

  15. [Ambulatory care of patients with asthma in Germany and disease management program for asthma from the view of statutory health insured patients. A postal survey of statutory health insured patients].

    PubMed

    Bücker, B; Löscher, S; Schürer, C; Schaper, K; Abholz, H-H; Wilm, S

    2015-03-01

    In spite of a decline in mortality due to asthma in Germany various studies point towards deficits in asthma care. Our investigation should collect data about ambulatory care from the view of statutory health insured patients (SHI), who participate in the disease management program asthma (DMP-P) or do not (NP). Primary question was, if there is a difference between asthma control. Secondary questions referred to process parameters. The postal inquiry was conducted in 2010 with 8000 randomly selected members of a SHI company with asthma (4000 DMP-P and 4000 NP). The descriptive evaluation of categorical items was performed with cross-tables. The absolute risk reduction (ARR) and 97.5 %-confidence interval (CI; multiple level 5 %) was used to evaluate the primary question. Secondary questions were analysed by ARR and 95 %-CI. The response rate of the questionnaire accounted for 31.1 % (2565). 49.2 % of all respondents lived with an uncontrolled asthma with no differences between DMP-P and NP (ARR -2.7 %, 97.5 %-CI -7.9 -2.4 %). Results did not alter after adjustment for sex and age. The secondary questions revealed significant differences (DMP-P vs. NP) in participation in asthma trainings 50.6 vs. 32.3 %, use of a peak-flow-meter 49.3 vs. 25.3 % and asthma action plan within reach 21.7 vs. 11.0 %. Half of all respondents lives selfreported - even in the DMP-group - with an uncontrolled asthma. Process parameters showed better results in the DMP-group. It can be considered, that the DMP has its desired effect on patient-centered care, but does not lead to a better therapeutic outcome. Explanations can only be assumed: insufficient impact of the process parameters on the outcome, patient behavior, that minimizes a possible effect, or selection effects, if patients, who were more sick and at the same time more motivated, were mainly included in the DMP. These aspects should be addressed in studies with a prospective design. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  16. Selection effects may account for better outcomes of the German Disease Management Program for type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Schäfer, Ingmar; Küver, Claudia; Gedrose, Benjamin; von Leitner, Eike-Christin; Treszl, András; Wegscheider, Karl; van den Bussche, Hendrik; Kaduszkiewicz, Hanna

    2010-12-31

    The nationwide German disease management program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes was introduced in 2003. Meanwhile, results from evaluation studies were published, but possible baseline differences between DMP and usual-care patients have not been examined. The objective of our study was therefore to find out if patient characteristics as socio-demographic variables, cardiovascular risk profile or motivation for life style changes influence the chance of being enrolled in the German DMP for type 2 diabetes and may therefore account for outcome differences between DMP and usual-care patients. Case control study comparing DMP patients with usual-care patients at baseline and follow up; mean follow-up period of 36 ± 14 months. We used chart review data from 51 GP surgeries. Participants were 586 DMP and 250 usual-care patients with type 2 diabetes randomly selected by chart registry. Data were analysed by multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses. Significance levels were p ≤ 0.05. There was a better chance for enrolment if patients a) had a lower risk status for diabetes complications, i.e. non-smoking (odds ratio of 1.97, 95% confidence interval of 1.11 to 3.48) and lower systolic blood pressure (1.79 for 120 mmHg vs. 160 mmHg, 1.15 to 2.81); b) had higher activity rates, i.e. were practicing blood glucose self-monitoring (1.67, 1.03 to 2.76) and had been prescribed a diabetes patient education before enrolment (2.32, 1.29 to 4.19) c) were treated with oral medication (2.17, 1.35 to 3.49) and d) had a higher GP-rated motivation for diabetes education (4.55 for high motivation vs. low motivation, 2.21 to 9.36). At baseline, future DMP patients had a lower risk for diabetes complications, were treated more intensively and were more active and motivated in managing their disease than usual-care patients. This finding a) points to the problem that the German DMP may not reach the higher risk patients and b) selection bias may impair the assessment of differences in outcome quality between enrolled and usual-care patients. Suggestions for dealing with this bias in evaluation studies are being made.

  17. Synthesis and characterization of a family of structurally characterized dysprosium alkoxides for improved fatigue-resistance characteristics of PDyZT thin films.

    PubMed

    Boyle, Timothy J; Bunge, Scott D; Clem, Paul G; Richardson, Jacob; Dawley, Jeffrey T; Ottley, Leigh Anna M; Rodriguez, Mark A; Tuttle, Bruce A; Avilucea, Gabriel R; Tissot, Ralph G

    2005-03-07

    Using either an ammoniacal route, the reaction between DyCl3, Na0, and HOR in liquid ammonia, or preferentially reacting Dy(N(SiMe3)2)3 with HOR in a solvent, we isolated a family of dysprosium alkoxides as [Dy(mu-ONep)2(ONep)]4 (1), (ONep)2Dy[(mu3-ONep)(mu-ONep)Dy(ONep)(THF)]2(mu-ONep) (2), (ONep)2Dy[(mu3-ONep)(mu-ONep)Dy(ONep)(py)]2(mu-ONep) (3), [Dy3(mu3-OBut)2(mu-OBut3(OBut)4(HOBut)2] (4), [Dy3(mu3-OBut)2(mu-OBut)3(OBut)4(THF)2] (5), [Dy3(mu3-OBut)2(mu-OBut)3(OBut)4(py)2] (6), (DMP)Dy(mu-DMP)4[Dy(DMP)2(NH3)]2 (7), [Dy(eta6-DMP)(DMP)2]2 (8), Dy(DMP)3(THF)3 (9), Dy(DMP)3(py)3 (10), Dy(DIP)3(NH3)2 (11), [Dy(eta6-DIP)(DIP)2]2 (12), Dy(DIP)3(THF)2 (13), Dy(DIP)3(py)3 (14), Dy(DBP)3(NH3) (15), Dy(DBP)3 (16), Dy(DBP)3(THF) (17), Dy(DBP)3(py)2 (18), [Dy(mu-TPS)(TPS2]2 (19), Dy(TPS)3(THF)3 (20), and Dy(TPS)3(py)3 (21), where ONep = OCH2CMe3, OBut) = OCMe3, DMP = OC6H3(Me)(2)-2,6, DIP = OC6H3(CHMe2)(2)-2,6, DBP = OC6H3(CMe3)(2)-2,6, TPS = OSi(C6H5)3, tol = toluene, THF = tetrahydrofuran, and py = pyridine. We were not able to obtain X-ray quality crystals of compounds 2, 8, and 9. The structures observed and data collected for the Dy compounds are consistent with those reported for its other congeners. A number of these precursors were used as Dy dopants in Pb(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 (PZT 30/70) thin films, with compound 12 yielding the highest-quality films. The resulting Pb0.94Dy0.04(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 [PDyZT (4/30/70)] had similar properties to PZT (30/70), but showed substantial resistance to polarization reversal fatigue.

  18. Social disparities in Disease Management Programmes for coronary heart disease in Germany: a cross-classified multilevel analysis.

    PubMed

    Bozorgmehr, Kayvan; Maier, Werner; Brenner, Hermann; Saum, Kai-Uwe; Stock, Christian; Miksch, Antje; Holleczek, Bernd; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Razum, Oliver

    2015-11-01

    Disease Management Programmes (DMPs) aim to improve effectiveness and equity of care but may suffer from selective enrolment. We analysed social disparities in DMP enrolment among elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in Germany, taking into account contextual effects at municipality and primary care practice levels. Cross-sectional analysis of effects of educational attainment and regional deprivation on physician-reported DMP enrolment in a subsample of a large population-based cohort study in Germany, adjusting for individual-level, practice-level and area-level variables. We calculated OR and their 95% CIs (95% CI) in cross-classified, multilevel logistic regression models. Among N=1280 individuals with CHD (37.3% women), DMP enrolment rates were 22.2% (women) and 35% (men). The odds of DMP enrolment were significantly higher for male patients (OR=1.98 (1.50 to 2.62)), even after adjustment for potential confounding by individual-level, practice-level and area-level variables (range: OR=1.60 (1.08 to 2.36) to 2.16 (1.57 to 2.98)). Educational attainment was not significantly associated with DMP enrolment. Compared to patients living in least-deprived municipalities, the adjusted propensity of DMP enrolment was statistically significantly lower for patients living in medium-deprived municipalities (OR=0.41 (0.24 to 0.71)), and it also tended to be lower for patients living in the most-deprived municipalities (OR=0.70 (0.40 to 1.21)). Models controlling for the social situation (instead of health-related behaviour) yielded comparable effect estimates (medium-deprived/most-deprived vs least-deprived areas: OR=0.45 (0.26 to 0.78)/OR=0.68 (0.33 to 1.19)). Controlling for differences in comorbidity attenuated the deprivation effect estimates. We found evidence for marked gender, but not educational disparities in DMP enrolment among patients with CHD. Small-area deprivation was associated with DMP enrolment, but the effects were partly explained by differences in comorbidity. Future studies on DMPs should consider contextual effects when analysing programme effectiveness or impacts on equity and efficiency. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  19. Fetal and Childhood Exposure to Phthalate Diesters and Cognitive Function in Children Up to 12 Years of Age: Taiwanese Maternal and Infant Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Han-Bin; Chen, Hsin-Yi; Su, Pen-Hua; Huang, Po-Chin; Sun, Chien-Wen; Wang, Chien-Jen; Chen, Hsiao-Yen

    2015-01-01

    Few studies have examined the association between environmental phthalate exposure and children’s neurocognitive development. This longitudinal study examined cognitive function in relation to pre-and postnatal phthalate exposure in children 2–12 years old. We recruited 430 pregnant women in their third trimester in Taichung, Taiwan from 2001–2002. A total of 110, 79, 76, and 73 children were followed up at ages 2, 5, 8, and 11, respectively. We evaluated the children’s cognitive function at four different time points using the Bayley and Wechsler tests for assessing neurocognitive functions and intelligence (IQ). Urine samples were collected from mothers during pregnancy and from children at each follow-up visit. They were analyzed for seven metabolite concentrations of widely used phthalate esters. These esters included monomethyl phthalate, monoethyl phthalate, mono-butyl phthalate, mono-benzyl phthalate, and three metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, namely, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate, and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate. We constructed a linear mixed model to examine the relationships between the phthalate metabolite concentrations and the Bayley and IQ scores. We found significant inverse associations between the children’s levels of urinary mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate and the sum of the three metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and their IQ scores (β = -1.818; 95% CI: -3.061, -0.574, p = 0.004 for mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate; β = -1.575; 95% CI: -3.037, -0.113, p = 0.035 for the sum of the three metabolites) after controlling for maternal phthalate levels and potential confounders. We did not observe significant associations between maternal phthalate exposure and the children’s IQ scores. Children’s but not prenatal phthalate exposure was associated with decreased cognitive development in the young children. Large-scale prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings in the future. PMID:26121592

  20. Consumer product exposures associated with urinary phthalate levels in pregnant women

    PubMed Central

    Buckley, Jessie P.; Palmieri, Rachel T.; Matuszewski, Jeanine M.; Herring, Amy H.; Baird, Donna D.; Hartmann, Katherine E.; Hoppin, Jane A.

    2012-01-01

    Human phthalate exposure is ubiquitous, but little is known regarding predictors of urinary phthalate levels. To explore this, 50 pregnant women aged 18–38 years completed two questionnaires on potential phthalate exposures and provided a first morning void. Urine samples were analyzed for 12 phthalate metabolites. Associations with questionnaire items were evaluated via Wilcoxon tests and t-tests, and r-squared values were calculated in multiple linear regression models. Few measured factors were statistically significantly associated with phthalate levels. Individuals who used nail polish had higher levels of mono-butyl phthalate (p=0.048) than non-users. Mono-benzyl phthalate levels were higher among women who used eye makeup (p=0.034) or used makeup on a regular basis (p=0.004). Women who used cologne or perfume had higher levels of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites. Household products, home flooring or paneling, and other personal care products were also associated with urinary phthalates. The proportion of variance in metabolite concentrations explained by questionnaire items ranged between 0.31 for mono-ethyl phthalate and 0.42 for mono-n-methyl phthalate. Although personal care product use may be an important predictor of urinary phthalate levels, most of the variability in phthalate exposure was not captured by our relatively comprehensive set of questionnaire items. PMID:22760436

  1. Personal care product use and urinary levels of phthalate metabolites in Mexican women.

    PubMed

    Romero-Franco, Michelle; Hernández-Ramírez, Raúl U; Calafat, Antonia M; Cebrián, Mariano E; Needham, Larry L; Teitelbaum, Susan; Wolff, Mary S; López-Carrillo, Lizbeth

    2011-07-01

    Sources of phthalates other than Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) related products are scarcely documented in Mexico. The objective of our study was to explore the association between urinary levels of nine phthalate metabolites and the use of personal care products. Subjects included 108 women who participated as controls in an ongoing population-based case-control study of environmental factors and genetic susceptibility to breast cancer in northern Mexico. Direct interviews were performed to inquire about sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive history, use of personal care products, and diet. Phthalate metabolites measured in urine by high performance liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry were monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) as well as mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate (MEOHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate (MECPP) that are metabolites of di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Detectable urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites varied from 75% (MEHP) to 100% (MEP, MBP, MEOHP, MEHHP and MECPP). Medians of urinary concentrations of some phthalate metabolites were significantly higher among users of the following personal care products compared to nonusers: body lotion (MEHHP, MECPP and sum of DEHP metabolites (ΣDEHP)), deodorant (MEHP and ΣDEHP), perfume (MiBP), anti-aging facial cream (MEP, MBP and MCPP) and bottled water (MCPP, MEHHP and MEOHP). Urinary concentrations of MEP showed a positive relationship with the number of personal care products used. Our results suggest that the use of some personal care products contributes to phthalate body burden that deserves attention due to its potential health impact. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Urinary concentrations of phthalates and phenols in a population of Spanish pregnant women and children.

    PubMed

    Casas, Lidia; Fernández, Mariana F; Llop, Sabrina; Guxens, Mònica; Ballester, Ferran; Olea, Nicolás; Irurzun, Mikel Basterrechea; Rodríguez, Loreto Santa Marina; Riaño, Isolina; Tardón, Adonina; Vrijheid, Martine; Calafat, Antonia M; Sunyer, Jordi

    2011-07-01

    Phthalate and phenol exposure is prevalent among the general population and of potential concern for pregnant women and children because of their suspected susceptibility to endocrine effects. To evaluate the extent of exposure to several phthalates and phenols in a sample of Spanish pregnant women - according to their individual characteristics (age, social class, education, and body mass index) - and children who participated in the INMA - Infancia y Medio Ambiente (Environment and Childhood) project. One spot urine sample was taken during the third trimester of pregnancy from 120 pregnant women and from 30 4-year old children belonging to 5 Spanish birth cohorts, and analyzed for 11 phthalate metabolites and 9 phenols. Three metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate, and mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate; two metabolites of dibutyl phthalates, mono-isobutyl phthalate and mono-n-butyl phthalate; monoethyl phthalate (MEP), the main metabolite of diethyl phthalate; and two phenols, methyl paraben (M-PB) and 2,5-dichlorophenol were detected in the urine samples of all women. The highest urinary concentrations were for MEP and M-PB. Urinary concentrations of all phthalate metabolites and of 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, and bisphenol A were lower in the pregnant women than in the children. Among women, a positive relationship with social class and education was shown for most of the phthalate metabolites and phenols. Almost all phthalate metabolites varied by region even after adjusting for social class and education. Phthalate and phenol exposures are prevalent in a group of pregnant women and young children, two susceptible populations, and these exposures might be positively related to social class. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. DMP1 mutations in autosomal recessive hypophosphatemia implicate a bone matrix protein in the regulation of phosphate homeostasis

    PubMed Central

    Lorenz-Depiereux, Bettina; Bastepe, Murat; Benet-Pagès, Anna; Amyere, Mustapha; Wagenstaller, Janine; Müller-Barth, Ursula; Badenhoop, Klaus; Kaiser, Stephanie M; Rittmaster, Roger S; Shlossberg, Alan H; Olivares, José L; Loris, César; Ramos, Feliciano J; Glorieux, Francis; Vikkula, Miikka; Jüppner, Harald; Strom, Tim M

    2018-01-01

    Hypophosphatemia is a genetically heterogeneous disease. Here, we mapped an autosomal recessive form (designated ARHP) to chromosome 4q21 and identified homozygous mutations in DMP1 (dentin matrix protein 1), which encodes a non-collagenous bone matrix protein expressed in osteoblasts and osteocytes. Intact plasma levels of the phosphaturic protein FGF23 were clearly elevated in two of four affected individuals, providing a possible explanation for the phosphaturia and inappropriately normal 1,25(OH)2D levels and suggesting that DMP1 may regulate FGF23 expression. PMID:17033625

  4. DMP1 mutations in autosomal recessive hypophosphatemia implicate a bone matrix protein in the regulation of phosphate homeostasis.

    PubMed

    Lorenz-Depiereux, Bettina; Bastepe, Murat; Benet-Pagès, Anna; Amyere, Mustapha; Wagenstaller, Janine; Müller-Barth, Ursula; Badenhoop, Klaus; Kaiser, Stephanie M; Rittmaster, Roger S; Shlossberg, Alan H; Olivares, José L; Loris, César; Ramos, Feliciano J; Glorieux, Francis; Vikkula, Miikka; Jüppner, Harald; Strom, Tim M

    2006-11-01

    Hypophosphatemia is a genetically heterogeneous disease. Here, we mapped an autosomal recessive form (designated ARHP) to chromosome 4q21 and identified homozygous mutations in DMP1 (dentin matrix protein 1), which encodes a non-collagenous bone matrix protein expressed in osteoblasts and osteocytes. Intact plasma levels of the phosphaturic protein FGF23 were clearly elevated in two of four affected individuals, providing a possible explanation for the phosphaturia and inappropriately normal 1,25(OH)2D levels and suggesting that DMP1 may regulate FGF23 expression.

  5. Spatially and temporally controlled biomineralization is facilitated by interaction between self-assembled dentin matrix protein 1 and calcium phosphate nuclei in solution.

    PubMed

    He, Gen; Gajjeraman, Sivakumar; Schultz, David; Cookson, David; Qin, Chunlin; Butler, William T; Hao, Jianjun; George, Anne

    2005-12-13

    Bone and dentin biomineralization are well-regulated processes mediated by extracellular matrix proteins. It is widely believed that specific matrix proteins in these tissues modulate nucleation of apatite nanoparticles and their growth into micrometer-sized crystals via molecular recognition at the protein-mineral interface. However, this assumption has been supported only circumstantially, and the exact mechanism remains unknown. Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is an acidic matrix protein, present in the mineralized matrix of bone and dentin. In this study, we have demonstrated using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering that DMP1 in solution can undergo oligomerization and temporarily stabilize the newly formed calcium phosphate nanoparticle precursors by sequestering them and preventing their further aggregation and precipitation. The solution structure represents the first low-resolution structural information for DMP1. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies further confirmed that the nascent calcium phosphate nuclei formed in solution were assembled into ordered protein-mineral complexes with the aid of oligomerized DMP1, recombinant and native. This study reveals a novel mechanism by which DMP1 might facilitate initiation of mineral nucleation at specific sites during bone and dentin mineralization and prevent spontaneous calcium phosphate precipitation in areas in which mineralization is not desirable.

  6. Multiple Hfq-Crc target sites are required to impose catabolite repression on (methyl)phenol metabolism in Pseudomonas putida CF600.

    PubMed

    Wirebrand, Lisa; Madhushani, Anjana W K; Irie, Yasuhiko; Shingler, Victoria

    2018-01-01

    The dmp-system encoded on the IncP-2 pVI150 plasmid of Pseudomonas putida CF600 confers the ability to assimilate (methyl)phenols. Regulation of the dmp-genes is subject to sophisticated control, which includes global regulatory input to subvert expression of the pathway in the presence of preferred carbon sources. Previously we have shown that in P. putida, translational inhibition exerted by the carbon repression control protein Crc operates hand-in-hand with the RNA chaperon protein Hfq to reduce translation of the DmpR regulator of the Dmp-pathway. Here, we show that Crc and Hfq co-target four additional sites to form riboprotein complexes within the proximity of the translational initiation sites of genes encoding the first two steps of the Dmp-pathway to mediate two-layered control in the face of selection of preferred substrates. Furthermore, we present evidence that Crc plays a hitherto unsuspected role in maintaining the pVI150 plasmid within a bacterial population, which has implications for (methyl)phenol degradation and a wide variety of other physiological processes encoded by the IncP-2 group of Pseudomonas-specific mega-plasmids. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. The MAP kinase ERK and its scaffold protein MP1 interact with the chromatin regulator Corto during Drosophila wing tissue development

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades (p38, JNK, ERK pathways) are involved in cell fate acquisition during development. These kinase modules are associated with scaffold proteins that control their activity. In Drosophila, dMP1, that encodes an ERK scaffold protein, regulates ERK signaling during wing development and contributes to intervein and vein cell differentiation. Functional relationships during wing development between a chromatin regulator, the Enhancer of Trithorax and Polycomb Corto, ERK and its scaffold protein dMP1, are examined here. Results Genetic interactions show that corto and dMP1 act together to antagonize rolled (which encodes ERK) in the future intervein cells, thus promoting intervein fate. Although Corto, ERK and dMP1 are present in both cytoplasmic and nucleus compartments, they interact exclusively in nucleus extracts. Furthermore, Corto, ERK and dMP1 co-localize on several sites on polytene chromosomes, suggesting that they regulate gene expression directly on chromatin. Finally, Corto is phosphorylated. Interestingly, its phosphorylation pattern differs between cytoplasm and nucleus and changes upon ERK activation. Conclusions Our data therefore suggest that the Enhancer of Trithorax and Polycomb Corto could participate in regulating vein and intervein genes during wing tissue development in response to ERK signaling. PMID:21401930

  8. DMP-1-mediated Ghr gene recombination compromises skeletal development and impairs skeletal response to intermittent PTH.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhongbo; Kennedy, Oran D; Cardoso, Luis; Basta-Pljakic, Jelena; Partridge, Nicola C; Schaffler, Mitchell B; Rosen, Clifford J; Yakar, Shoshana

    2016-02-01

    Bone minerals are acquired during growth and are key determinants of adult skeletal health. During puberty, the serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and its downstream effector IGF-1 increase and play critical roles in bone acquisition. The goal of the current study was to determine how bone cells integrate signals from the GH/IGF-1 to enhance skeletal mineralization and strength during pubertal growth. Osteocytes, the most abundant bone cells, were shown to orchestrate bone modeling during growth. We used dentin matrix protein (Dmp)-1-mediated Ghr knockout (DMP-GHRKO) mice to address the role of the GH/IGF axis in osteocytes. We found that DMP-GHRKO did not affect linear growth but compromised overall bone accrual. DMP-GHRKO mice exhibited reduced serum inorganic phosphate and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and decreased bone formation indices and were associated with an impaired response to intermittent PTH treatment. Using an osteocyte-like cell line along with in vivo studies, we found that PTH sensitized the response of bone to GH by increasing Janus kinase-2 and IGF-1R protein levels. We concluded that endogenously secreted PTH and GHR signaling in bone are necessary to establish radial bone growth and optimize mineral acquisition during growth. © FASEB.

  9. 75 FR 31426 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-03

    ... health of all phthalates and phthalate alternatives as used in children's toys and child care articles... the CPSIA permanently prohibits the sale of any ``children's toy or child care article'' containing... articles'' containing more than 0.1 percent of each of three additional phthalates-- diisononyl phthalate...

  10. Prohibition of Children’s Toys and Child Care Articles Containing Specified Phthalates. Final rule.

    PubMed

    2017-10-27

    The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) issues this final rule prohibiting children's toys and child care articles that contain concentrations of more than 0.1 percent of diisononyl phthalate (DINP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-pentyl phthalate (DPENP), di-n-hexyl phthalate (DHEXP), and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP). Section 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) established permanent and interim prohibitions on the sale of certain consumer products containing specific phthalates. That provision also directed the CPSC to convene a Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP) to study the effects on children's health of all phthalates and phthalate alternatives as used in children's toys and child care articles and to provide recommendations to the Commission regarding whether any phthalates or phthalate alternatives, other than those already permanently prohibited, should be prohibited. The CPSIA requires the Commission to promulgate a final rule after receiving the final CHAP report. This rule fulfills that requirement.

  11. Elevated phthalates' exposure in children with constitutional delay of growth and puberty.

    PubMed

    Xie, Changming; Zhao, Yan; Gao, Lianlian; Chen, Jiao; Cai, Depei; Zhang, Yunhui

    2015-05-15

    Phthalates have been proven to be antiandrogenic, which may interfere with the timing of puberty. Children with Constitutional Delay of Growth and Puberty (CDGP) typically display short stature and pubertal delay. This study investigated whether phthalate's exposure was associated with CDGP, and evaluated the potential mediator role of testosterone. In this case-control study, a total of 167 boys, including 57 boys with CDGP (cases) and 110 controls were enrolled. We measured six major phthalate metabolites in urine samples using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The serum testosterone level was determined by radioimmunoassay. Children in the CDGP group were determined to have significantly elevated urinary phthalates concentration compared with control subjects (total phthalates median: case, 107.00 ng/ml; control, 62.22 ng/ml, p = 0.001). After adjustment for BMI and other confounding factors: mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and total phthalate concentrations were significantly negatively associated with serum testosterone level (MBP: β = -45.7, p = 0.017; MEP: β = -31.6, p = 0.022; total phthalates: β = -24.6, p = 0.011); MBP, MEP, mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and total phthalates were significantly associated with CDGP (odds ratio: MBP: 8.30, p = 0.002; MEP: 5.43, p = 0.002; MEHP: 3.83, p = 0.017; total phthalates: 9.09, p = 0.001). Serum testosterone level acted as a mediator of the association between phthalates' exposure and CDGP (p = 0.002) (proportion mediated: 34.4%). In this case-control study, elevated phthalates' level was detected in children with CDGP in Shanghai, China and phthalate level was associated with CDGP, which appeared to be mediated by circulating testosterone level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Semen quality and insulin-like factor 3: Associations with urinary and seminal levels of phthalate metabolites in adult males.

    PubMed

    Chang, Wei-Hsiang; Wu, Meng-Hsing; Pan, Hsien-An; Guo, Pao-Lin; Lee, Ching-Chang

    2017-04-01

    Certain phthalates have adverse effects on male reproductive functions in animals, and potentially affect human testicular function and spermatogenesis, but little is known about the active mechanisms. We measured the urinary and seminal phthalate metabolites and explored their associations on insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3) and semen quality. Urine, blood, and semen samples were collected from the male partners of subfertile (n = 253) and fertile (n = 37) couples in a reproductive center in southern Taiwan. INSL3, reproductive hormones, semen-quality, and 11 phthalate metabolites in urine and semen were measured. There were significant correlations in the distribution pattern of metabolites, such as the relative contribution of low or high molecular weight phthalate metabolites. The significantly monotonic trends in semen volume, sperm concentration and motility were associated with increasing quartiles of INSL3 (all p-trend < 0.001). In adjusted regression models, increases in urinary phthalate metabolites levels were adversely associated with sperm concentration (monobenzyl phthalate [MBzP], mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate [MEHP] and MEHP%), motility (MBzP and MEHP) and INSL3 (MBzP, MEHP and MEHP%) (all p < 0.01). Higher seminal phthalate metabolite levels were associated with decreases in sperm concentration (MEHP and mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate), motility (mono-ethyl phthalate [MEP] and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [DEHP] metabolites), normal morphology (MEP), and INSL3 (monomethyl phthalate and MEP) (all p < 0.05). Our data suggest that INSL3 secretion, reproductive hormone balance, and sperm production and quality might be simultaneously adversely affected for individuals excreting increasing levels of phthalates metabolites (especially di-ethyl phthalate, butylbenzyl phthalate, and DEHP) in urine and semen samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Long-Term Clinical Outcome and Carrier Phenotype in Autosomal Recessive Hypophosphatemia Caused by a Novel DMP1 Mutation

    PubMed Central

    Mäkitie, Outi; Pereira, Renata C; Kaitila, Ilkka; Turan, Serap; Bastepe, Murat; Laine, Tero; Kröger, Heikki; Cole, William G; Jüppner, Harald

    2010-01-01

    Homozygous inactivating mutations in DMP1 (dentin matrix protein 1), the gene encoding a noncollagenous bone matrix protein expressed in osteoblasts and osteocytes, cause autosomal recessive hypophosphatemia (ARHP). Herein we describe a family with ARHP owing to a novel homozygous DMP1 mutation and provide a detailed description of the associated skeletal dysplasia and carrier phenotype. The two adult patients with ARHP, a 78-year-old man and his 66-year-old sister, have suffered from bone pain and lower extremity varus deformities since early childhood. With increasing age, both patients developed severe joint pain, contractures, and complete immobilization of the spine. Radiographs showed short and deformed long bones, significant cranial hyperostosis, enthesopathies, and calcifications of the paraspinal ligaments. Biochemistries were consistent with hypophosphatemia owing to renal phosphate wasting; markers of bone turnover and serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) levels were increased significantly. Nucleotide sequence analysis of DMP1 revealed a novel homozygous mutation at the splice acceptor junction of exon 6 (IVS5-1G > A). Two heterozygous carriers of the mutation also showed mild hypophosphatemia, and bone biopsy in one of these individuals showed focal areas of osteomalacia. In bone, DMP1 expression was absent in the homozygote but normal in the heterozygote, whereas FGF-23 expression was increased in both subjects but higher in the ARHP patient. The clinical and laboratory observations in this family confirm that DMP1 has an important role in normal skeletal development and mineral homeostasis. The skeletal phenotype in ARHP may be significantly more severe than in other forms of hypophosphatemic rickets. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. PMID:20499351

  14. Long-term clinical outcome and carrier phenotype in autosomal recessive hypophosphatemia caused by a novel DMP1 mutation.

    PubMed

    Mäkitie, Outi; Pereira, Renata C; Kaitila, Ilkka; Turan, Serap; Bastepe, Murat; Laine, Tero; Kröger, Heikki; Cole, William G; Jüppner, Harald

    2010-10-01

    Homozygous inactivating mutations in DMP1 (dentin matrix protein 1), the gene encoding a noncollagenous bone matrix protein expressed in osteoblasts and osteocytes, cause autosomal recessive hypophosphatemia (ARHP). Herein we describe a family with ARHP owing to a novel homozygous DMP1 mutation and provide a detailed description of the associated skeletal dysplasia and carrier phenotype. The two adult patients with ARHP, a 78-year-old man and his 66-year-old sister, have suffered from bone pain and lower extremity varus deformities since early childhood. With increasing age, both patients developed severe joint pain, contractures, and complete immobilization of the spine. Radiographs showed short and deformed long bones, significant cranial hyperostosis, enthesopathies, and calcifications of the paraspinal ligaments. Biochemistries were consistent with hypophosphatemia owing to renal phosphate wasting; markers of bone turnover and serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) levels were increased significantly. Nucleotide sequence analysis of DMP1 revealed a novel homozygous mutation at the splice acceptor junction of exon 6 (IVS5-1G > A). Two heterozygous carriers of the mutation also showed mild hypophosphatemia, and bone biopsy in one of these individuals showed focal areas of osteomalacia. In bone, DMP1 expression was absent in the homozygote but normal in the heterozygote, whereas FGF-23 expression was increased in both subjects but higher in the ARHP patient. The clinical and laboratory observations in this family confirm that DMP1 has an important role in normal skeletal development and mineral homeostasis. The skeletal phenotype in ARHP may be significantly more severe than in other forms of hypophosphatemic rickets.

  15. Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary heart failure disease management programme on 1-year mortality

    PubMed Central

    Laborde-Castérot, Hervé; Agrinier, Nelly; Zannad, Faiez; Mebazaa, Alexandre; Rossignol, Patrick; Girerd, Nicolas; Alla, François; Thilly, Nathalie

    2016-01-01

    Abstract We performed a multicenter prospective observational cohort study (Epidémiologie et Pronostic de l’Insuffisance Cardiaque Aiguë en Lorraine, Epidemiology and Prognosis of Acute Heart Failure in Lorraine [EPICAL2]) to evaluate the effectiveness on mortality of a community-based multidisciplinary disease management programme (DMP) for heart failure (HF) patients. Between October 2011 and October 2012, 1816 patients, who were hospitalized for acute HF or who developed acute HF during a hospitalization, were included from 21 hospitals in a northeast region of France. At hospital admission, their mean age was 77.3 (standard deviation [SD] 11.6) years and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 45.0 (SD 16.0)%. A subset of patients were enrolled in a multidimensional DMP for HF (n = 312, 17.2%), based on structured patient education, home monitoring visits by HF-trained nurses, and automatic alerts triggered by significant clinical and biological changes to the patient. The DMP involved general practitioners, nurses, and cardiologists collaborating via an individual web-based medical electronic record. The outcome was all-cause mortality from the 3rd to the 12th month after discharge. During the follow-up, a total of 377 (20.8%) patients died: 321 (21.3%) in the control group and 56 (17.9%) in the DMP group. In a propensity score analysis, DMP was associated with lower 1-year all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.46–0.92). Instrumental variable analysis gave similar results (hazard ratio 0.56, 0.27–1.16). In a real world setting, a multidimensional DMP for HF with structured patient education, home nurse monitoring, and appropriate physician alerts may improve survival when implemented after discharge from hospitalization due to worsening HF. PMID:27631204

  16. Two-year outcome of a prospective, controlled study of a disease management programme for elderly patients with heart failure.

    PubMed

    Del Sindaco, Donatella; Pulignano, Giovanni; Minardi, Giovanni; Apostoli, Antonella; Guerrieri, Luca; Rotoloni, Marina; Petri, Gabriella; Fabrizi, Lino; Caroselli, Attilia; Venusti, Rita; Chiantera, Angelo; Giulivi, Alessia; Giovannini, Ezio; Leggio, Francesco

    2007-05-01

    Elderly heart failure patients are at high risk of events. Available studies and systematic reviews suggest that elderly patients benefit from disease management programmes (DMPs). However, important questions remain open, including the optimal follow-up intensity and duration and whether such interventions are cost-effective during long-term follow-up and in different healthcare systems. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term efficacy of a hybrid DMP in consecutive older outpatients. Intervention consisted in combined hospital-based (cardiologists and nurse-coordinators from two heart failure clinics) and home-based (patient's general practitioner visits) care. The components of the DMP were the following: discharge planning, education, therapy optimisation, improved communication, early attention to signs and symptoms. Intensive follow-up was based on scheduled hospital visits (starting within 14 days of discharge), nurse's phone call and home general practitioner visits. A group of 173 patients aged > or =70 years (mean age 77 +/- 6 years, 48% women) was randomly assigned to DMP (n = 86) or usual care (n = 87). At 2-year follow-up, a 36% reduction in all-cause death and heart failure hospital admissions was observed in DMP vs. usual care. All-cause and heart failure admissions as well as the length of hospital stay were also reduced. DMP patients reported, compared to baseline, significant improvements in functional status, quality of life and beta-blocker prescription rate. The intervention was cost-effective with a mean saving of euro 982.04 per patient enrolled. A hybrid DMP for elderly heart failure patients improves outcomes and is cost-effective over a long-term follow-up.

  17. Donor management parameters and organ yield: single center results.

    PubMed

    Marshall, George Ryne; Mangus, Richard S; Powelson, John A; Fridell, Jonathan A; Kubal, Chandrashekhar A; Tector, A Joseph

    2014-09-01

    Management of organ donors in the intensive care unit is an emerging subject in critical care and transplantation. This study evaluates organ yield outcomes for a large number of patients managed by the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization. This is a retrospective review of intensive care unit records from 2008-2012. Donor demographic information and seven donor management parameters (DMP) were recorded at admission, consent, 12 h after consent, and before procurement. Three study groups were created: donors meeting 0-3, 4, or 5-7 DMP. Active donor Organ Procurement Organization management began at consent; so, data analysis focuses on the 12-h postconsent time point. Outcomes included organs transplanted per donor (OTPD) and transplantation of individual solid organs. Complete records for 499 patients were reviewed. Organ yield was 1415 organs of 3992 possible (35%). At 12 h, donors meeting more DMP had more OTPD: 2.2 (0-3) versus 3.0 (4) versus 3.5 (5-7) (P < 0.01). Aggregate DMP met was significantly associated with transplantation of every organ except intestine. Oxygen tension, vasopressor use, and central venous pressure were the most frequent independent predictors of organ usage. There were significantly more organs transplanted for donors meeting all three of these parameters (4.5 versus 2.7, P < 0.01). Initial DMP met does not appear to be a significant prognostic factor for OTPD. Aggregate DMP is associated with transplantation rates for most organs, with analysis of individual parameters suggesting that appropriate management of oxygenation, volume status, and vasopressor use could lead to more organs procured per donor. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Semen phthalate metabolites, semen quality parameters and serum reproductive hormones: A cross-sectional study in China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yi-Xin; Zeng, Qiang; Sun, Yang; Yang, Pan; Wang, Peng; Li, Jin; Huang, Zhen; You, Ling; Huang, Yue-Hui; Wang, Cheng; Li, Yu-Feng; Lu, Wen-Qing

    2016-04-01

    Exposure to phthalates has been found to have adverse effects on male reproductive function in animals. However, the findings from human studies are inconsistent. Here we examined the associations of phthalate exposure with semen quality and reproductive hormones in a Chinese population using phthalate metabolite concentrations measured in semen as biomarkers. Semen (n = 687) and blood samples (n = 342) were collected from the male partners of sub-fertile couples who presented to the Reproductive Center of Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China. Semen quality parameters and serum reproductive hormone levels were determined. Semen concentrations of 8 phthalate metabolites were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Associations of the semen phthalate metabolites with semen quality parameters and serum reproductive hormones were assessed using confounder-adjusted linear and logistic regression models. Semen phthalate metabolites were significantly associated with decreases in semen volume [mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP)], sperm curvilinear velocity [monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), MEHP, the percentage of di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate metabolites excreted as MEHP (%MEHP)], and straight-line velocity (MBzP, MEHP, %MEHP), and also associated with an increased percentage of abnormal heads and tails (MBzP) (all p for trend <0.05). These associations remained suggestive or significant after adjustment for multiple testing. There were no significant associations between semen phthalate metabolites and serum reproductive hormones. Our findings suggest that environmental exposure to phthalates may impair human semen quality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Dose-response assessment of fetal testosterone production and gene expression levels in rat testes following in utero exposure to diethylhexyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, diisoheptyl phthalate and diisononyl phthalate

    EPA Science Inventory

    Several phthalate esters have been linked to the Phthalate Syndrome, affecting male reproductive development when administered to pregnant rats during in utero sexual differentiation. The goal of the current study was to enhance understanding of this class of compounds in the Spr...

  20. [Survey of plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride toys].

    PubMed

    Abe, Yutaka; Yamaguchi, Miku; Mutsuga, Motoh; Hirahara, Yoshichika; Kawamura, Yoko

    2012-01-01

    Plasticizers in 101 samples of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) toys on the Japanese market were surveyed. No phthalates were detected in designated toys, though bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, diisononyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate and benzyl butyl phthalate were detected in more than half of other toys. 2,2,4-Tributyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutylate, o-acetyl tributyl citrate, adipates and diacetyl lauroyl glycerol, which are alternative plasticizers to phthalates, were detected. The results of structural analysis confirmed the presence of di(2-ethylhexyl)terephthalate, tributyl citrate, diisononyl 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylate and neopentyl glycol esters; these have not previonsly been reported in Japan. There appears to be a shift in plasticizers used for designated toys from phthalates to new plasticizers, and the number of different plasticizers is increasing.

  1. Modified nanoparticle mediated IL-12 immunogene therapy for colon cancer.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiaoxiao; Gao, Xiang; Zheng, Songping; Wang, Bilan; Li, Yanyan; Zhao, Chanjuan; Muftuoglu, Yagmur; Chen, Song; Li, Ying; Yao, Haiyan; Sun, Hui; Mao, Qing; You, Chao; Guo, Gang; Wei, Yuquan

    2017-08-01

    For the past few years, immunotherapy has recently shown considerable clinical benefit in CRC therapy, and the application of immunologic therapies in cancer treatments continues to increase perennially. Interleukin-12, an ideal candidate for tumor immunotherapy, could activate both innate and adaptive immunities. In this study, we developed a novel gene delivery system with a self-assembly method by MPEG-PLA and DOTAP(DMP) with zeta-potential value of 38.5mV and size of 37.5nm. The supernatant of lymphocytes treated with supernatant from Ct26 transfected pIL12 with DMP could inhibit Ct26 cells growth ex vivo. Treatment of tumor-bearing mice with DMP-pIL12 complex has significantly inhibited tumor growth at both the subcutaneous and peritoneal model in vivo by inhibiting angiogenesis, promoting apoptosis and reducing proliferation. The IL-12 plasmid and DMP complex may be used to treat the colorectal cancer in clinical as a new drug. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Expression of DMP-1 in the human pulp tissue using low level laser therapy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lourenço Neto, Natalino; Teixeira Marques, Nádia Carolina; Fernandes, Ana Paula; Oliveira Rodini, Camila; Cruvinel Silva, Thiago; Moreira Machado, Maria Aparecida Andrade; Marchini Oliveira, Thais

    2015-09-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on DMP-1 expression in pulp tissue repair of human primary teeth. Twenty mandibular primary molars were randomly assigned into the following groups: Group I—Buckley’s Formocresol (FC); Group II—Calcium Hydroxide (CH); Group III—LLLT + CH and Group IV—LLLT + Zinc oxide/Eugenol. The teeth at the regular exfoliation period were extracted for histological analysis and immunolocalization of DMP-1. Descriptive analysis was performed on the dentin pulp complex. Histopathological assessment showed internal resorption in group FC. Groups CH and LLLT + CH provided better pulpal repair due to the absence of inflammation and the formation of hard tissue barrier. These two groups presented odontoblastic layer expressing DMP-1. According to this study, low level laser therapy preceding the use of calcium hydroxide exhibited satisfactory bio-inductive activity on pulp tissue repair of human primary teeth. However, other histological and cellular studies are needed to confirm the laser tissue action and efficacy.

  3. Development of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction technique using ternary solvents mixture followed by heating for the rapid and sensitive analysis of phthalate esters and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate.

    PubMed

    Farajzadeh, Mir Ali; Khoshmaram, Leila

    2015-01-30

    In this study, for the first time, a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction technique using a ternary solvent mixture is reported. In order to extract five phthalate esters and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate with different polarities from aqueous samples, a simplex centroid experimental design method was used to select an optimal mixture of ternary solvents prior to gas chromatographyflame ionization detection. In this work, dimethyl formamide as a disperser solvent containing dichloromethane, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride as a ternary extraction solvent mixture is injected into sample solution and a cloudy solution is formed. After centrifuging, 250μL of the obtained sedimented phase was transferred into another tube and 5μL DMF was added to it. Then, the tube was heated in a water bath at 75°C for 5min in order to evaporate the main portion of the extraction solvents. Finally, 2μL of the remained phase is injected into the separation system. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the method shows wide linear ranges and low limits of detection and quantification between 0.03-0.15 and 0.09-0.55μgL(-1), respectively. Enrichment factors and extraction recoveries are in the ranges of 980-4500 and 20-90%, respectively. The method is successfully applied in the determination of the target analytes in mineral water, soda, lemon juice, vinegar, dough, and yogurt packed in plastic packages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Chemical changes in DMP1-null murine bone & silica based pecvd coatings for titanium implant osseoapplications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maginot, Megen

    In order to improve clinical outcomes in bone-implant systems, a thorough understanding of both local bone chemistry and implant surface chemistry is necessary. This study consists, therefore, of two main parts: one focused on determining the nature of the changes in bone chemistry in a DMP1-null transgenic disease model and the other on the development of amorphous silica-based coatings for potential use as titanium bone implant coatings. For the study of bone mineral in the DMP1 transgenic model, which is known to have low serum phosphate levels, transgenic DMP1-null and wild type mice were fed a high phosphate diet, sacrificed, and had their long bone harvested. This bone was characterized using SEM, FTIR, microCT and XANES and compared to DMP1-null and wild type control groups to assess the therapeutic effect of high Pi levels on the phenotype and the role of DMP1 in mineralization in vivo. Findings suggest that though the high phosphate diet results in restoring serum phosphate levels, it does not completely rescue the bone mineral phenotype at an ultrastructural level and implicates DMP1 in phosphate nucleation. Since plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silica like coatings have not previously been fabricated for use in oessoapplications, the second part of this study initially focused on the characterization of novel SiOx chemistries fabricated via a chemical vapor deposition process that were designed specifically to act as bioactive coatings with a loose, hydrogenated structure. These coatings were then investigated for their potential initial stage response to bone tissue through immersion in a simulated body fluid and through the culture of MC3T3 cells on the coating surfaces. Coating surfaces were characterized by SEM, FTIR, contact angle measurements, and XANES. Coating dissolution and ionic release were also investigated by ICP-OES. Findings suggest that some SiOx chemistries may form a bioactive coating while more highly substituted chemistries may form a bioresorbable coating, similar to commercially available bioactive glasses.

  5. Temporal Trends in Phthalate Exposures: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2010

    PubMed Central

    Calafat, Antonia M.; Woodruff, Tracey J.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Phthalates are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Because of potential adverse effects on human health, butylbenzyl phthalate [BBzP; metabolite, monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP)], di-n-butyl phthalate [DnBP; metabolite, mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP)], and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) are being replaced by substitutes including other phthalates; however, little is known about consequent trends in population-level exposures. Objective: We examined temporal trends in urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites in the general U.S. population and whether trends vary by sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: We combined data on 11 phthalate metabolites for 11,071 participants from five cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001–2010). Percent changes and least square geometric means (LSGMs) were calculated from multivariate regression models. Results: LSGM concentrations of monoethyl phthalate, MnBP, MBzP, and ΣDEHP metabolites decreased between 2001–2002 and 2009–2010 [percent change (95% CI): –42% (–49, –34); –17% (–23, –9); –32% (–39, –23) and –37% (–46, –26), respectively]. In contrast, LSGM concentrations of monoisobutyl phthalate, mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), monocarboxyoctyl phthalate, and monocarboxynonyl phthalate (MCNP) increased over the study period [percent change (95% CI): 206% (178, 236); 25% (8, 45); 149% (102, 207); and 15% (1, 30), respectively]. Trends varied by subpopulations for certain phthalates. For example, LSGM concentrations of ΣDEHP metabolites, MCPP, and MCNP were higher in children than adults, but the gap between groups narrowed over time (pinteraction < 0.01). Conclusions: Exposure of the U.S. population to phthalates has changed in the last decade. Data gaps make it difficult to explain trends, but legislative activity and advocacy campaigns by nongovernmental organizations may play a role in changing trends. Citation: Zota AZ, Calafat AM, Woodruff TJ. 2014. Temporal trends in phthalate exposures: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2010. Environ Health Perspect 122:235–241; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1306681 PMID:24425099

  6. Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Reproductive Outcomes among Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization: Results from the EARTH Study.

    PubMed

    Hauser, Russ; Gaskins, Audrey J; Souter, Irene; Smith, Kristen W; Dodge, Laura E; Ehrlich, Shelley; Meeker, John D; Calafat, Antonia M; Williams, Paige L

    2016-06-01

    Evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that exposure to phthalates may be associated with adverse female reproductive outcomes. We evaluated the associations between urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). This analysis included 256 women enrolled in the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) prospective cohort study (2004-2012) who provided one to two urine samples per cycle before oocyte retrieval. We measured 11 urinary phthalate metabolites [mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monocarboxyisooctyl phthalate (MCOP), monocarboxyisononyl phthalate (MCNP), and mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP)]. We used generalized linear mixed models to evaluate the association of urinary phthalate metabolites with in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes, accounting for multiple IVF cycles per woman. In multivariate models, women in the highest as compared with lowest quartile of MEHP, MEHHP, MEOHP, MECPP, ΣDEHP (MEHP + MEHHP + MEOHP + MECPP), and MCNP had lower oocyte yield. Similarly, the number of mature (MII) oocytes retrieved was lower in the highest versus lowest quartile for these same phthalate metabolites. The adjusted differences (95% CI) in proportion of cycles resulting in clinical pregnancy and live birth between women in the fourth versus first quartile of ΣDEHP were -0.19 (-0.29, -0.08) and -0.19 (-0.28, -0.08), respectively, and there was also a lower proportion of cycles resulting in clinical pregnancy and live birth for individual DEHP metabolites. Urinary concentrations of DEHP metabolites were inversely associated with oocyte yield, clinical pregnancy, and live birth following ART. Hauser R, Gaskins AJ, Souter I, Smith KW, Dodge LE, Ehrlich S, Meeker JD, Calafat AM, Williams PL, for the EARTH Study Team. 2016. Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and reproductive outcomes among women undergoing in vitro fertilization: results from the EARTH study. Environ Health Perspect 124:831-839; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509760.

  7. Expressing urine from a gel disposable diaper for biomonitoring using phthalates as an example.

    PubMed

    Liu, Liangpo; Xia, Tongwei; Guo, Lihua; Cao, Lanyu; Zhao, Benhua; Zhang, Jie; Dong, Sijun; Shen, Heqing

    2012-11-01

    The urinary metabolites of phthalates are well-accepted exposure biomarkers for adults and children older than 6 years but are not commonly used for infants owing to non-convenient sampling. In the light of this situation, a novel sampling method based on monitoring the urine expressed from the gel diaper was developed. The urine was expressed from the gel absorbent after mixing the absorbent with CaCl(2) and then collected by a laboratory-made device; the urinary phthalate metabolites were extracted and cleaned using a solid-phase extraction (SPE) column and analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry / mass spectrometry. To evaluate the method's feasibility, the following factors were investigated: the proportion of CaCl(2) to gel absorbent, the urination volume variation and the target compounds' deposition bias in the diaper, the matrix blank of the different diaper brands, the storage stabilities and the recoveries of creatinine and phthalate metabolites in the expressed urine. Mono-methyl phthalate, mono-ethyl phthalate, mono-butyl phthalate, mono-benzyl phthalate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate were involved. 70-80% of the urine can be expressed from the diaper, and the expressed spiking recoveries and the limit of detection of mono-phthalates ranged from 88.5-115% and 0.21-0.50 ng/ml. The method was applied to measure phthalate metabolites in 65 gel diaper samples from 15 infants, and the pilot data suggests the infants are commonly exposed to phthalates. In summary, the method for monitoring of infant exposure to phthalates is sound and validated, and the potential health effects from the vulnerable infants' exposure to phthalates should be concerned.

  8. Concentrations of Phthalate Metabolites in Milk, Urine, Saliva, and Serum of Lactating North Carolina Women

    PubMed Central

    Hines, Erin P.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Silva, Manori J.; Mendola, Pauline; Fenton, Suzanne E.

    2009-01-01

    Background Phthalates are ubiquitous in the environment, but concentrations in multiple media from breast-feeding U.S. women have not been evaluated. Objectives The objective of this study was to accurately measure and compare the concentrations of oxidative monoester phthalate metabolites in milk and surrogate fluids (serum, saliva, and urine) of 33 lactating North Carolina women. Methods We analyzed serum, saliva, urine, and milk for the oxidative phthalate metabolites mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate, mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate, and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate using isotope-dilution high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy. Because only urine lacks esterases, we analyzed it for the hydrolytic phthalate monoesters. Results We detected phthalate metabolites in few milk (< 10%) and saliva samples. MECPP was detected in > 80% of serum samples, but other metabolites were less common (3–22%). Seven of the 10 urinary metabolites were detectable in ≥ 85% of samples. Monoethyl phthalate had the highest mean concentration in urine. Metabolite concentrations differed by body fluid (urine > serum > milk and saliva). Questionnaire data suggest that frequent nail polish use, immunoglobulin A, and fasting serum glucose and triglyceride levels were increased among women with higher concentrations of urinary and/or serum phthalate metabolites; motor vehicle age was inversely correlated with certain urinary phthalate concentrations. Conclusions Our data suggest that phthalate metabolites are most frequently detected in urine of lactating women and are less often detected in serum, milk, or saliva. Urinary phthalate concentrations reflect maternal exposure and do not represent the concentrations of oxidative metabolites in other body fluids, especially milk. PMID:19165392

  9. Emergency imaging after a mass casualty incident: role of the radiology department during training for and activation of a disaster management plan

    PubMed Central

    Körner, Markus; Bernstein, Mark P; Sodickson, Aaron D; Beenen, Ludo F; McLaughlin, Patrick D; Kool, Digna R; Bilow, Ronald M

    2016-01-01

    In the setting of mass casualty incidents (MCIs), hospitals need to divert from normal routine to delivering the best possible care to the largest number of victims. This should be accomplished by activating an established hospital disaster management plan (DMP) known to all staff through prior training drills. Over the recent decades, imaging has increasingly been used to evaluate critically ill patients. It can also be used to increase the accuracy of triaging MCI victims, since overtriage (falsely higher triage category) and undertriage (falsely lower triage category) can severely impact resource availability and mortality rates, respectively. This article emphasizes the importance of including the radiology department in hospital preparations for a MCI and highlights factors expected to influence performance during hospital DMP activation including issues pertinent to effective simulation, such as establishing proper learning objectives. After-action reviews including performance evaluation and debriefing on issues are invaluable following simulation drills and DMP activation, in order to improve subsequent preparedness. Historically, most hospital DMPs have not adequately included radiology department operations, and they have not or to a little extent been integrated in the DMP activation simulation. This article aims to increase awareness of the need for radiology department engagement in order to increase radiology department preparedness for DMP activation after a MCI occurs. PMID:26781837

  10. Phthalate exposure through food and consumers' risk perception of chemicals in food.

    PubMed

    Dickson-Spillmann, Maria; Siegrist, Michael; Keller, Carmen; Wormuth, Matthias

    2009-08-01

    Phthalates have been detected in various types of retail foods. Consumers' exposure to phthalates is common. Consumers are concerned about chemicals in food. Our aim was to investigate the relationships between consumers' exposure to phthalates through food, consumers' interest in a natural and healthy diet, risk perception of food chemicals, and consumers' diet patterns. We collected data through a mail survey in the adult Swiss-German population (N = 1,200). We modeled exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP) based on a food frequency questionnaire and phthalate concentrations reported from food surveys. Using rating scales, we assessed risk perceptions of chemicals in food and interest in a natural and healthy diet. Higher risk perceptions and higher natural and healthy diet interest were associated with higher daily doses of DEHP, BBP, and DEP. No health risk from phthalates in food was identified for the vast majority of the population. Four consumers' diet clusters were discerned, with differences in phthalate exposure, risk perceptions, and interest in a natural and healthy diet. This study shows that even those consumers who express strong interest in natural food and low acceptance of food chemicals, and who try to make respective food choices, are exposed to contaminants such as phthalates.

  11. Human Elimination of Phthalate Compounds: Blood, Urine, and Sweat (BUS) Study

    PubMed Central

    Genuis, Stephen J.; Beesoon, Sanjay; Lobo, Rebecca A.; Birkholz, Detlef

    2012-01-01

    Background. Individual members of the phthalate family of chemical compounds are components of innumerable everyday consumer products, resulting in a high exposure scenario for some individuals and population groups. Multiple epidemiological studies have demonstrated statistically significant exposure-disease relationships involving phthalates and toxicological studies have shown estrogenic effects in vitro. Data is lacking in the medical literature, however, on effective means to facilitate phthalate excretion. Methods. Blood, urine, and sweat were collected from 20 individuals (10 healthy participants and 10 participants with assorted health problems) and analyzed for parent phthalate compounds as well as phthalate metabolites using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results. Some parent phthalates as well as their metabolites were excreted into sweat. All patients had MEHP (mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) in their blood, sweat, and urine samples, suggesting widespread phthalate exposure. In several individuals, DEHP (di (2-ethylhexl) phthalate) was found in sweat but not in serum, suggesting the possibility of phthalate retention and bioaccumulation. On average, MEHP concentration in sweat was more than twice as high as urine levels. Conclusions. Induced perspiration may be useful to facilitate elimination of some potentially toxic phthalate compounds including DEHP and MEHP. Sweat analysis may be helpful in establishing the existence of accrued DEHP in the human body. PMID:23213291

  12. Comparison, association, and risk assessment of phthalates in floor dust at different indoor environments in Delaware, USA.

    PubMed

    Bi, Xiaolong; Yuan, Shoujun; Pan, Xiaojun; Winstead, Cherese; Wang, Qiquan

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to compare and assess phthalate contamination in various indoor environments. In this study, 44 floor dust samples from different indoor environments in Delaware, USA were collected and analyzed for 14 phthalates using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Phthalates were detected in all dust samples with the total concentration ranging from 84 to 7117 mg kg(-1). DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate), BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate), DBP (dibutyl phthalate), and DiBP (di-isobutyl phthalate) were both the most frequently and abundantly detected phthalates. The average concentration of total phthalates in dust from offices, student dorms, gyms, stores, and daycare centers was found to be significantly or insignificantly (P = 0.05) higher than that in dust from houses and apartments. Plastic flooring materials and the application of floor care chemical products were positively associated with total phthalate concentration in floor dust. Toxicological risk assessment indicated that an investigated daycare center in this study was the only indoor environment that may cause the intake amount of DEHP of infants, toddlers, and children via dust ingestion to exceed the reference dose established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Regular monitoring on phthalate contamination in sensitive indoor environments is recommended.

  13. Migration of phthalates on culture plates - an important challenge to consider for in vitro studies.

    PubMed

    Frohnert Hansen, Juliana; Boas, Malene; Møller Brorson, Marianne; Frederiksen, Hanne; Hartoft-Nielsen, Marie-Louise; Krogh Rasmussen, Åse; Main, Katharina M; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla

    2016-01-01

    Phthalates are endocrine disruptors of the reproductive system and suspected to influence many other organ and hormone systems. They are also semi-volatile organic compounds present in the gas phase in the environment. Their mode of action has been investigated in numerous in vitro studies. Multi-well culture plates are typically used to study phthalates in cell cultures. In a pilot study, we observed evidence of phthalate migration in 24-well culture plates. As this has not previously been described, we investigated the phenomenon in more detail. Primary human thyroid epithelial cell cultures (n = 8 cultures) were exposed to either di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) or di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Measurement of phthalate metabolites by mass spectrometry demonstrated that the short-branched DEP was able to migrate to adjacent wells when added to cell culture plates. DnBP also seemed to be able to migrate, unlike the long-branched DEHP or the monoester MnBP which did not seem to have this ability. High background levels of phthalate metabolites were also observed, which might compromise results from low dose phthalate studies. In conclusion, the migration of phthalates which is probably caused by their volatile properties might lead to false interpretation of study results.

  14. Exposure sources and their relative contributions to urinary phthalate metabolites among children in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chu-Chih; Wang, Yin-Han; Wang, Shu-Li; Huang, Po-Chin; Chuang, Shu-Chun; Chen, Mei-Huei; Chen, Bai-Hsiun; Sun, Chien-Wen; Fu, Hsiao-Chun; Lee, Ching-Chang; Wu, Ming-Tsang; Chen, Mei-Lien; Hsiung, Chao A

    2017-07-01

    Phthalate exposure is omnipresent and known to have developmental and reproductive effects in children. The aim of this study was to determine the phthalate exposure sources and their relative contributions among children in Taiwan. During the first wave of the Risk Assessment of Phthalate Incident in Taiwan (RAPIT), in 2012, we measured 8 urinary phthalate metabolites in 226 children aged 1-11 years old and in 181 children from the same cohort for the wave 2 study in 2014. A two-stage statistical analysis approach was adopted. First, a stepwise regression model was used to screen 80 questions that explored the exposure frequency and lifestyle for potential associations. Second, the remaining questions with positive regression coefficients were grouped into the following 6 exposure categories: plastic container/packaging, food, indoor environment, personal care products, toys, and eating out. A mixed model was then applied to assess the relative contributions of these categories for each metabolite. The use of plastic container or food packaging were dominant exposure sources for mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate (MEOHP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP). The indoor environment was a major exposure source of mono-methyl phthalate (MMP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), and mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP). The consumption of seafood showed a significant correlation with MEHP. The children's modified dietary behavior and improved living environment in the second study wave were associated with lower phthalate metabolite levels, showing that phthalate exposures can be effectively reduced. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  15. Urinary phthalate and phthalate alternative metabolites and isoprostane among couples undergoing fertility treatment.

    PubMed

    Wu, Haotian; Olmsted, Alexandra; Cantonwine, David E; Shahsavari, Shahin; Rahil, Tayyab; Sites, Cynthia; Pilsner, J Richard

    2017-02-01

    Epidemiological data suggest associations between phthalate exposures to a variety of adverse reproductive outcomes including reduced sperm quality and reproductive success. While mechanisms of these associations are not fully elucidated, oxidative stress has been implicated as a potential mediator. We examined associations of urinary metabolites of phthalates and phthalate alternative plasticizers with oxidative stress among couples seeking fertility treatment. Seventeen urinary plasticizer metabolites and 15-F2t isoprostane, a biomarker of oxidative stress, were quantified in spot samples from 50 couples seeking fertility treatment who enrolled in the Sperm Environmental Epigenetics and Development Study during 2014-2015. In multivariable analyses, percent change in isoprostane was positively associated with interquartile range increases for the oxidative metabolites of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, [mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP; 20.0%, p=0.02), mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate (MEOHP; 24.1%, p=0.01), and mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate (MECPP; 24.1%, p=0.004)], mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP; 17.8%, p=0.02), mono-hydroxyisobutyl phthalate (MHiBP; 27.5%, p=0.003), and cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid mono-hydroxy-isononyl ester (MHINCH; 32.3%, p=0.002). Stratification of participants by sex revealed that isoprostane was positively associated with MHiBP (41.4%, p=0.01) and monocarboxy-isononyl phthalate (MCNP; 26.0%, p=0.02) among females and MEOHP (35.8%, p=0.03), MiBP (29.2%, p=0.01), MHiBP (34.7%, p=0.007) and MHINCH (49.0%, p=0.002) among males. Our results suggest that exposure to phthalates and phthalate replacements are associated with higher levels of oxidative stress in a sex-specific manner. Additional studies are needed to replicate our findings and to examine the potential health implications of the use of phthalates and alternative phthalates in consumer end products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Phthalate Exposure and Children’s Health

    PubMed Central

    Braun, Joseph M.; Sathyanarayana, Sheela; Hauser, Russ

    2013-01-01

    Purpose of Review Phthalates are multifunctional chemicals used in personal care products, medications, and plastics. We reviewed the epidemiological literature examining the relationship between early life phthalate exposure and pediatric health outcomes. Recent Findings Five studies from Asia, Europe, and the US suggest that childhood exposure to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) may increase the risk of allergic diseases including asthma and eczema. Six studies from four different prospective cohorts report that gestational BBzP, DEHP, di-butyl phthalate (DBP), and di-ethyl phthalate (DEP) exposures are associated with alterations in infant/toddler physical development as well as parent-reported externalizing, internalizing, and autistic-like child behavior. However, there are inconsistencies related to the specific phthalates and behavioral domains. Two small studies report shorter anogenital distance among male infants with higher gestational phthalate exposure. Summary Several epidemiological studies suggest fetal and childhood exposure to some phthalates may perturb normal development, with several studies consistently reporting increased risk of allergic diseases with DEHP and BBzP exposure. While anticipatory guidance is not evidence-based at this time, providers can counsel concerned patients to reduce phthalate exposures in order to protect the developing fetus and child from potential adverse health outcomes. PMID:23429708

  17. Integrating biomonitoring exposure data into the risk assessment process: phthalates [diethyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] as a case study.

    PubMed

    Calafat, Antonia M; McKee, Richard H

    2006-11-01

    The probability of nonoccupational exposure to phthalates is high given their use in a vast range of consumables, including personal care products (e.g., perfumes, lotions, cosmetics), paints, industrial plastics, and certain medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Phthalates are of high interest because of their potential for human exposure and because animal toxicity studies suggest that some phthalates affect male reproductive development apparently via inhibition of androgen biosynthesis. In humans, phthalates are rapidly metabolized to their monoesters, which can be further transformed to oxidative products, conjugated, and eliminated. Phthalate metabolites have been used as biomarkers of exposure. Using urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations allows accurate assessments of human exposure because these concentrations represent an integrative measure of exposure to phthalates from multiple sources and routes. However, the health significance of this exposure is unknown. To link biomarker measurements to exposure, internal dose, or health outcome, additional information (e.g., toxicokinetics, inter- and intraindividual differences) is needed. We present a case study using diethyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate as examples to illustrate scientific approaches and their limitations, identify data gaps, and outline research needs for using biomonitoring data in the context of human health risk assessment, with an emphasis on exposure and dose. Although the vast and growing literature on phthalates research could not be covered comprehensively in this article, we made every attempt to include the most relevant publications as of the end of 2005.

  18. Estimated Daily Phthalate Exposures in a Population of Mothers of Male Infants Exhibiting Reduced Anogenital Distance

    PubMed Central

    Marsee, Kevin; Woodruff, Tracey J.; Axelrad, Daniel A.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Swan, Shanna H.

    2006-01-01

    Phthalate diesters have been shown to be developmental and reproductive toxicants in animal studies. A recent epidemiologic study showed certain phthalates to be significantly associated with reduced anogenital distance in human male infants, the first evidence of subtle developmental effects in human male infants exposed prenatally to phthalates. We used two previously published methods to estimate the daily phthalate exposures for the four phthalates whose urinary metabolites were statistically significantly associated with developmental effects in the 214 mother–infant pairs [di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP)] and for another important phthalate [di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)]. We estimated the median and 95th percentile of daily exposures to DBP to be 0.99 and 2.68 μg/kg/day, respectively; for DEP, 6.64 and 112.3 μg/kg/day; for BBzP, 0.50 and 2.47 μg/kg/day; and for DEHP, 1.32 and 9.32 μg/kg/day. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reference doses for these chemicals are 100 (DBP), 800 (DEP), 200 (BBzP), and 20 (DEHP) μg/kg/day. The median and 95th percentile exposure estimates for the phthalates associated with reduced anogenital distance in the study population are substantially lower than current U.S. EPA reference doses for these chemicals and could be informative to any updates of the hazard assessments and risk assessments for these chemicals. PMID:16759976

  19. Findings of 2731 suspected phthalate-tainted foodstuffs during the 2011 phthalates incident in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Wu, Chia-Fang; Chang-Chien, Guo-Ping; Su, Sheng-Wen; Chen, Bai-Hsiun; Wu, Ming-Tsang

    2014-09-01

    This study aims to investigate what kinds of food products were contaminated by phthalates, mainly di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and/or di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), during the 2011 phthalates incident in Taiwan, and whether the DEHP and/or DINP concentrations of some affected foods decreased after this incident. During May-October, 2011, 2731 food items were sent by individual citizens or companies to a government-accredited laboratory for the analyses of six main phthalate chemicals, including DEHP, DINP, di-isodecyl phthalate, di(n-octyl)phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, and butyl benzyl phthalate. A concentration of ≥1 ppm for any of the six phthalate chemicals in the foods studied was defined as positive. The overall positive rate was 16.2%. The positive rate of possibly affected foods was similar between sanctioned and non-sanctioned foods categorized as "Others" by the government (16.0% vs. 16.4%). There were 33 food items, most of which belonged to the Others category, sent twice by companies on different dates. Of these, the positive rates of affected foods significantly decreased from 39.4% for DEHP and 72.7% for DINP at the first analyses to 3.0% for DEHP and 9.1% for DINP at the second, respectively (p < 0.0001). Besides the government-sanctioned foods, foods from the Others category were still affected by phthalate contamination. Thus, vigilant scrutiny of food safety in modern life is necessary. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Reproductive Outcomes among Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization: Results from the EARTH Study

    PubMed Central

    Hauser, Russ; Gaskins, Audrey J.; Souter, Irene; Smith, Kristen W.; Dodge, Laura E.; Ehrlich, Shelley; Meeker, John D.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Williams, Paige L.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that exposure to phthalates may be associated with adverse female reproductive outcomes. Objective: We evaluated the associations between urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Methods: This analysis included 256 women enrolled in the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) prospective cohort study (2004–2012) who provided one to two urine samples per cycle before oocyte retrieval. We measured 11 urinary phthalate metabolites [mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monocarboxyisooctyl phthalate (MCOP), monocarboxyisononyl phthalate (MCNP), and mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP)]. We used generalized linear mixed models to evaluate the association of urinary phthalate metabolites with in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes, accounting for multiple IVF cycles per woman. Results: In multivariate models, women in the highest as compared with lowest quartile of MEHP, MEHHP, MEOHP, MECPP, ΣDEHP (MEHP + MEHHP + MEOHP + MECPP), and MCNP had lower oocyte yield. Similarly, the number of mature (MII) oocytes retrieved was lower in the highest versus lowest quartile for these same phthalate metabolites. The adjusted differences (95% CI) in proportion of cycles resulting in clinical pregnancy and live birth between women in the fourth versus first quartile of ΣDEHP were –0.19 (–0.29, –0.08) and –0.19 (–0.28, –0.08), respectively, and there was also a lower proportion of cycles resulting in clinical pregnancy and live birth for individual DEHP metabolites. Conclusions: Urinary concentrations of DEHP metabolites were inversely associated with oocyte yield, clinical pregnancy, and live birth following ART. Citation: Hauser R, Gaskins AJ, Souter I, Smith KW, Dodge LE, Ehrlich S, Meeker JD, Calafat AM, Williams PL, for the EARTH Study Team. 2016. Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and reproductive outcomes among women undergoing in vitro fertilization: results from the EARTH study. Environ Health Perspect 124:831–839; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509760 PMID:26545148

  1. Phthalates and thyroid function in preschool age children: Sex specific associations.

    PubMed

    Morgenstern, Rachelle; Whyatt, Robin M; Insel, Beverly J; Calafat, Antonia M; Liu, Xinhua; Rauh, Virginia A; Herbstman, Julie; Bradwin, Gary; Factor-Litvak, Pam

    2017-09-01

    Research relating either prenatal or concurrent measures of phthalate exposure to thyroid function in preschool children is inconclusive. In a study of inner-city mothers and their children, metabolites of di-n-butyl phthalate, butylbenzyl phthalate, di-isobutyl phthalate, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and diethyl phthalate were measured in a spot urine sample collected from women in late pregnancy and from their children at age 3years. We measured children's serum free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) at age 3. Linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between phthalate metabolites, measured in maternal urine during late pregnancy and measured in child urine at age 3 and thyroid function measured at age 3. Mean concentrations (ranges) were 1.42ng/dL (1.02-2.24) for FT4, and 2.62uIU/mL (0.61-11.67) for TSH. In the children at age 3, among girls, FT4 decreased with increasing log e mono-n-butyl phthalate [estimated b=-0.06; 95% CI: (-0.09, -0.02)], log e mono-isobutyl phthalate [b=-0.05; 95% CI: (-0.09, -0.01)], log e monoethyl phthalate [b=-0.04; 95% CI: (-0.07, -0.01)], and log e mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate [b=-0.04; 95% CI: (-0.07, -0.003)] and log e mono(2-ethyl-5-oxy-hexyl) phthalate [b=-0.04; 95% CI: (-0.07, -0.004)]. In contrast, among boys, we observed no associations between FT4 and child phthalate metabolites at age 3. On the other hand, in late gestation, FT4 increased with increasing log e mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [estimated b=0.04; 95% CI: (0.02, 0.06)] and no sex difference was observed. We found no associations between phthalate biomarkers measured in either the child or prenatal samples and TSH at age 3. The data show inverse and sex specific associations between specific phthalate metabolites measured in children at age 3 and thyroid function in preschool children. These results may provide evidence for the hypothesis that reductions in thyroid hormones mediate associations between early life phthalate exposure and child cognitive outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Urinary Biomarkers for Phthalates Associated with Asthma in Norwegian Children

    PubMed Central

    Carlsen, Karin C. Lødrup; Calafat, Antonia M.; Hoppin, Jane A.; Håland, Geir; Mowinckel, Petter; Carlsen, Kai-Håkon; Løvik, Martinus

    2012-01-01

    Background: High-molecular-weight phthalates in indoor dust have been associated with asthma in children, but few studies have evaluated phthalate biomarkers in association with respiratory outcomes. Objectives: We explored the association between urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and current asthma. Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis, 11 metabolites of 8 phthalates [including four metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] were measured in one first morning void collected from 2001 through 2004 from 623 10-year-old Norwegian children. Logistic regression models controlling for urine specific gravity, sex, parental asthma, and income were used to estimate associations between current asthma and phthalate metabolite concentrations by quartiles or as log10-transformed variables. Results: Current asthma was associated with both mono(carboxyoctyl) phthalate (MCOP) and mono(carboxynonyl) phthalate (MCNP), although the association was limited to those in the highest quartile of these chemicals. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for current asthma was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.0, 3.3) for the highest MCOP quartile compared with the lowest quartile, and 1.3 (95% CI: 0.98, 1.7) for an interquartile-range increase. The aOR for current asthma was 2.2 (95% CI: 1.2, 4.0) for the highest MCNP quartile and 1.3 (95% CI: 1.0, 1.7) for an interquartile-range increase. The other phthalate metabolites were not associated with current asthma. Conclusions: Current asthma was associated with the highest quartiles of MCOP and MCNP, metabolites of two high molecular weight phthalates, diisononyl phthalate and diisodecyl phthalate, respectively. Given the short biological half-life of the phthalates and the cross-sectional design, our findings should be interpreted cautiously. PMID:23164678

  3. Phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizers in indoor dust from childcare facilities, salons, and homes across the USA.

    PubMed

    Subedi, Bikram; Sullivan, Kenneth D; Dhungana, Birendra

    2017-11-01

    The quality of indoor environment has received considerable attention owing to the declining outdoor human activities and the associated public health issues. The prolonged exposure of children in childcare facilities or the occupational exposure of adults to indoor environmental triggers can be a culprit of the pathophysiology of several commonly observed idiopathic syndromes. In this study, concentrations of potentially toxic plasticizers (phthalates as well as non-phthalates) were investigated in 28 dust samples collected from three different indoor environments across the USA. The mean concentrations of non-phthalate plasticizers [acetyl tri-n-butyl citrate (ATBC), di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), and di-isobutyl adipate (DIBA)] were found at 0.51-880 μg/g for the first time in indoor dust samples from childcare facilities, homes, and salons across the USA. The observed concentrations of these replacement non-phthalate plasticizer were as high as di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, the most frequently detected phthalate plasticizer at highest concentration worldwide, in most of indoor dust samples. The estimated daily intakes of total phthalates (n = 7) by children and toddlers through indoor dust in childcare facilities were 1.6 times higher than the non-phthalate plasticizers (n = 3), whereas estimated daily intake of total non-phthalates for all age groups at homes were 1.9 times higher than the phthalate plasticizers. This study reveals, for the first time, a more elevated (∼3 folds) occupational intake of phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizers through the indoor dust at salons (214 and 285 ng/kg-bw/day, respectively) than at homes in the USA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Pregnancy urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and gestational diabetes risk factors.

    PubMed

    James-Todd, Tamarra M; Meeker, John D; Huang, Tianyi; Hauser, Russ; Ferguson, Kelly K; Rich-Edwards, Janet W; McElrath, Thomas F; Seely, Ellen W

    2016-11-01

    Epidemiologic studies suggest phthalate metabolite concentrations are associated with type 2 diabetes. GDM is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Little is known about phthalates and GDM risk factors (i.e. 1st trimester body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG), and 2nd trimester glucose levels). A total of 350 women participating in Lifecodes pregnancy cohort (Boston, MA), delivered at term and had pregnancy urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations. Nine specific gravity-adjusted urinary phthalate metabolites were evaluated. General linear regression was used to assess associations between quartiles of phthalate metabolites and continuous 1st trimester BMI and late 2nd trimester blood glucose. Linear mixed models were used for total GWG. Multivariable logistic regression was used for phthalate concentrations and categorized GWG and impaired glucose tolerance defined as glucose≥140mg/dL based on a 50-gram glucose load test. Models were adjusted for potential confounders. There were no associations between 1st trimester urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and 1st trimester BMI. Mono-ethyl phthalate concentrations averaged across pregnancy were associated with a 2.17 increased odds of excessive GWG (95% CI: 0.98, 4.79). Second trimester mono-ethyl phthalate was associated with increased odds of impaired glucose tolerance (adj. OR: 7.18; 95% CI: 1.97, 26.15). A summary measure of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolite concentrations were inversely associated with impaired glucose tolerance (adj. OR: 0.25; adj. 95% CI: 0.08, 0.85). Higher exposure to mono-ethyl phthalate, a metabolite of the parent compound of di-ethyl phthalate, may be associated with excessive GWG and impaired glucose tolerance; higher di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate was associated with reduced odds of impaired glucose tolerance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Predictors and long-term reproducibility of urinary phthalate metabolites in middle-aged men and women living in urban Shanghai

    PubMed Central

    Starling, Anne P.; Engel, Lawrence S.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Koutros, Stella; Satagopan, Jaya M.; Yang, Gong; Matthews, Charles E.; Cai, Qiuyin; Buckley, Jessie P.; Ji, Bu-Tian; Cai, Hui; Chow, Wong-Ho; Zheng, Wei; Gao, Yu-Tang; Rothman, Nathaniel; Xiang, Yong-Bing; Shu, Xiao-Ou

    2015-01-01

    Phthalate esters are man-made chemicals commonly used as plasticizers and solvents, and humans may be exposed through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. Little is known about predictors of phthalate exposure, particularly in Asian countries. Because phthalates are rapidly metabolized and excreted from the body following exposure, it is important to evaluate whether phthalate metabolites measured at a single point in time can reliably rank exposures to phthalates over a period of time. We examined the concentrations and predictors of phthalate metabolite concentrations among 50 middle-aged women and 50 men from two Shanghai cohorts, enrolled in 1997-2000 and 2002-2006, respectively. We assessed the reproducibility of urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites in three spot samples per participant taken several years apart (mean interval between first and third sample was 7.5 years [women] or 2.9 years [men]), using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and intra-class correlation coefficients. We detected ten phthalate metabolites in at least 50% of individuals for two or more samples. Participant sex, age, menopausal status, education, income, body mass index, consumption of bottled water, recent intake of medication, and time of day of collection of the urine sample were associated with concentrations of certain phthalate metabolites. The reproducibility of an individual's urinary concentration of phthalate metabolites across several years was low, with all intra-class correlation coefficients and most Spearman rank correlation coefficients ≤ 0.3. Only mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, a metabolite of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, had a Spearman rank correlation coefficient ≥ 0.4 among men, suggesting moderate reproducibility. These findings suggest that a single spot urine sample is not sufficient to rank exposures to phthalates over several years in an adult urban Chinese population. PMID:26255822

  6. Exposure to an Environmentally Relevant Phthalate Mixture Causes Transgenerational Effects on Female Reproduction in Mice.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying; Flaws, Jodi A

    2017-06-01

    Phthalates are used in consumer products and are known endocrine-disrupting chemicals. However, limited information is available on the effects of phthalate mixtures on female reproduction. Previously, we developed a phthalate mixture made of 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% di-isononyl phthalate, 8% di-isobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate that mimics human exposure. We tested the effects of prenatal exposure to this mixture on reproductive outcomes in first-filial-generation (F1) female mice and found that it impaired reproductive outcomes. However, the impact of this exposure on second-filial-generation (F2) and third-filial-generation (F3) females was unknown. Thus, we hypothesized that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture induces multigenerational and transgenerational effects on female reproduction. Pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200 µg/kg/d, 200 and 500 mg/kg/d) daily from gestational day 10 to birth. Adult F1 females born to these dams were used to generate the F2 generation and adult F2 females born to F1 females were used to generate the F3 generation. F2 and F3 females were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests. Prenatal phthalate mixture exposure increased uterine weight, anogenital distance, and body weight; induced cystic ovaries; and caused fertility complications in the F2 generation. It also increased uterine weight, decreased anogenital distance, and caused fertility complications in the F3 generation. These data suggest that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture induces multigenerational and transgenerational effects on female reproduction. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society.

  7. Exposure to an Environmentally Relevant Phthalate Mixture Causes Transgenerational Effects on Female Reproduction in Mice

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying

    2017-01-01

    Phthalates are used in consumer products and are known endocrine-disrupting chemicals. However, limited information is available on the effects of phthalate mixtures on female reproduction. Previously, we developed a phthalate mixture made of 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% di-isononyl phthalate, 8% di-isobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate that mimics human exposure. We tested the effects of prenatal exposure to this mixture on reproductive outcomes in first-filial-generation (F1) female mice and found that it impaired reproductive outcomes. However, the impact of this exposure on second-filial-generation (F2) and third-filial-generation (F3) females was unknown. Thus, we hypothesized that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture induces multigenerational and transgenerational effects on female reproduction. Pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200 µg/kg/d, 200 and 500 mg/kg/d) daily from gestational day 10 to birth. Adult F1 females born to these dams were used to generate the F2 generation and adult F2 females born to F1 females were used to generate the F3 generation. F2 and F3 females were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests. Prenatal phthalate mixture exposure increased uterine weight, anogenital distance, and body weight; induced cystic ovaries; and caused fertility complications in the F2 generation. It also increased uterine weight, decreased anogenital distance, and caused fertility complications in the F3 generation. These data suggest that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture induces multigenerational and transgenerational effects on female reproduction. PMID:28368545

  8. Phthalate exposure and reproductive hormones and sex-hormone binding globulin before puberty - Phthalate contaminated-foodstuff episode in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Wen, Hui-Ju; Chen, Chu-Chih; Wu, Ming-Tsang; Chen, Mei-Lien; Sun, Chien-Wen; Wu, Wen-Chiu; Huang, I-Wen; Huang, Po-Chin; Yu, Tzu-Yun; Hsiung, Chao A; Wang, Shu-Li

    2017-01-01

    In May 2011, a major incident involving phthalates-contaminated foodstuffs occurred in Taiwan. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was added to foodstuffs, mainly juice, jelly, tea, sports drink, and dietary supplements. Concerns arose that normal pubertal development, especially reproductive hormone regulation in children, could be disrupted by DEHP exposure. To investigate the association between phthalate exposure and reproductive hormone levels among children following potential exposure to phthalate-tainted foodstuffs. A total of 239 children aged <12 years old were recruited from 3 hospitals in north, central, and south Taiwan after the episode. Structured questionnaires were used to collect the frequency and quantity of exposures to 5 categories of phthalate-contaminated foodstuffs to assess phthalate exposure in children. Urine samples were collected for the measurement of phthalate metabolites. The estimated daily intake of DEHP exposure at the time of the contamination incident occurred was calculated using both questionnaire data and urinary DEHP metabolite concentrations. Multiple regression analyses were applied to assess associations between phthalate exposure and reproductive hormone levels in children. After excluding children with missing data regarding exposure levels and hormone concentrations and girls with menstruation, 222 children were included in the statistical analyses. After adjustment for age and birth weight, girls with above median levels of urinary mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate, mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate, and sum of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate concentrations had higher odds of above median follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations. Girls with above median estimated average daily DEHP exposures following the contamination episode also had higher odds of sex hormone-binding globulin above median levels. Phthalate exposure was associated with alterations of reproductive hormone levels in girls.

  9. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF DIBUTYL PHTHALATE AND DIETHYLHEXYL PHTHALATE ON MALE RAT REPRODUCTIVE TRACT DEVELOPMENT: ALTERED FETAL STEROID HORMONES AND GENES.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Exposure to the plasticizers diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP) during sexual differentiation causes male reproductive tract malformations in rats and rabbits. In the fetal male rat, these two phthalate esters decrease testosterone (T) production and i...

  10. 77 FR 19005 - Notice of Teleconference of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-29

    ... combination with other phthalates; Examine the likely levels of children's, pregnant women's, and others... substitutes. The Commission appointed this CHAP on April 14, 2010, to study the effects on children's health of all phthalates and phthalate alternatives, as used in children's toys and child care articles...

  11. 76 FR 75537 - Notice of Teleconference of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-02

    ... other phthalates; Examine the likely levels of children's, pregnant women's, and others' exposure to... Commission appointed this CHAP on April 14, 2010, to study the effects on children's health of all phthalates and phthalate alternatives, as used in children's toys and child care articles, pursuant to section...

  12. Observing phthalate leaching from plasticized polymer films at the molecular level.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaoxian; Chen, Zhan

    2014-05-06

    Phthalates, the most widely used plasticizers in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), have been extensively studied. In this paper, a highly sensitive, easy, and effective method was developed to examine short-term phthalate leaching from PVC/phthalate films at the molecular level using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG). Combining SFG and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface and bulk molecular structures of PVC/phthalate films were also comprehensively evaluated during the phthalate leaching process under various environments. The leaching processes of two phthalates, diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), from the PVC/phthalate films with various weight ratios were studied. Oxygen plasma was applied to treat the PVC/phthalate film surfaces to verify its efficacy on preventing/reducing phthalate leaching from PVC. Our results show that DBP is more stable than DEP in PVC/phthalate films. Even so, DBP molecules were still found to very slowly leach to the environment from PVC at 30 °C, at a rate much slower than DEP. Also, the bulk DBP content substantially influences the DBP leaching. Higher DBP bulk concentration yields less stable DBP molecules in the PVC matrix, allowing molecules to leach from the polymer film more easily. Additionally, DBP leaching is very sensitive to temperature changes; higher temperature can strongly enhance the leaching process. For most cases, the oxygen plasma treatment can effectively prevent phthalate leaching from PVC films (e.g., for samples with low bulk concentrations of DBP-5 and 30 wt %). It is also capable of reducing phthalate leaching from high DBP bulk concentration PVC samples (e.g., 70 wt % DBP in PVC/DBP mixture). This research develops a highly sensitive method to detect chemicals at the molecular level as well as provides surface and bulk molecular structural changes. The method developed here is general and can be applied to detect small amounts of chemical/biological environmental contaminants.

  13. Cathepsin B inhibitory activities of three new phthalate derivatives isolated from seahorse, Hippocampus Kuda Bleeler.

    PubMed

    Li, Yong; Qian, Zhong-Ji; Kim, Se-Kwon

    2008-12-01

    Three new phthalate acid derivatives, 2,12-diethyl-11-methylhexadecyl 2-ethyl-11-methylhexadecyl phthalate (1), 2-ethyldecyl 2-ethylundecyl phthalate (2), and bis(2-ethyldodecyl) phthalate (3), were isolated from seahorse, Hippocampus Kuda Bleeler, together with a known natural analog bis(2-ethylheptyl) phthalate (4). The structures of these compounds were elucidated mainly by means of the comprehensive analysis of their NMR spectroscopic data. The four phthalate derivatives showed dose-dependent cathepsin B inhibitions activities with IC(50) values of 0.13 mM (1), 0.21 mM (2), 0.18 mM (3), and 0.29 mM (4), respectively.

  14. Enantioseparation of rabeprazole and omeprazole by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis with an ephedrine-based ionic liquid as the chiral selector.

    PubMed

    Ma, Zheng; Zhang, Lijuan; Lin, Lina; Ji, Ping; Guo, Xingjie

    2010-12-01

    An ephedrine-based chiral ionic liquid, (+)-N,N-dimethylephedrinium-bis(trifluoromethanesulfon)imidate ([DMP](+) [Tf(2) N](-) ), served as both chiral selector and background electrolyte in nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis. The enantioseparation of rabeprazole and omeprazole was achieved in acetonitrile-methanol (60:40 v/v) containing 60 mm[DMP](+) [Tf(2) N](-) . The influences of separation conditions, including the concentration of [DMP](+) [Tf(2) N](-) , the electrophoretic media and the buffer, on enantioseparation were evaluated. The mechanism of enantioseparation was investigated and discussed. Ion-pair interaction and hydrogen bonding may be responsible for the main separation mechanism. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. PVC flooring is related to human uptake of phthalates in infants.

    PubMed

    Carlstedt, F; Jönsson, B A G; Bornehag, C-G

    2013-02-01

    Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring material contains phthalates, and it has been shown that such materials are important sources for phthalates in indoor dust. Phthalates are suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Consecutive infants between 2 and 6 months old and their mothers were invited. A questionnaire about indoor environmental factors and family lifestyle was used. Urinary metabolites of the phthalates diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP), and dietylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) were measured in the urine of the children. Of 209 invited children, 110 (52%) participated. Urine samples were obtained from 83 of these. Urine levels of the BBzP metabolite monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) was significantly higher in infants with PVC flooring in their bedrooms (P < 0.007) and related to the body area of the infant. Levels of the DEHP metabolites MEHHP (P < 0.01) and MEOHP (P < 0.04) were higher in the 2-month-old infants who were not exclusively breast-fed when compared with breast-fed children. The findings indicate that the use of soft PVC as flooring material may increase the human uptake of phthalates in infants. Urinary levels of phthalate metabolites during early life are associated with the use of PVC flooring in the bedroom, body area, and the use of infant formula. This study shows that the uptake of phthalates is not only related to oral uptake from, for example, food but also to environmental factors such as building materials. This new information should be considered when designing indoor environment, especially for children. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  16. Increased Urinary Phthalate Levels in Women with Uterine Leiomyoma: A Case-Control Study.

    PubMed

    Kim, Young Ah; Kho, Younglim; Chun, Kyoung Chul; Koh, Jae Whoan; Park, Jeong Woo; Bunderson-Schelvan, Melisa; Cho, Yoon Hee

    2016-12-15

    We assessed the urinary concentration of 16 phthalate metabolites in 57 women with and without uterine leiomyoma ( n = 30 and 27; respectively) to determine the association between phthalate exposure and uterine leiomyoma. To evaluate exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); we calculated the molar sum of DEHP metabolites; ∑3-DEHP (combining mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP); mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP); and mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate); ∑4-DEHP (∑3-DEHP plus mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate); and ∑5-DEHP (∑4-DEHP plus mono (2-(carboxylmethyl)hexyl) phthalate (2cx-MMHP)). The log transformed urinary levels of MEHP; MEHHP; 2cx-MMHP; ∑3-DEHP; ∑4-DEHP; and ∑5-DEHP in the leiomyoma group were significantly higher than those of controls. When we adjusted for age; waist circumference; and parity using multiple logistic regression analyses; we found log ∑3-DEHP (OR = 10.82; 95% CI = 1.25; 93.46) and ∑4-DEHP (OR = 8.78; 95% CI = 1.03; 75.29) were significantly associated with uterine leiomyoma. Our findings suggest an association between phthalate exposure and uterine leiomyoma. However; larger studies are needed to investigate potential interactions between phthalate exposure and uterine leiomyoma.

  17. Increased Urinary Phthalate Levels in Women with Uterine Leiomyoma: A Case-Control Study

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Young Ah; Kho, Younglim; Chun, Kyoung Chul; Koh, Jae Whoan; Park, Jeong Woo; Bunderson-Schelvan, Melisa; Cho, Yoon Hee

    2016-01-01

    We assessed the urinary concentration of 16 phthalate metabolites in 57 women with and without uterine leiomyoma (n = 30 and 27; respectively) to determine the association between phthalate exposure and uterine leiomyoma. To evaluate exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); we calculated the molar sum of DEHP metabolites; ∑3-DEHP (combining mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP); mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP); and mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate); ∑4-DEHP (∑3-DEHP plus mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate); and ∑5-DEHP (∑4-DEHP plus mono (2-(carboxylmethyl)hexyl) phthalate (2cx-MMHP)). The log transformed urinary levels of MEHP; MEHHP; 2cx-MMHP; ∑3-DEHP; ∑4-DEHP; and ∑5-DEHP in the leiomyoma group were significantly higher than those of controls. When we adjusted for age; waist circumference; and parity using multiple logistic regression analyses; we found log ∑3-DEHP (OR = 10.82; 95% CI = 1.25; 93.46) and ∑4-DEHP (OR = 8.78; 95% CI = 1.03; 75.29) were significantly associated with uterine leiomyoma. Our findings suggest an association between phthalate exposure and uterine leiomyoma. However; larger studies are needed to investigate potential interactions between phthalate exposure and uterine leiomyoma. PMID:27983712

  18. Urinary Concentrations of Phthalates in Couples Planning Pregnancy and Its Association with 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, a Biomarker of Oxidative Stress: Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment Study

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Oxidative stress has been recognized as one of the most important contributors to infertility in both males and females. Exposure to many environmental chemicals, such as phthalates, has been shown to induce oxidative stress. In a longitudinal study designed to assess exposure to environmental chemicals and fecundity in couples who were planning pregnancy, 894 urine samples were collected from 469 couples from Michigan and Texas during 2005–2009. The concentrations of 14 phthalate metabolites and a marker of oxidative stress, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), were determined in these samples. Concentrations, profiles, and estimated daily intakes (DIs) of phthalates were positively associated with 8-OHdG. The median concentrations of monomethyl phthalate (mMP), monoethyl phthalate (mEP), mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (mCPP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (mBP), mono(2-isobutyl) phthalate (miBP), monobenzyl phthalate (mBzP), Σ5mEHP (sum of five metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)) and Σ14phthalates (sum of 14 urinary phthalate metabolites) were 0.48, 85.2, 4.50, 7.66, 4.36, 3.80, 54.8, and 249 μg/g creatinine, respectively. The estimated DI values for DEHP in 39 individuals were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) reference dose (RfD) of 20 μg/kg-bw/day. The mean and median concentrations of 8-OHdG were 6.02 and 3.13 μg/g creatinine, respectively, which were significantly higher in females than in males. Statistically significant associations were found between 8-OHdG and urinary concentrations of mEP, and Σ5mEHP for females. Similarly, a significant association was found between 8-OHdG and DIs estimated for select phthalates. Our results suggested that phthalate exposure increases oxidative stress, which can be a mechanism for the diminished fertility observed in couples who were highly exposed to select phthalates. PMID:25068827

  19. 77 FR 34028 - Notice of Teleconference of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-08

    ... combination with other phthalates; Examine the likely levels of children's, pregnant women's, and others... children's health of all phthalates and phthalate alternatives, as used in children's toys and child care... (15 to 17 GMT) on Friday, June 29, 2012. Interested members of the public may listen to the CHAP's...

  20. A molecular mechanics study of the effect of substitution in position 1 on the conformational space of the oxytocin/vasopressin ring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarnowska, Monika; Liwo, Adam; Shenderovich, Mark D.; Liepiņa, Inta; Golbraikh, Alexander A.; Grzonka, Zbigniew; Tempczyk, Anna

    1993-12-01

    The effect of the substitution in position 1 on the low-energy conformations of the oxytocin/vasopressin 20-membered ring was investigated by means of molecular mechanics. Three representative substitutions were considered: β'-mercapto-β,β-dimethyl)propionic acid (Dmp), (β'-mercapto-β,β-cyclopentamethylene)propionic acid (Cpp), both forming strong antagonists, and (α,α-dimethyl-β-mercapto)propionic acid (α-Dmp), forming analogs of strongly reduced biological activity, with the β-mercaptopropionic (Mpa) residue taken as reference. Both ECEPP/2 (rigid valence geometry) and AMBER (flexible valence geometry) force fields were employed in the calculations. Three basic types of backbone conformations were taken into account which are distinguished by the type of β-turn at residues 3 and 4: β1/βIII, βII, and βI'/βIII', all types containing one or two intra-annular hydrogen bonds. The allowed (ring-closed) disulfide-bridge conformations were searched by an algorithm formulated in terms of scanning the disulfide-bridge torsional angle Cβ-S-S-Cβ. The ECEPP/2 and AMBER energies of the obtained conformations were found to be in reasonable agreement. Two of the low-energy conformers of the [Mpa1]-compound agreed very well with the cyclic part of the two conformers found in the crystal structure of [Mpa1]-oxytocin. An analysis of the effect of β-substitution on relative energies showed that the conformations with the N-C'-CH2-CH2 (ψ'1) and C'-CH2-CH2-S (ϰ'1) angles of the first residue around (-100°, 60°) and (100°, -60°) are not affected; this in most cases implies a left-handed disulfide bridge. In the case of α-substitution the allowed values of ψ'1 are close to ± 60°. This requirement, being in contradiction to the one concerning β-substitution, could explain the very low biological activity of the α-substituted analogs. The conformational preferences of substituted compounds can largely be explained by the analysis of local interactions within the first residue. Based on the selection of the conformations which are low in energy for both the reference and β-substituted compounds, two distinct types of possible binding conformations were proposed, the first one being similar to the crystal conformer with a left-handed disulfide bridge, the second one having a right-handed bridge, but a geometry different from that of the crystal conformer with the right-handed bridge. The first type of disulfide-bridge arrangement is equally favorable for both βI/βIII and βII types of backbone structure, while the second one is allowed only for the βII type of backbone. No conformation of the βI'/βIII' type has a low enough energy to be considered as a possible binding conformation for all of the active compounds studied in this work.

  1. Characterization of a developmental toxicity dose-response model.

    PubMed Central

    Faustman, E M; Wellington, D G; Smith, W P; Kimmel, C A

    1989-01-01

    The Rai and Van Ryzin dose-response model proposed for teratology experiments has been characterized for its appropriateness and applicability in modeling the dichotomous response data from developmental toxicity studies. Modifications were made in the initial probability statements to reflect more accurately biological events underlying developmental toxicity. Data sets used for the evaluation were obtained from the National Toxicology Program and U.S. EPA laboratories. The studies included developmental evaluations of ethylene glycol, diethylhexyl phthalate, di- and triethylene glycol dimethyl ethers, and nitrofen in rats, mice, or rabbits. Graphic examination and statistical evaluation demonstrate that this model is sensitive to the data when compared to directly measured experimental outcomes. The model was used to interpolate to low-risk dose levels, and comparisons were made between the values obtained and the no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) divided by an uncertainty factor. Our investigation suggests that the Rai and Van Ryzin model is sensitive to the developmental toxicity end points, prenatal deaths, and malformations, and appears to model closely their relationship to dose. PMID:2707204

  2. Yacht-maker's lung: A case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in yacht manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Volkman, Kristen K; Merrick, James G; Zacharisen, Michael C

    2006-10-01

    We present a case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a 46-year-old female working at a yacht manufacturing company. She reported a 2-month history of progressive dyspnea, chest tightness, and daytime, nocturnal, and exertional cough in temporal relationship to work where she was exposed to chemicals involved in the manufacture of yachts. Treatment with systemic antibiotic therapy, inhaled bronchodilators, and inhaled corticosteroids provided minimal relief of symptoms. Spirometry revealed a restrictive defect and a chest x-ray demonstrated a diffuse interstitial pattern. She improved on oral corticosteroids and with avoidance of her work environment had resolution of her symptoms and normalization of her spirometry. Among the various chemicals the patient was exposed to, the most likely causative agents for her symptoms were dimethyl phthalate and styrene. Although the specific chemical or antigen could not be determined, the history and objective findings are consistent with occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis. This represents a case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis related to the manufacture of yachts.

  3. Maternal urinary phthalate metabolites during pregnancy and thyroid hormone concentrations in maternal and cord sera: The HOME Study.

    PubMed

    Romano, Megan E; Eliot, Melissa N; Zoeller, R Thomas; Hoofnagle, Andrew N; Calafat, Antonia M; Karagas, Margaret R; Yolton, Kimberly; Chen, Aimin; Lanphear, Bruce P; Braun, Joseph M

    2018-05-01

    Phthalates, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are commonly found in consumer products, may adversely affect thyroid hormones, but findings from prior epidemiologic studies are inconsistent. In a prospective cohort study, we investigated whether maternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and phthalate mixtures measured during pregnancy were associated with thyroid hormones among pregnant women and newborns. We measured nine phthalate metabolites [monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate, mono-isobutyl phthalate, monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), and four monoesthers of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] in urine collected at approximately 16 and 26 weeks' gestation among women in the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment Study (2003-2006, Cincinnati, Ohio). Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free and total thyroxine and triiodothyronine were measured in maternal serum at 16 weeks' gestation (n = 202) and cord serum at delivery (n = 276). We used multivariable linear regression to assess associations between individual urinary phthalate metabolites and concentrations of maternal or cord serum thyroid hormones. We used weighted quantile sum regression (WQS) to create a phthalate index describing combined concentrations of phthalate metabolites and to investigate associations of the phthalate index with individual thyroid hormones. With each 10-fold increase in 16-week maternal urinary MEP, maternal serum total thyroxine (TT 4 ) decreased by 0.52 μg/dL (95% CI: -1.01, -0.03). For each 10-fold increase in average (16- and 26-week) maternal urinary MBzP, cord serum TSH decreased by 19% (95% CI: -33.1, -1.9). Among mothers, the phthalate index was inversely associated with maternal serum TT 4 (WQS beta = -0.60; 95% CI: -1.01, -0.18). Among newborns, the phthalate index was inversely associated with both cord serum TSH (WQS beta = -0.11; 95% CI: -0.20, -0.03) and TT 4 (WQS beta = -0.53; 95% CI: -0.90, -0.16). Our results suggest that co-exposure to multiple phthalates was inversely associated with certain thyroid hormones (TT 4 in pregnant women and newborns, and TSH in newborns) in this birth cohort. These findings highlight the need to study chemical mixtures in environmental epidemiology. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  4. Molecular Tracers of Saturated and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Inputs into Central Park Lake, New York City

    PubMed Central

    YAN, BEIZHAN; ABRAJANO, TEOFILO A.; BOPP, RICHARD F.; CHAKY, DAMON A.; BENEDICT, LUCILLE A.; CHILLRUD, STEVEN N.

    2011-01-01

    Saturated hydrocarbons (SH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been quantified in a sediment core obtained from Central Park Lake, New York City. Radionuclides 210Pb and 137Cs were used to assign approximate dates to each individual section in the core. The dating profile based on 210Pb matches very well with the time constraints provided by 137Cs. Radionuclide-derived depositional dates are consistent with temporal information from the petroleum-indicator ratio U/R [the ratio of unresolved complex mixture (UCM) to saturated hydrocarbons in the aliphatic fraction] and the history of fuel use in the NYC area. Ratios of 1,7-dimethylphenanthrane (DMP) to 1,7-DMP plus 2,6-DMP [1,7/(1,7 + 2,6)-DMP], retene to retene plus chrysene [Ret/(Ret + Chy)], and fluoranthene to fluoranthene plus pyrene [Fl/(Fl + Py)] provide additional source discrimination throughout the core. Results show that the ratio U/R is sensitive to petroleum inputs and Ret/(Ret + Chy) is responsive to contributions from softwood combustion, whereas both Fl/(Fl + Py) and 1,7/(1,7 + 2,6)-DMP can be used to discriminate among wood, coal, and petroleum combustion sources. Combined use of these ratios suggests that in New York City, wood combustion dominated 100 years ago, with a shift to coal combustion occurring from the 1900s to the 1950s. Petroleum use began around the 1920s and has dominated since the 1940s. PMID:16201624

  5. Molecular tracers of saturated and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon inputs into Central Park Lake, New York City.

    PubMed

    Yan, Beizhan; Abrajano, Teofilo A; Bopp, Richard F; Chaky, Damon A; Benedict, Lucille A; Chillrud, Steven N

    2005-09-15

    Saturated hydrocarbons (SH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been quantified in a sediment core obtained from Central Park Lake, New York City. Radionuclides 210Pb and 137Cs were used to assign approximate dates to each individual section in the core. The dating profile based on 210Pb matches very well with the time constraints provided by 137Cs. Radionuclide-derived depositional dates are consistent with temporal information from the petroleum-indicator ratio U/R [the ratio of unresolved complex mixture (UCM)to saturated hydrocarbons in the aliphatic fraction] and the history of fuel use in the NYC area. Ratios of 1,7-dimethylphenanthrane (DMP) to 1,7-DMP plus 2,6-DMP [1,7/(1,7 + 2,6)-DMP], retene to retene plus chrysene [Ret/(Ret + Chy)], and fluoranthene to fluoranthene plus pyrene [FI/(FI + Py)] provide additional source discrimination throughoutthe core. Results show that the ratio U/R is sensitive to petroleum inputs and Ret/(Ret + Chy) is responsive to contributions from softwood combustion, whereas both FI/(FI + Py) and 1,7/ (1,7 + 2,6)-DMP can be used to discriminate among wood, coal, and petroleum combustion sources. Combined use of these ratios suggests that in New York City, wood combustion dominated 100 years ago, with a shift to coal combustion occurring from the 1900s to the 1950s. Petroleum use began around the 1920s and has dominated since the 1940s.

  6. [Discussion on developing a data management plan and its key factors in clinical study based on electronic data capture system].

    PubMed

    Li, Qing-na; Huang, Xiu-ling; Gao, Rui; Lu, Fang

    2012-08-01

    Data management has significant impact on the quality control of clinical studies. Every clinical study should have a data management plan to provide overall work instructions and ensure that all of these tasks are completed according to the Good Clinical Data Management Practice (GCDMP). Meanwhile, the data management plan (DMP) is an auditable document requested by regulatory inspectors and must be written in a manner that is realistic and of high quality. The significance of DMP, the minimum standards and the best practices provided by GCDMP, the main contents of DMP based on electronic data capture (EDC) and some key factors of DMP influencing the quality of clinical study were elaborated in this paper. Specifically, DMP generally consists of 15 parts, namely, the approval page, the protocol summary, role and training, timelines, database design, creation, maintenance and security, data entry, data validation, quality control and quality assurance, the management of external data, serious adverse event data reconciliation, coding, database lock, data management reports, the communication plan and the abbreviated terms. Among them, the following three parts are regarded as the key factors: designing a standardized database of the clinical study, entering data in time and cleansing data efficiently. In the last part of this article, the authors also analyzed the problems in clinical research of traditional Chinese medicine using the EDC system and put forward some suggestions for improvement.

  7. A scalable variational inequality approach for flow through porous media models with pressure-dependent viscosity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mapakshi, N. K.; Chang, J.; Nakshatrala, K. B.

    2018-04-01

    Mathematical models for flow through porous media typically enjoy the so-called maximum principles, which place bounds on the pressure field. It is highly desirable to preserve these bounds on the pressure field in predictive numerical simulations, that is, one needs to satisfy discrete maximum principles (DMP). Unfortunately, many of the existing formulations for flow through porous media models do not satisfy DMP. This paper presents a robust, scalable numerical formulation based on variational inequalities (VI), to model non-linear flows through heterogeneous, anisotropic porous media without violating DMP. VI is an optimization technique that places bounds on the numerical solutions of partial differential equations. To crystallize the ideas, a modification to Darcy equations by taking into account pressure-dependent viscosity will be discretized using the lowest-order Raviart-Thomas (RT0) and Variational Multi-scale (VMS) finite element formulations. It will be shown that these formulations violate DMP, and, in fact, these violations increase with an increase in anisotropy. It will be shown that the proposed VI-based formulation provides a viable route to enforce DMP. Moreover, it will be shown that the proposed formulation is scalable, and can work with any numerical discretization and weak form. A series of numerical benchmark problems are solved to demonstrate the effects of heterogeneity, anisotropy and non-linearity on DMP violations under the two chosen formulations (RT0 and VMS), and that of non-linearity on solver convergence for the proposed VI-based formulation. Parallel scalability on modern computational platforms will be illustrated through strong-scaling studies, which will prove the efficiency of the proposed formulation in a parallel setting. Algorithmic scalability as the problem size is scaled up will be demonstrated through novel static-scaling studies. The performed static-scaling studies can serve as a guide for users to be able to select an appropriate discretization for a given problem size.

  8. Disease management programs for patients with COPD in Germany: a longitudinal evaluation of routinely collected patient records.

    PubMed

    Mehring, Michael; Donnachie, Ewan; Fexer, Johannes; Hofmann, Frank; Schneider, Antonius

    2014-07-01

    The primary aim of the disease management program (DMP) for patients with COPD is to improve health outcomes and thereby to reduce overall costs. Six years after its introduction in Germany, no consensus has yet been reached as to whether the DMP has been effective in reaching these goals. The objective of the study was an evaluation of the DMP for COPD in Bavaria using routinely collected subject medical records. A longitudinal population-based study, comparing the total DMP population of up to 86,560 patients with a stable cohort of 17,549 subjects over a period of 5 years. The effect of subject dropout in the cohort is further estimated by means of inverse probability weighting. The proportion of subjects in the total population who were prescribed and received treatment with oral corticosteroids declined at a constant rate of 1.0% per year (P < .001). The proportion of subjects who were given a prescription for theophylline decreased at a constant rate of 2.0% per year (P < .001). By 2012, 15.6% of the total population and 26% of the cohort had undergone self-management education. While the proportion of smokers in the total population remained constant because of the effect of newly enrolled subjects, the proportion of smokers decreased significantly even after dropout adjustment, from 29% to 21%. The occurrence of exacerbations decreased steadily at a rate of 0.9% (total population) or 0.7% (cohort) per year. While the occurrence of emergency hospital admissions decreased in the total population, an increase was observed within the cohort. Summarizing all results leads to the suggestion that the German DMP for COPD has been effective in enhancing the quality of care in regard to an improved adherence to guidelines, pharmacotherapy, exacerbations, and self-management education. However, the DMP was not able to prevent an increase in emergency hospital admissions for the stable population in the cohort. Copyright © 2014 by Daedalus Enterprises.

  9. A Novel Nonsense Mutation in the DMP1 Gene Identified by a Genome-Wide Association Study Is Responsible for Inherited Rickets in Corriedale Sheep

    PubMed Central

    Blair, Hugh T.; Thompson, Keith G.; Rothschild, Max F.; Garrick, Dorian J.

    2011-01-01

    Inherited rickets of Corriedale sheep is characterized by decreased growth rate, thoracic lordosis and angular limb deformities. Previous outcross and backcross studies implicate inheritance as a simple autosomal recessive disorder. A genome wide association study was conducted using the Illumina OvineSNP50 BeadChip on 20 related sheep comprising 17 affected and 3 carriers. A homozygous region of 125 consecutive single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci was identified in all affected sheep, covering a region of 6 Mb on ovine chromosome 6. Among 35 candidate genes in this region, the dentin matrix protein 1 gene (DMP1) was sequenced to reveal a nonsense mutation 250C/T on exon 6. This mutation introduced a stop codon (R145X) and could truncate C-terminal amino acids. Genotyping by PCR-RFLP for this mutation showed all 17 affected sheep were “T T” genotypes; the 3 carriers were “C T”; 24 phenotypically normal related sheep were either “C T” or “C C”; and 46 unrelated normal control sheep from other breeds were all “C C”. The other SNPs in DMP1 were not concordant with the disease and can all be ruled out as candidates. Previous research has shown that mutations in the DMP1 gene are responsible for autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets in humans. Dmp1_knockout mice exhibit rickets phenotypes. We believe the R145X mutation to be responsible for the inherited rickets found in Corriedale sheep. A simple diagnostic test can be designed to identify carriers with the defective “T” allele. Affected sheep could be used as animal models for this form of human rickets, and for further investigation of the role of DMP1 in phosphate homeostasis. PMID:21747952

  10. Disease management programmes for patients with coronary heart disease--an empirical study of German programmes.

    PubMed

    Gapp, Oliver; Schweikert, Bernd; Meisinger, Christa; Holle, Rolf

    2008-12-01

    To evaluate healthcare and outcomes of disease management programmes (DMPs) for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in primary care, and to assess selection of enrollment for these programmes. A cross-sectional survey of 2330 statutorily insured patients with a history of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was performed in 2006 by the population-based KORA Myocardial Infarction Register from the region of Augsburg, Germany. Patients enrolled in DMP-CHDs receive evidence-based care, with patients not enrolled receiving standard care. To control for selection bias, a propensity score approach was used. Main factors influencing DMP participation were age (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-0.99), diabetes (OR 1.56, CI 1.25-1.95) and time since last heart attack (OR 0.98, CI 0.95-0.99). Significantly more patients enrolled in DMP-CHDs stated that they received medical counselling for smoking (OR 3.77, CI 1.07-13.34), nutrition (OR 2.15, 1.69-2.74) and for physical activity (OR 2.58, 1.99-3.35). Furthermore, prescription of statins (OR 1.58, CI 1.24-2.00), antiplatelets (OR 1.96, CI 1.43-2.69) and beta-blockers (not significant) were higher in the DMP group. With respect to outcomes, we did not see relevant differences in quality of life and body mass index, and only a minor reduction in smoking. Enrollment into DMPs for CHD exhibits systematic selection effects. Participants tend to experience--at least on a short to medium term and for AMI patients--better quality of healthcare services. However, since DMP-CHDs were initiated only 2 years ago, we were unable to identify significant improvements in health outcomes. Only the reduction in smoking provides a first indication of better quality outcomes following DMP-CHD. Thus, policy-makers must provide appropriate incentives to sickness funds and physicians in order to ensure initiation and continuation of high quality DMPs.

  11. Conditional deletion of Pkd1 in osteocytes disrupts skeletal mechanosensing in mice

    PubMed Central

    Xiao, Zhousheng; Dallas, Mark; Qiu, Ni; Nicolella, Daniel; Cao, Li; Johnson, Mark; Bonewald, Lynda; Quarles, L. Darryl

    2011-01-01

    We investigated whether polycystin-1 is a bone mechanosensor. We conditionally deleted Pkd1 in mature osteoblasts/osteocytes by crossing Dmp1-Cre with Pkd1flox/m1Bei mice, in which the m1Bei allele is nonfunctional. We assessed in wild-type and Pkd1-deficient mice the response to mechanical loading in vivo by ulna loading and ex vivo by measuring the response of isolated osteoblasts to fluid shear stress. We found that conditional Pkd1 heterozygotes (Dmp1-Cre;Pkd1flox/+) and null mice (Pkd1Dmp1-cKO) exhibited a ∼40 and ∼90% decrease, respectively, in functional Pkd1 transcripts in bone. Femoral bone mineral density (12 vs. 27%), trabecular bone volume (32 vs. 48%), and cortical thickness (6 vs. 17%) were reduced proportionate to the reduction of Pkd1 gene dose, as were mineral apposition rate (MAR) and expression of Runx2-II, Osteocalcin, Dmp1, and Phex. Anabolic load-induced periosteal lamellar MAR (0.58±0.14; Pkd1Dmp1-cKO vs. 1.68±0.34 μm/d; control) and increases in Cox-2, c-Jun, Wnt10b, Axin2, and Runx2-II gene expression were significantly attenuated in Pkd1Dmp1-cKO mice compared with controls. Application of fluid shear stress to immortalized osteoblasts from Pkd1null/null and Pkd1m1Bei/m1Bei-derived osteoblasts failed to elicit the increments in cytosolic calcium observed in wild-type controls. These data indicate that polycystin-1 is essential for the anabolic response to skeletal loading in osteoblasts/osteocytes.—Xiao, Z., Dallas, M., Qiu, N., Nicolella, D., Cao, L., Johnson, M., Bonewald, L., Quarles, L. D. Conditional deletion of Pkd1 in osteocytes disrupts skeletal mechanosensing in mice. PMID:21454365

  12. Health system responsiveness and chronic disease care - What is the role of disease management programs? An analysis based on cross-sectional survey and administrative claims data.

    PubMed

    Röttger, Julia; Blümel, Miriam; Linder, Roland; Busse, Reinhard

    2017-07-01

    Health system responsiveness is an important aspect of health systems performance. The concept of responsiveness relates to the interpersonal and contextual aspects of health care. While disease management programs (DMPs) aim to improve the quality of health care (e.g. by improving the coordination of care), it has not been analyzed yet whether these programs improve the perceived health system responsiveness. Our study aims to close this gap by analyzing the differences in the perceived health system responsiveness between DMP-participants and non-participants. We used linked survey- and administrative claims data from 7037 patients with coronary heart disease in Germany. Of those, 5082 were enrolled and 1955 were not enrolled in the DMP. Responsiveness was assessed with an adapted version of the WHO responsiveness questionnaire in a postal survey in 2013. The survey covered 9 dimensions of responsiveness and included 17 items for each, GP and specialist care. Each item had five answer categories (very good - very bad). We handled missing values in the covariates by multiple imputation and applied propensity score matching (PSM) to control for differences between the two groups (DMP/non-DMP). We used Wilcoxon-signed-rank and McNemar test to analyze differences regarding the reported responsiveness. The PSM led to a matched and well balanced sample of 1921 pairs. Overall, DMP-participants rated the responsiveness of care more positive. The main difference was found for the coordination of care at the GP, with 62.0% of 1703 non-participants reporting a "good" or "very good" experience, compared to 69.1% of 1703 participants (p < 0.001). The results of our study indicate an overall high responsiveness for CHD-care, as well for DMP-participants as for non-participants. Yet, the results also clearly indicate that there is still a need to improve the coordination of care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. A comparison of HFrEF vs HFpEF's clinical workload and cost in the first year following hospitalization and enrollment in a disease management program.

    PubMed

    Murphy, T M; Waterhouse, D F; James, S; Casey, C; Fitzgerald, E; O'Connell, E; Watson, C; Gallagher, J; Ledwidge, M; McDonald, K

    2017-04-01

    Admission with heart failure (HF) is a milestone in the progression of the disease, often resulting in higher intensity medical care and ensuing readmissions. Whilst there is evidence supporting enrolling patients in a heart failure disease management program (HF-DMP), not all reported HF-DMPs have systematically enrolled patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and there is a scarcity of literature differentiating costs based on HF-phenotype. 1292 consenting, consecutive patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of HF were enrolled in a hospital based HF-DMP and categorized as HFpEF (EF≥45%) or HFrEF (EF<45%). Hospitalizations, primary care, medications, and DMP workload with associated costs were evaluated assessing DMP clinic-visits, telephonic contact, medication changes over 1year using a mixture of casemix and micro-costing techniques. The total average annual cost per patient was marginally higher in patients with HFrEF €13,011 (12,011, 14,078) than HFpEF, €12,206 (11,009, 13,518). However, emergency non-cardiovascular admission rates and average cost per patient were higher in the HFpEF vs HFrEF group (0.46 vs 0.31 per patient/12months) & €655 (318, 1073) vs €584 (396, 812). In the first 3months of the outpatient HF-DMP the HFrEF population cost more on average €791 (764, 819) vs €693 (660, 728). There are greater short-term (3-month) costs of HFrEF versus HFpEF as part of a HF-DMP following an admission. However, long-term (3-12month) costs of HFpEF are greater because of higher non-cardiovascular rehospitalisations. As HFpEF becomes the dominant form of HF, more work is required in HF-DMPs to address prevention of non-cardiovascular rehospitalisations and to integrate hospital based HF-DMPs into primary healthcare structures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. 15 years of monitoring occupational exposure to respirable dust and quartz within the European industrial minerals sector.

    PubMed

    Zilaout, Hicham; Vlaanderen, Jelle; Houba, Remko; Kromhout, Hans

    2017-07-01

    In 2000, a prospective Dust Monitoring Program (DMP) was started in which measurements of worker's exposure to respirable dust and quartz are collected in member companies from the European Industrial Minerals Association (IMA-Europe). After 15 years, the resulting IMA-DMP database allows a detailed overview of exposure levels of respirable dust and quartz over time within this industrial sector. Our aim is to describe the IMA-DMP and the current state of the corresponding database which due to continuation of the IMA-DMP is still growing. The future use of the database will also be highlighted including its utility for the industrial minerals producing sector. Exposure data are being obtained following a common protocol including a standardized sampling strategy, standardized sampling and analytical methods and a data management system. Following strict quality control procedures, exposure data are consequently added to a central database. The data comprises personal exposure measurements including auxiliary information on work and other conditions during sampling. Currently, the IMA-DMP database consists of almost 28,000 personal measurements which have been performed from 2000 until 2015 representing 29 half-yearly sampling campaigns. The exposure data have been collected from 160 different worksites owned by 35 industrial mineral companies and comes from 23 European countries and approximately 5000 workers. The IMA-DMP database provides the European minerals sector with reliable data regarding worker personal exposures to respirable dust and quartz. The database can be used as a powerful tool to address outstanding scientific issues on long-term exposure trends and exposure variability, and importantly, as a surveillance tool to evaluate exposure control measures. The database will be valuable for future epidemiological studies on respiratory health effects and will allow for estimation of quantitative exposure response relationships. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

  15. Phthalate metabolites in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from Mediterranean coastal lagoons.

    PubMed

    Fourgous, C; Chevreuil, M; Alliot, F; Amilhat, E; Faliex, E; Paris-Palacios, S; Teil, M J; Goutte, A

    2016-11-01

    The levels and fate of phthalate metabolites have been poorly evaluated in fish, despite their potential ecotoxicological impacts. The present study aims to characterize the levels of phthalate metabolites in muscle tissue of yellow eels (Anguilla anguilla) from two coastal Mediterranean lagoons, during three sampling periods. Nine phthalate metabolites were detected in >70% of the samples. Slightly higher levels of phthalate metabolites were detected in March and June compared to October, suggesting possible seasonal variations in environmental release and/or phthalate metabolization process by eels. The large sample size (N=117) made it possible to explore correlations between phthalate metabolites' levels and individual parameters, such as body length, age, body condition and hepatic histo-pathologies. Body length and estimated age poorly correlated with phthalate metabolites, suggesting that eels did not accumulate phthalates during growth, contrary to persistent compounds. Eels presented different grades of hepatic fibrosis and lipidosis. A negative correlation was found between the severity of these pathologies in the liver and the sum of phthalate metabolites levels, supporting the hypothesis that eels with damaged liver are less able to metabolize xenobiotics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A levels, and serum thyroid hormones among the Korean adult population - Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) 2012-2014.

    PubMed

    Park, Choonghee; Choi, Wookhee; Hwang, Moonyoung; Lee, Youngmee; Kim, Suejin; Yu, Seungdo; Lee, Inae; Paek, Domyung; Choi, Kyungho

    2017-04-15

    Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) have been used extensively in many consumer products, resulting in widespread exposure in the general population. Studies have suggested associations between exposure to phthalates and BPA, and serum thyroid hormone levels, but confirmation on larger human populations is warranted. Data obtained from nationally representative Korean adults (n=6003) recruited for the second round of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS), 2012-2014, were employed. Three di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites, along with benzyl-butyl phthalate (BBzP) and di-butyl phthalate (DBP) metabolites, and BPA were measured in subjects' urine. Thyroxine (T4), total triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured in serum. The associations between urinary phthalates or BPA and thyroid hormone levels were determined. Urinary phthalate metabolites were generally associated with lowered total T4 or T3, or increased TSH levels in serum. Interquartile range (IQR) increases of mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) were associated with a 3.7% increase of TSH, and a 1.7% decrease of total T4 levels, respectively. When grouped by sex, urinary MEHHP levels were inversely associated with T4 only among males. Among females, mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) levels were inversely associated with TSH and T3, respectively. In addition, negative association between BPA and TSH was observed. Several phthalates and BPA exposures were associated with altered circulatory thyroid hormone levels among general Korean adult population. Considering the importance of thyroid hormones, public health implications of such alteration warrant further studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Phthalate exposure and childrens neurodevelopment: A systematic review

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ejaredar, Maede, E-mail: mejareda@ucalgary.ca; Nyanza, Elias C.; Ten Eycke, Kayla

    Background: Emerging evidence from observational studies suggests that prenatal exposure to phthalates affects neurodevelopment in children. Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the existing literature on the association between urinary phthalate concentrations and children's neurodevelopment. Methods: We searched electronic bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Global Health, CAB abstracts, and ERIC) (1910 to February 21st, 2014); reference lists of included articles, and conference abstracts (American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Neurology, and Pediatric Academic Societies). Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and extracted data. We included original studies reporting on the association between prenatal or childhood urinary phthalate metabolites,more » and cognitive and behavioral outcomes (e.g., IQ scores, BASC-2 scores or equivalent) in children 0–12 years of age. Results: Of 2804 abstracts screened, 11 original articles met our criteria for inclusion. Conclusions: A systematic review of the literature supports the contention that prenatal exposure phthalates is associated with adverse cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children, including lower IQ, and problems with attention, hyperactivity, and poorer social communication. Further research characterizing the associations between specific phthalate metabolites and children's neurodevelopmental outcomes is needed to support the development of mitigation strategies and enhance the development of appropriate health policy. - Highlights: • Prenatal maternal urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites appear to be associated with adverse cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children. • Both low molecular weight (e.g., monobutyl phthalate, MBP) and high molecular weight (e.g., di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, DEHP) phthalate metabolites are associated with adverse cognitive and behavioral outcomes. • Sex-specific effects from phthalate exposure were noted between low (e.g., mono-n-butyl phthalate, MnBP) and high (e.g., DEHP) molecular weight phthalate metabolites, and cognitive and behavioral outcomes.« less

  18. Early-Life Phthalate Exposure and Adiposity at 8 Years of Age.

    PubMed

    Shoaff, Jessica; Papandonatos, George D; Calafat, Antonia M; Ye, Xiaoyun; Chen, Aimin; Lanphear, Bruce P; Yolton, Kimberly; Braun, Joseph M

    2017-09-11

    Early-life phthalate exposure may influence child adiposity, but prior studies have not determined if there are periods of enhanced vulnerability to phthalates. To examine the relationship between child adiposity at 8 y of age and repeated urinary biomarkers of phthalate exposure from gestation through childhood to determine if there are distinct periods of vulnerability. In 219 mother-child pairs from Cincinnati, Ohio, we quantified nine urinary phthalate metabolites up to two times prenatally and six times from 1-8 y of age. We measured child body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and percent body fat at 8 y of age. To identify periods of vulnerability, we used two statistical methods to estimate phthalate-adiposity associations at each visit, test differences in phthalate-adiposity associations across visits, and model trajectories of phthalate concentrations for children at different levels of adiposity. Prenatal phthalate concentrations were not associated with excess child adiposity. Monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) concentrations during pregnancy and childhood were inversely associated with adiposity. The associations of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (∑DEHP) metabolites and monoethyl phthalate (MEP) with child adiposity depended on the timing of exposure. A 10-fold increase in ∑DEHP at 1 and 5 y was associated with a 2.7% decrease [95% confidence interval (CI): -4.8, -0.5] and 2.9% increase (95% CI: 0.3, 5.5) in body fat, respectively. MEP concentrations at 5 and 8 y of age were associated with higher child adiposity, but earlier childhood concentrations were not. In this cohort, we did not find evidence of an obesogenic effect of prenatal phthalate exposure. Positive associations between postnatal MEP and ∑DEHP concentrations depended on the timing of exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1022.

  19. Phthalates and risk of endometriosis

    PubMed Central

    Upson, Kristen; Sathyanarayana, Sheela; De Roos, Anneclaire J.; Thompson, Mary Lou; Scholes, Delia; Dills, Russell; Holt, Victoria L.

    2013-01-01

    Background Phthalates are ubiquitous environmental chemicals with endocrine disruptive properties. The impact of these chemicals on endocrine-related disease in reproductive-age women is not well understood. Objective To investigate the relationship between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and the risk of a hormonally-driven disease, endometriosis, in reproductive-age women. Methods We used data from a population-based case-control study of endometriosis, conducted among female enrollees of a large healthcare system in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. We measured urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations on incident, surgically-confirmed cases (n=92) diagnosed between 1996 and 2001 and population-based controls (n=195). Odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for urinary creatinine concentrations, age, and reference year. Results The majority of women in our study had detectable concentrations of phthalate metabolites. We observed a strong inverse association between urinary mono-(2-ethyl-5-hexyl) phthalate (MEHP) concentration and endometriosis risk, particularly when comparing the fourth and first MEHP quartiles (aOR 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1–0.7). Our data suggested an inverse association between endometriosis and urinary concentrations of other di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites (mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP)) and ΣDEHP, however, the confidence intervals include the null. Our data also suggested increased endometriosis risk with greater urinary concentrations of mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) and mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), although the associations were not statistically significant. Conclusions Exposure to select phthalates is ubiquitous among female enrollees of a large healthcare system in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The findings from our study suggest that phthalates may alter the risk of a hormonally-mediated disease among reproductive-age women. PMID:23890968

  20. Skeletal Muscle, but not Cardiovascular Function, Is Altered in a Mouse Model of Autosomal Recessive Hypophosphatemic Rickets.

    PubMed

    Wacker, Michael J; Touchberry, Chad D; Silswal, Neerupma; Brotto, Leticia; Elmore, Chris J; Bonewald, Lynda F; Andresen, Jon; Brotto, Marco

    2016-01-01

    Autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets (ARHR) is a heritable disorder characterized by hypophosphatemia, osteomalacia, and poor bone development. ARHR results from inactivating mutations in the DMP1 gene with the human phenotype being recapitulated in the Dmp1 null mouse model which displays elevated plasma fibroblast growth factor 23. While the bone phenotype has been well-characterized, it is not known what effects ARHR may also have on skeletal, cardiac, or vascular smooth muscle function, which is critical to understand in order to treat patients suffering from this condition. In this study, the extensor digitorum longus (EDL-fast-twitch muscle), soleus (SOL-slow-twitch muscle), heart, and aorta were removed from Dmp1 null mice and ex-vivo functional tests were simultaneously performed in collaboration by three different laboratories. Dmp1 null EDL and SOL muscles produced less force than wildtype muscles after normalization for physiological cross sectional area of the muscles. Both EDL and SOL muscles from Dmp1 null mice also produced less force after the addition of caffeine (which releases calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum) which may indicate problems in excitation contraction coupling in these mice. While the body weights of the Dmp1 null were smaller than wildtype, the heart weight to body weight ratio was higher. However, there were no differences in pathological hypertrophic gene expression compared to wildtype and maximal force of contraction was not different indicating that there may not be cardiac pathology under the tested conditions. We did observe a decrease in the rate of force development generated by cardiac muscle in the Dmp1 null which may be related to some of the deficits observed in skeletal muscle. There were no differences observed in aortic contractions induced by PGF2α or 5-HT or in endothelium-mediated acetylcholine-induced relaxations or endothelium-independent sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxations. In summary, these results indicate that there are deficiencies in both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fiber type contractions in this model of ARHR, while there was less of a phenotype observed in cardiac muscle, and no differences observed in aortic function. These results may help explain skeletal muscle weakness reported by some patients with osteomalacia and need to be further investigated.

  1. Skeletal Muscle, but not Cardiovascular Function, Is Altered in a Mouse Model of Autosomal Recessive Hypophosphatemic Rickets

    PubMed Central

    Wacker, Michael J.; Touchberry, Chad D.; Silswal, Neerupma; Brotto, Leticia; Elmore, Chris J.; Bonewald, Lynda F.; Andresen, Jon; Brotto, Marco

    2016-01-01

    Autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets (ARHR) is a heritable disorder characterized by hypophosphatemia, osteomalacia, and poor bone development. ARHR results from inactivating mutations in the DMP1 gene with the human phenotype being recapitulated in the Dmp1 null mouse model which displays elevated plasma fibroblast growth factor 23. While the bone phenotype has been well-characterized, it is not known what effects ARHR may also have on skeletal, cardiac, or vascular smooth muscle function, which is critical to understand in order to treat patients suffering from this condition. In this study, the extensor digitorum longus (EDL-fast-twitch muscle), soleus (SOL–slow-twitch muscle), heart, and aorta were removed from Dmp1 null mice and ex-vivo functional tests were simultaneously performed in collaboration by three different laboratories. Dmp1 null EDL and SOL muscles produced less force than wildtype muscles after normalization for physiological cross sectional area of the muscles. Both EDL and SOL muscles from Dmp1 null mice also produced less force after the addition of caffeine (which releases calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum) which may indicate problems in excitation contraction coupling in these mice. While the body weights of the Dmp1 null were smaller than wildtype, the heart weight to body weight ratio was higher. However, there were no differences in pathological hypertrophic gene expression compared to wildtype and maximal force of contraction was not different indicating that there may not be cardiac pathology under the tested conditions. We did observe a decrease in the rate of force development generated by cardiac muscle in the Dmp1 null which may be related to some of the deficits observed in skeletal muscle. There were no differences observed in aortic contractions induced by PGF2α or 5-HT or in endothelium-mediated acetylcholine-induced relaxations or endothelium-independent sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxations. In summary, these results indicate that there are deficiencies in both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fiber type contractions in this model of ARHR, while there was less of a phenotype observed in cardiac muscle, and no differences observed in aortic function. These results may help explain skeletal muscle weakness reported by some patients with osteomalacia and need to be further investigated. PMID:27242547

  2. Evaluation of a community-based inner-city disease management program for postmyocardial infarction patients: a randomized controlled trial

    PubMed Central

    Young, Wendy; Rewa, George; Goodman, Shaun G.; Jaglal, Susan Brenda; Cash, Linda; Lefkowitz, Charles; Coyte, Peter C.

    2003-01-01

    Background Disease management programs (DMPs) that use multidisciplinary teams and specialized clinics reduce hospital admissions and improve quality of life and functional status. Evaluations of cardiac DMPs delivered by home health nurses are required. Methods Between August 1999 and August 2000 we identified consecutive patients admitted to hospital with elevated cardiac enzymes. Patients who agreed were randomly assigned to participate in a DMP or to receive usual care. The DMP included 6 home visits by a cardiac-trained nurse, a standardized nurses' checklist, referral criteria for specialty care, communication with the family physician and patient education. We measured readmission days per 1000 follow-up days for angina, congestive heart failure (CHF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); all-cause readmission days; and provincial claims for emergency department visits, physician visits, diagnostic or therapeutic services and laboratory services. Results We screened 715 consecutive patients admitted with elevated cardiac markers between August 1999 and August 2000. Of those screened 71 DMP and 75 usual care patients met the diagnostic criteria for myocardial infarction, were eligible for visits from a home health nurse and consented to participate in the study. Readmission days for angina, CHF and COPD per 1000 follow-up days were significantly higher for usual care patients than for DMP patients (incidence density ratio [IDR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27–2.00, p < 0.001). All-cause readmission days per 1000 follow-up days were significantly higher for usual care patients than for DMP patients (IDR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.37–1.71, p < 0.001). The difference in emergency department encounters per 1000 follow-up days was significant (IDR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.56–2.77, p < 0.001). During the first 25 days after discharge, there were significantly fewer provincial claims submitted for DMP patients than for usual care patients for emergency department visits (p = 0.007), diagnostic or therapeutic services (p = 0.012) and laboratory services (p = 0.007). Interpretation The results provide evidence that an appropriately developed and implemented community-based inner-city DMP delivered by home health nurses has a positive impact on patient outcomes. PMID:14581307

  3. Spontaneous Ca(2+) transients in interstitial cells of Cajal located within the deep muscular plexus of the murine small intestine.

    PubMed

    Baker, Salah A; Drumm, Bernard T; Saur, Dieter; Hennig, Grant W; Ward, Sean M; Sanders, Kenton M

    2016-06-15

    Interstitial cells of Cajal at the level of the deep muscular plexus (ICC-DMP) in the small intestine generate spontaneous Ca(2+) transients that consist of localized Ca(2+) events and limited propagating Ca(2+) waves. Ca(2+) transients in ICC-DMP display variable characteristics: from discrete, highly localized Ca(2+) transients to regionalized Ca(2+) waves with variable rates of occurrence, amplitude, duration and spatial spread. Ca(2+) transients fired stochastically, with no cellular or multicellular rhythmic activity being observed. No correlation was found between the firing sites in adjacent cells. Ca(2+) transients in ICC-DMP are suppressed by the ongoing release of inhibitory neurotransmitter(s). Functional intracellular Ca(2+) stores are essential for spontaneous Ca(2+) transients, and the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) -ATPase (SERCA) pump is necessary for maintenance of spontaneity. Ca(2+) release mechanisms involve both ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol triphosphate receptors (InsP3 Rs). Release from these channels is interdependent. ICC express transcripts of multiple RyRs and InsP3 Rs, with Itpr1 and Ryr2 subtypes displaying the highest expression. Interstitial cells of Cajal in the deep muscular plexus of the small intestine (ICC-DMP) are closely associated with varicosities of enteric motor neurons and generate responses contributing to neural regulation of intestinal motility. Responses of ICC-DMP are mediated by activation of Ca(2+) -activated Cl(-) channels; thus, Ca(2+) signalling is central to the behaviours of these cells. Confocal imaging was used to characterize the nature and mechanisms of Ca(2+) transients in ICC-DMP within intact jejunal muscles expressing a genetically encoded Ca(2+) indicator (GCaMP3) selectively in ICC. ICC-DMP displayed spontaneous Ca(2+) transients that ranged from discrete, localized events to waves that propagated over variable distances. The occurrence of Ca(2+) transients was highly variable, and it was determined that firing was stochastic in nature. Ca(2+) transients were tabulated in multiple cells within fields of view, and no correlation was found between the events in adjacent cells. TTX (1 μm) significantly increased the occurrence of Ca(2+) transients, suggesting that ICC-DMP contributes to the tonic inhibition conveyed by ongoing activity of inhibitory motor neurons. Ca(2+) transients were minimally affected after 12 min in Ca(2+) free solution, indicating these events do not depend immediately upon Ca(2+) influx. However, inhibitors of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) -ATPase (SERCA) pump and blockers of inositol triphosphate receptor (InsP3 R) and ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels blocked ICC Ca(2+) transients. These data suggest an interdependence between RyR and InsP3 R in the generation of Ca(2+) transients. Itpr1 and Ryr2 were the dominant transcripts expressed by ICC. These findings provide the first high-resolution recording of the subcellular Ca(2+) dynamics that control the behaviour of ICC-DMP in situ. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

  4. Spontaneous Ca2+ transients in interstitial cells of Cajal located within the deep muscular plexus of the murine small intestine

    PubMed Central

    Baker, Salah A.; Drumm, Bernard T.; Saur, Dieter; Hennig, Grant W.; Ward, Sean M.

    2016-01-01

    Key points Interstitial cells of Cajal at the level of the deep muscular plexus (ICC‐DMP) in the small intestine generate spontaneous Ca2+ transients that consist of localized Ca2+ events and limited propagating Ca2+ waves.Ca2+ transients in ICC‐DMP display variable characteristics: from discrete, highly localized Ca2+ transients to regionalized Ca2+ waves with variable rates of occurrence, amplitude, duration and spatial spread.Ca2+ transients fired stochastically, with no cellular or multicellular rhythmic activity being observed. No correlation was found between the firing sites in adjacent cells.Ca2+ transients in ICC‐DMP are suppressed by the ongoing release of inhibitory neurotransmitter(s).Functional intracellular Ca2+ stores are essential for spontaneous Ca2+ transients, and the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA) pump is necessary for maintenance of spontaneity.Ca2+ release mechanisms involve both ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol triphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs). Release from these channels is interdependent.ICC express transcripts of multiple RyRs and InsP3Rs, with Itpr1 and Ryr2 subtypes displaying the highest expression. Abstract Interstitial cells of Cajal in the deep muscular plexus of the small intestine (ICC‐DMP) are closely associated with varicosities of enteric motor neurons and generate responses contributing to neural regulation of intestinal motility. Responses of ICC‐DMP are mediated by activation of Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels; thus, Ca2+ signalling is central to the behaviours of these cells. Confocal imaging was used to characterize the nature and mechanisms of Ca2+ transients in ICC‐DMP within intact jejunal muscles expressing a genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator (GCaMP3) selectively in ICC. ICC‐DMP displayed spontaneous Ca2+ transients that ranged from discrete, localized events to waves that propagated over variable distances. The occurrence of Ca2+ transients was highly variable, and it was determined that firing was stochastic in nature. Ca2+ transients were tabulated in multiple cells within fields of view, and no correlation was found between the events in adjacent cells. TTX (1 μm) significantly increased the occurrence of Ca2+ transients, suggesting that ICC‐DMP contributes to the tonic inhibition conveyed by ongoing activity of inhibitory motor neurons. Ca2+ transients were minimally affected after 12 min in Ca2+ free solution, indicating these events do not depend immediately upon Ca2+ influx. However, inhibitors of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA) pump and blockers of inositol triphosphate receptor (InsP3R) and ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels blocked ICC Ca2+ transients. These data suggest an interdependence between RyR and InsP3R in the generation of Ca2+ transients. Itpr1 and Ryr2 were the dominant transcripts expressed by ICC. These findings provide the first high‐resolution recording of the subcellular Ca2+ dynamics that control the behaviour of ICC‐DMP in situ. PMID:26824875

  5. Dietary exposure and human risk assessment of phthalate esters based on total diet study in Cambodia

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cheng, Zhang; Li, Han-Han

    Phthalate esters are used in a wide variety of consumer products, and human exposure to this class of compounds is widespread. Nevertheless, studies on dietary exposure of human to phthalates are limited. In this study, to assess the daily intakes of phthalate esters and the possible adverse health impacts, different food samples were collected from three areas of Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in the world. The ∑phthalate ester concentrations in Kampong Cham, Kratie and Kandal provinces ranged from 0.05 to 2.34 (median 0.88) μg g{sup −1}, 0.19–1.65 (median 0.86) μg g{sup −1} and 0.24–3.05 (median 0.59) μg g{supmore » −1} wet weight (ww), respectively. Di-2-Ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) were the predominant compounds among all foodstuffs. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of phthalate esters for the general population in Kampong Cham, Kratie and Kandal was 34.3, 35.6 and 35.8 μg kg{sup −1} bw d{sup −1}, respectively. The dietary daily intake of DEHP, benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in Kampong Cham, Kratie and Kandal were below the tolerable daily intakes (TDI) imposed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and reference doses (RfD) imposed by The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Rice contributed the greatest quantity of DEHP to the daily intake in Cambodia so may deserve further exploration. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the occurrence and the daily intakes of phthalate esters in Cambodia. - Highlights: • Phthalate esters concentration in daily foodstuffs collected from Cambodia. • Investigate the bioaccessbility of phthalate esters via the foodstuffs consumption. • Health risk evaluation of dietary exposure to phthalate esters.« less

  6. Exposure Assessment Issues in Epidemiology Studies of Phthalates

    PubMed Central

    Johns, Lauren E.; Cooper, Glinda S.; Galizia, Audrey; Meeker, John D.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review exposure assessment issues that need to be addressed in designing and interpreting epidemiology studies of phthalates, a class of chemicals commonly used in consumer and personal care products. Specific issues include population trends in exposure, temporal reliability of a urinary metabolite measurement, and how well a single urine sample may represent longer-term exposure. The focus of this review is on seven specific phthalates: diethyl phthalate (DEP); di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP); diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP); butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP); di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); diisononyl phthalate (DiNP); and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP). Methods Comprehensive literature search using multiple search strategies Results Since 2001, declines in population exposure to DEP, BBzP, DBP, and DEHP have been reported in the United States and Germany, but DEHP exposure has increased in China. Although the half-lives of various phthalate metabolites are relatively short (3 to 18 hours), the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for phthalate metabolites, based on spot and first morning urine samples collected over a week to several months, range from weak to moderate, with a tendency toward higher ICCs (greater temporal stability) for metabolites of the shorter-chained (DEP, DBP, DiBP and BBzP, ICCs generally 0.3 to 0.6) compared with those of the longer-chained (DEHP, DiNP, DiDP, ICCs generally 0.1 to 0.3) phthalates. Additional research on optimal approaches to addressing the issue of urine dilution in studies of associations between biomarkers and different type of health effects is needed. Conclusions In conclusion, the measurement of urinary metabolite concentrations in urine could serve as a valuable approach to estimating exposure to phthalates in environmental epidemiology studies. Careful consideration of the strengths and limitations of this approach when interpreting study results is required. PMID:26313703

  7. Enzymes involved in the anaerobic degradation of ortho-phthalate by the nitrate-reducing bacterium Azoarcus sp. strain PA01.

    PubMed

    Junghare, Madan; Spiteller, Dieter; Schink, Bernhard

    2016-09-01

    The pathway of anaerobic degradation of o-phthalate was studied in the nitrate-reducing bacterium Azoarcus sp. strain PA01. Differential two-dimensional protein gel profiling allowed the identification of specifically induced proteins in o-phthalate-grown compared to benzoate-grown cells. The genes encoding o-phthalate-induced proteins were found in a 9.9 kb gene cluster in the genome of Azoarcus sp. strain PA01. The o-phthalate-induced gene cluster codes for proteins homologous to a dicarboxylic acid transporter, putative CoA-transferases and a UbiD-like decarboxylase that were assigned to be specifically involved in the initial steps of anaerobic o-phthalate degradation. We propose that o-phthalate is first activated to o-phthalyl-CoA by a putative succinyl-CoA-dependent succinyl-CoA:o-phthalate CoA-transferase, and o-phthalyl-CoA is subsequently decarboxylated to benzoyl-CoA by a putative o-phthalyl-CoA decarboxylase. Results from in vitro enzyme assays with cell-free extracts of o-phthalate-grown cells demonstrated the formation of o-phthalyl-CoA from o-phthalate and succinyl-CoA as CoA donor, and its subsequent decarboxylation to benzoyl-CoA. The putative succinyl-CoA:o-phthalate CoA-transferase showed high substrate specificity for o-phthalate and did not accept isophthalate, terephthalate or 3-fluoro-o-phthalate whereas the putative o-phthalyl-CoA decarboxylase converted fluoro-o-phthalyl-CoA to fluoro-benzoyl-CoA. No decarboxylase activity was observed with isophthalyl-CoA or terephthalyl-CoA. Both enzyme activities were oxygen-insensitive and inducible only after growth with o-phthalate. Further degradation of benzoyl-CoA proceeds analogous to the well-established anaerobic benzoyl-CoA degradation pathway of nitrate-reducing bacteria. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Characterization of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites Among Custodians

    PubMed Central

    Cavallari, Jennifer M.; Simcox, Nancy J.; Wakai, Sara; Lu, Chensheng; Garza, Jennifer L.; Cherniack, Martin

    2015-01-01

    Phthalates, a ubiquitous class of chemicals found in consumer, personal care, and cleaning products, have been linked to adverse health effects. Our goal was to characterize urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and to identify work and nonwork sources among custodians using traditional cleaning chemicals and ‘green’ or environmentally preferable products (EPP). Sixty-eight custodians provided four urine samples on a workday (first void, before shift, end of shift, and before bedtime) and trained observers recorded cleaning tasks and types of products used (traditional, EPP, or disinfectant) hourly over the work shifts. Questionnaires were used to assess personal care product use. Four different phthalate metabolites [monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monomethyl phthalate (MMP), mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), and monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP)] were quantified using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Geometric means (GM) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for creatinine-adjusted urinary phthalate concentrations. Mixed effects univariate and multivariate modeling, using a random intercept for each individual, was performed to identify predictors of phthalate metabolites including demographics, workplace factors, and personal care product use. Creatinine-adjusted urinary concentrations [GM (95% CI)] of MEP, MMP, MEHP, and MBzP were 107 (91.0–126), 2.69 (2.18–3.30), 6.93 (6.00–7.99), 8.79 (7.84–9.86) µg g−1, respectively. An increasing trend in phthalate concentrations from before to after shift was not observed. Creatinine-adjusted urinary MEP was significantly associated with frequency of traditional cleaning chemical intensity in the multivariate model after adjusting for potential confounding by demographics, workplace factors, and personal care product use. While numerous demographics, workplace factors, and personal care products were statistically significant univariate predictors of MMP, MEHP, and MBzP, few associations persisted in multivariate models. In summary, among this population of custodians, we identified both occupational and nonoccupational predictors of phthalate exposures. Identification of phthalates as ingredients in cleaning chemicals and consumer products would allow workers and consumers to avoid phthalate exposure. PMID:26240196

  9. Phthalate exposure associated with self-reported diabetes among Mexican women

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Svensson, Katherine; National Institute of Public Health, Universidad No. 655, Col. Santa Maria Ahuacatitlan, Cerrada los Pinos y Caminera, CP. 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos; Hernandez-Ramirez, Raul U.

    Background: Phthalates are ubiquitous industrial chemicals used as plasticizers in plastics made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to confer flexibility and durability. They are also present in products used for personal-care, industry and in medical devices. Phthalates have been associated with several adverse health effects, and recently it has been proposed that exposure to phthalates, could have an effect on metabolic homeostasis. This exploratory cross-sectional study evaluated the possible association between phthalate exposure and self-reported diabetes among adult Mexican women. Methods: As part of an on-going case-control study for breast cancer, only controls were selected, which constituted 221 healthy women matchedmore » by age ({+-}5 years) and place of residence with the cases. Women with diabetes were identified by self-report. Urinary concentrations of nine phthalate metabolites were measured by online solid phase extraction coupled to high performance liquid chromatography-isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Participants with diabetes had significantly higher concentrations of di(2-ethylhexyl) pththalate (DEHP) metabolites: mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP) but lower levels of monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) a metabolite of benzylbutyl phthalate, compared to participants without diabetes. A marginally significant positive associations with diabetes status were observed over tertiles with MEHHP (OR{sub T3vs.T1}=2.66; 95% CI: 0.97-7.33; p for trend=0.063) and MEOHP (OR{sub T3vs.T1}=2.27; 95% CI; 0.90-5.75; P for trend=0.079) even after adjusting for important confounders. Conclusions: The results suggest that levels of some phthalates may play a role in the genesis of diabetes. - Highlights: {yields} This study evaluated phthalate exposure and diabetes status among Mexican women. {yields} Urinary phthalates metabolite concentrations were used to determine association. {yields} Participants with diabetes had higher concentrations of three DEHP metabolites. {yields} A positive association with diabetes status was found with MEHHP and MEOHP metabolites. {yields} Results suggest phthalate exposure can have a role in diabetes.« less

  10. Phthalate exposure and semen quality in fertile US men.

    PubMed

    Thurston, S W; Mendiola, J; Bellamy, A R; Levine, H; Wang, C; Sparks, A; Redmon, J B; Drobnis, E Z; Swan, S H

    2016-07-01

    Several experimental and observational studies have demonstrated the antiandrogenicity of several phthalates. However, there is limited evidence of an association between phthalate exposure in adult life and semen quality. The aim of this study was to examine phthalate exposure during adulthood in relation to semen quality in fertile US men. This multi-center cross-sectional study included 420 partners of pregnant women who attended a prenatal clinic in one of five US cities during 1999-2001. Nine phthalate metabolites [mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and mono (2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP)], as well as mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP) and mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono (three carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), and monoethyl phthalate (MEP)] were measured in urine collected at the same time as the semen sample. We regressed natural log-transformed (ln) sperm concentration, ln(total sperm count), ln(total motile sperm count), percent motile spermatozoa, and percent spermatozoa with normal morphology on each of the nine natural log-transformed metabolite concentrations and on the molar-weighted sum of DEHP metabolites in separate models. We fit unadjusted models and models that adjusted for confounders determined a priori. In unadjusted models, ln(MiBP) was significantly and positively associated with motility and ln(MBzP) significantly negatively associated with ln(total sperm count). In adjusted linear models, urinary metabolite concentrations of DEHP, DBP, DEP, and DOP were not associated with any semen parameter. We found an inverse association between ln(MBzP) concentrations and sperm motility (β = -1.47, 95% CI: -2.61, -0.33), adjusted for ln(creatinine concentration), geographic location, age, race, smoking status, stress, recent fever, time from sample collection and time to complete analysis. Several sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these associations. This study and the available literature suggest that impacts of adult exposure to phthalates at environmental levels on classical sperm parameters are likely to be small. © 2015 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

  11. Prenatal phthalate exposure and reduced masculine play in boys.

    PubMed

    Swan, S H; Liu, F; Hines, M; Kruse, R L; Wang, C; Redmon, J B; Sparks, A; Weiss, B

    2010-04-01

    Foetal exposure to antiandrogens alters androgen-sensitive development in male rodents, resulting in less male-typical behaviour. Foetal phthalate exposure is also associated with male reproductive development in humans, but neurodevelopmental outcomes have seldom been examined in relation to phthalate exposure. To assess play behaviour in relation to phthalate metabolite concentration in prenatal urine samples, we recontacted participants in the Study for Future Families whose phthalate metabolites had been measured in mid-pregnancy urine samples. Mothers completed a questionnaire including the Pre-School Activities Inventory, a validated instrument used to assess sexually dimorphic play behaviour. We examined play behaviour scores (masculine, feminine and composite) in relationship to (log(10)) phthalate metabolite concentrations in mother's urine separately for boys (N = 74) and girls (N = 71). Covariates (child's age, mother's age and education and parental attitude towards atypical play choices) were controlled using multivariate regression models. Concentrations of dibutyl phthalate metabolites, mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) and their sum, were associated with a decreased (less masculine) composite score in boys (regression coefficients -4.53,-3.61 and -4.20, p = 0.01, 0.07 and 0.04 for MnBP, MiBP and their sum respectively). Concentrations of two urinary metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and the sum of these DEHP metabolites plus mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were associated with a decreased masculine score (regression coefficients -3.29,-2.94 and -3.18, p = 0.02, 0.04 and 0.04) for MEHHP, MEOHP and the sum respectively. No strong associations were seen between behaviour and urinary concentrations of any other phthalate metabolites in boys, or between girls' scores and any metabolites. These data, although based on a small sample, suggest that prenatal exposure to antiandrogenic phthalates may be associated with less male-typical play behaviour in boys. Our findings suggest that these ubiquitous environmental chemicals have the potential to alter androgen-responsive brain development in humans.

  12. Contamination level of four priority phthalates in North Indian wastewater treatment plants and their fate in sequencing batch reactor systems.

    PubMed

    Gani, Khalid Muzamil; Rajpal, Ankur; Kazmi, Absar Ahmad

    2016-03-01

    The contamination level of four phthalates in untreated and treated wastewater of fifteen wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their fate in a full scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) based WWTP was evaluated in this study. The four phthalates were diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). All compounds were present in untreated wastewater with DEHP being present in the highest mean concentration of 28.4 ± 5.3 μg L(-1). The concentration was in the range of 7.3 μg L(-1) (BBP) to 28.4 μg L(-1) (DEHP) in untreated wastewater and 1.3 μg L(-1) (DBP) to 2.6 μg L(-1) (DEHP) in treated wastewater. The nutrient removal process and advance tertiary treatment based WWTPs showed the highest phthalate removal efficiencies of 87% and 93%, respectively. The correlation between phthalate removal and conventional performance of WWTPs was positive. Fate analysis of these phthalates in a SBR based WWTP showed that total removal of the sum of phthalates in a primary settling tank and SBR was 84% out of which 55% is removed by biodegradation and 29% was removed by sorption to primary and secondary sludge. The percentage removal of four phthalates in primary settling tanks was 18%. Comparison of the diluted effluent DEHP concentration with its environmental quality standards showed that the dilution in an effluent receiving water body can reduce the DEHP emissions to acceptable values.

  13. Macromolecules of extracellular matrix: determination of selective structures and their functional significance.

    PubMed

    Butler, William T

    2008-01-01

    In this brief review, I recount events and scientific endeavors in which I have been privileged to participate. The descriptive information includes discovery and characterization of hydroxylysine glycosides from collagen, isolation of dentin sialoprotein (DSP), investigations on dentin phosphoprotein (DPP), and the discovery of a single gene for both DSP and DPP that requires posttranslational proteolytic cleavage of the parent DSPP molecule to generate the two fragments. Finally, I address our unexpected finding of fragments of DMP1 in bone extracts. These fragments are from the NH2-terminal (37 kDa) and COOH-terminal (57 kDa) regions of DMP1. Our studies showed that, similar to DSPP, DMP1 is proteolytically processed by cleavages at X-Asp bonds.

  14. Exploring the biological consequences of conformational changes in aspartame models containing constrained analogues of phenylalanine.

    PubMed

    Mollica, Adriano; Mirzaie, Sako; Costante, Roberto; Carradori, Simone; Macedonio, Giorgia; Stefanucci, Azzurra; Dvoracsko, Szabolcs; Novellino, Ettore

    2016-12-01

    The dipeptide aspartame (Asp-Phe-OMe) is a sweetener widely used in replacement of sucrose by food industry. 2',6'-Dimethyltyrosine (DMT) and 2',6'-dimethylphenylalanine (DMP) are two synthetic phenylalanine-constrained analogues, with a limited freedom in χ-space due to the presence of methyl groups in position 2',6' of the aromatic ring. These residues have shown to increase the activity of opioid peptides, such as endomorphins improving the binding to the opioid receptors. In this work, DMT and DMP have been synthesized following a diketopiperazine-mediated route and the corresponding aspartame derivatives (Asp-DMT-OMe and Asp-DMP-OMe) have been evaluated in vivo and in silico for their activity as synthetic sweeteners.

  15. [Disease management programs: Difficulties in the analysis of benefit].

    PubMed

    Linder, Roland; Horenkamp-Sonntag, D; Bestmann, B; Battmer, U; Heilmann, T; Verheyen, F

    2015-04-01

    After an introduction to the theme with an overview of the implementation of the Disease Management Programs (DMP), accompanying documentation, present utilization and costs of the programs, the present article is primarily devoted to the issue of the analysis of the benefits of DMP. Following an assessment of the legally specified evaluation requirements, in the absence of a prospective, randomized, controlled trial (RCT), the results of three studies are first summarized, which, with the application of propensity score matching, utilize the routine data of the statutory health insurance schemes to form a control group. The overview concludes with a look at the planned changes in evaluation and the intended expansion of the DMP to programs for other chronic illnesses.

  16. Recent progress in safety evaluation studies on plasticizers and plastics and their controlled use in Japan.

    PubMed Central

    Omori, Y

    1976-01-01

    Recent experimental studies in Japan on the evaluation of potential health hazards from phthalate esters used in manufacturing poly (vinyl chloride) as well as several plastics for medical devices and for food containers and packages were introduced. Development of pulmonary granuloma formation after intravenous injection of diethylhexyl phthalate was assumed to be dependent on the particle size of the phthalate in vehicle used. Dietary administration of large amount of diethylhexyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate produced renal cysts in mothers and in descendants in reproduction studies in mice. Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of the phthalates and several plastics and resins were also examined by in vivo and in vitro studies. Hematological parameters examined in rabbits after repeated intravenous injection of diethylhexyl phthalate and after implantation of plastics in aorta for 3--6 months did not show any significant change. A slow decrease of radioactivity was observed in adipose tissue of rats following oral administration of 14C-labeled diethylhexyl phthalate. tthe administrative action on phthalates by the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare is briefly reviewed. PMID:1026406

  17. Comparative Time Course Profiles of Phthalate Stereoisomers in Mice

    EPA Science Inventory

    ABSTRACT More efficient models are needed to assess potential carcinogenicity hazard of environmental chemicals. Here we evaluated time course profiles for two reference phthalates, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and its stereoisomer di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), to identify...

  18. 40 CFR 437.42 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best practicable control technology...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Acetophenone 0.114 0.0562 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 0.215 0.101 2-Butanone 4.81 1.85 Butylbenzyl phthalate 0... 0.641 Organic Parameters Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 0.215 0.101 Butylbenzyl phthalate 0.188 0.0887....2 7.97 Acetophenone 0.114 0.0562 Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 0.215 0.101 2-Butanone 4.81 1.85...

  19. A monograph on the remediation of hazardous phthalates.

    PubMed

    Benjamin, Sailas; Pradeep, Selvanesan; Josh, Moolakkariyil Sarath; Kumar, Sunil; Masai, Eiji

    2015-11-15

    Phthalates or phthalic acid esters are a group of xenobiotic and hazardous compounds blended in plastics to enhance their plasticity and versatility. Enormous quantities of phthalates are produced globally for the production of plastic goods, whose disposal and leaching out into the surroundings cause serious concerns to the environment, biota and human health. Though in silico computational, in vitro mechanistic, pre-clinical animal and clinical human studies showed endocrine disruption, hepatotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic properties, usage of phthalates continues due to their cuteness, attractive chemical properties, low production cost and lack of suitable alternatives. Studies revealed that microbes isolated from phthalate-contaminated environmental niches efficiently bioremediate various phthalates. Based upon this background, this review addresses the enumeration of major phthalates used in industry, routes of environmental contamination, evidences for health hazards, routes for in situ and ex situ microbial degradation, bacterial pathways involved in the degradation, major enzymes involved in the degradation process, half-lives of phthalates in environments, etc. Briefly, this handy module would enable the readers, environmentalists and policy makers to understand the impact of phthalates on the environment and the biota, coupled with the concerted microbial efforts to alleviate the burden of ever increasing load posed by phthalates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Quantity and quality of stormwater collected from selected stormwater outfalls at industrial sites, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nagle, Doug D.; Guimaraes, Wladmir B.

    2012-01-01

    An assessment of the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff associated with industrial activities at Fort Gordon was conducted from January through December 2011. The assessment was provided to satisfy the requirements from a general permit that authorizes the discharge of stormwater under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System from a site associated with industrial activities. The stormwater quantity refers to the runoff discharge at the point and time of the runoff sampling. The study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon. The initial scope of this study was to sample stormwater runoff from five stations at four industrial sites (two landfills and two heating and cooling sites). As a consequence of inadequate hydrologic conditions during 2011, no samples were collected at the two landfills; however, three samples were collected from the heating and cooling sites. The assessment included the collection of physical properties, such as water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH; the detection of suspended materials (total suspended solids, total fixed solids, total volatile solids), nutrients and organic compounds, and major and trace inorganic compounds (metals); and the detection of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds. Nutrients and organic compounds, major and trace inorganic compounds, and volatile and semivolatile organic compounds were detected above the laboratory reporting levels in all samples collected from the three stations. The detection of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds included anthracene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, cis,1, 2-dichloroethene, dimethyl phthalate, fluoranthene, naphthalene, pyrene, acenaphthylene (station SWR11-3), and di-n-butyl phthalate (station SWR11-4).

  1. The efficacy of an oxidation pond in mineralizing some industrial waste products with special reference to fluorene degradation: A case study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ahmed, M.T.; Dewedar, A.; Mekki, L.

    1999-07-01

    The efficacy of the oxidation pond on the outskirts of the 10th of Ramadan, the main industrial city in Egypt, was examined. Samples of wastewater collected from the inlet and the outlet were screened for some priority pollutants. Acenaphethene and fluorene were the most frequently detected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, while dimethyl phthalate was the most frequently detected phthalate ester. The spectrum of pollutants, their concentrations and frequencies were similar in the inlet and the outlet, indicating an inferior mineralization capability of the pond. Several degradative bacterial strains were isolated from the pond and grown on M56 minimal media supplemented withmore » different pollutants as the carbon source. The efficacy of pure and mixed cultures to break down fluorene, the most frequently detected pollutant was examined. Fluorene degradation was fast in the first 10 days, the followed by a slow phase. Mixed culture had a higher rate of fluorene degradation in comparison to pure cultures. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of fluorene degradation showed three degradative metabolites. But GC/MS analysis detected one compound, identified as acetamide. The present work has indicated the poor efficacy of the pond. Lack of primary treatment of industrial effluent at factory level, coupled with shock loads of toxicants that may damage the microorganisms and their degradative capabilities are presumably main factors behind such inferior performance. Moreover, the type of pollutants discharged into the pond tend to fluctuate and change depending on the rate from the factories discharge and work shifts. Such irregular feeding of persistent pollutants may have led to a wash out of specialized strains of bacteria capable to degrade such persistent pollutants.« less

  2. Changes in Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Levels Before and After the Phthalate Contamination Event and Identification of Exposure Sources in a Cohort of Taiwanese Children.

    PubMed

    Huang, Chian-Feng; Wang, I-Jen

    2017-08-19

    In 2011, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration inadvertently discovered that, for decades, manufacturers had replaced expensive natural emulsifiers in food products with diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). We wanted to compare urinary phthalate metabolite levels of children before and after the DEHP food contamination event and identify source(s) of phthalate exposure in addition to the illegal food additives. In the present study, morning urine samples were collected from a cohort of 453 children in 2010 in Taipei. After the DEHP food contamination event, there were 200 cohort children left at follow-up in 2013. The geometric means (GMs) of urinary mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP) levels before and after the event were 9.39 and 13.34 µg/g of creatinine, respectively, with no significant difference ( p = 0.093). After the DEHP food contamination event, we found that urinary phthalate metabolite levels were significantly higher in people who frequently consumed microwave-heated food and used fragrance-containing products ( p < 0.05). In addition, children who did not frequently wash hands before eating had significantly higher urinary phthalate metabolite levels than those who did ( p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that urinary phthalate metabolite levels did not decrease after the DEHP food contamination event, thus, other sources must contribute to phthalate exposure in daily life. Public awareness of approaches to reducing phthalate exposure is necessary.

  3. Concentration and risk assessment of phthalates present in indoor air from newly decorated apartments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pei, X. Q.; Song, M.; Guo, M.; Mo, F. F.; Shen, X. Y.

    2013-04-01

    Phthalate esters (PAEs) are ubiquitous in the indoor environment, owing to their use in consumer products. People spend a considerable amount of time indoors. As a result, human exposure to indoor contaminants is of great concern. People are exposed to phthalates through inhalation and dermal absorption of indoor air. In this study, the concentrations, characteristics and carcinogenic risks of gas-phase and particle-phase phthalates in indoor air from bedroom, living room and study room of 10 newly decorated apartments in Hangzhou, China were first investigated. The mean concentration of phthalates (gas-phase and particle-phase) present in household air was 12 096.4 ng m-3, of which diethyl phthalate (DEP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were the most abundant compounds with concentrations of 2290 ng m-3, 3975 ng m-3 and 2437 ng m-3, respectively, totally accounting for 72.0% of ∑6PAEs. Contamination levels of phthalates varied in different compartments. The concentration of phthalates was the highest 17 363.7 ng m-3 in living room, followed with 11 389.5 ng m-3 in study room, and the lowest 9739.1 ng m-3 in bedroom. It was also found that phthalates mainly accumulated in gaseous form in household air. DEHP posed the greatest health risk to children aged 1-2. Carcinogenic risk of DEHP was evaluated to be 3.912 × 10-5, and was 39 times higher than the limit set by the U.S. EPA.

  4. Anaerobic Degradation of Phthalate Isomers by Methanogenic Consortia

    PubMed Central

    Kleerebezem, Robbert; Pol, Look W. Hulshoff; Lettinga, Gatze

    1999-01-01

    Three methanogenic enrichment cultures, grown on ortho-phthalate, iso-phthalate, or terephthalate were obtained from digested sewage sludge or methanogenic granular sludge. Cultures grown on one of the phthalate isomers were not capable of degrading the other phthalate isomers. All three cultures had the ability to degrade benzoate. Maximum specific growth rates (μSmax) and biomass yields (YXtotS) of the mixed cultures were determined by using both the phthalate isomers and benzoate as substrates. Comparable values for these parameters were found for all three cultures. Values for μSmax and YXtotS were higher for growth on benzoate compared to the phthalate isomers. Based on measured and estimated values for the microbial yield of the methanogens in the mixed culture, specific yields for the phthalate and benzoate fermenting organisms were calculated. A kinetic model, involving three microbial species, was developed to predict intermediate acetate and hydrogen accumulation and the final production of methane. Values for the ratio of the concentrations of methanogenic organisms, versus the phthalate isomer and benzoate fermenting organisms, and apparent half-saturation constants (KS) for the methanogens were calculated. By using this combination of measured and estimated parameter values, a reasonable description of intermediate accumulation and methane formation was obtained, with the initial concentration of phthalate fermenting organisms being the only variable. The energetic efficiency for growth of the fermenting organisms on the phthalate isomers was calculated to be significantly smaller than for growth on benzoate. PMID:10049876

  5. Phthalates in dormitory and house dust of northern Chinese cities: Occurrence, human exposure, and risk assessment.

    PubMed

    Li, Hai-Ling; Song, Wei-Wei; Zhang, Zi-Feng; Ma, Wan-Li; Gao, Chong-Jing; Li, Jia; Huo, Chun-Yan; Mohammed, Mohammed O A; Liu, Li-Yan; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Li, Yi-Fan

    2016-09-15

    Phthalates are widely used chemicals in household products, which severely affect human health. However, there were limited studies emphasized on young adults' exposure to phthalates in dormitories. In this study, seven phthalates were extracted from indoor dust that collected in university dormitories in Harbin, Shenyang, and Baoding, in the north of China. Dust samples were also collected in houses in Harbin for comparison. The total concentrations of phthalates in dormitory dust in Harbin and Shenyang samples were significantly higher than those in Baoding samples. The total geometric mean concentration of phthalates in dormitory dust in Harbin was lower than in house dust. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was the most abundant phthalate in both dormitory and house dust. The daily intakes of the total phthalates, carcinogenic risk (CR) of DEHP, hazard index (HI) of di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and DEHP were estimated, the median values for all students in dormitories were lower than adults who live in the houses. Monte Carlo simulation was applied to predict the human exposure risk of phthalates. HI of DiBP, DBP, and DEHP was predicted according to the reference doses (RfD) provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) and the reference doses for anti-androgenicity (RfD AA) developed by Kortenkamp and Faust. The results indicated that the risks of some students had exceeded the limitation, however, the measured results were not exceeded the limitation. Risk quotients (RQ) of DEHP were predicted based on China specific No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) and Maximum Allowable Dose Level (MADL). The predicted results of CR and RQ of DEHP suggested that DEHP could pose a health risk through intake of indoor dust. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Phthalate exposure associated with self-reported diabetes among Mexican women

    PubMed Central

    Svensson, Katherine; Hernández-Ramírez, Raúl U.; Burguete-García, Ana; Cebrián, Mariano E.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Needham, Larry L.; Claudio, Luz; López-Carrillo, Lizbeth

    2016-01-01

    Background Phthalates are ubiquitous industrial chemicals used as plasticizers in plastics made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to confer flexibility and durability. They are also present in products used for personal-care, industry and in medical devices. Phthalates have been associated with several adverse health effects, and recently it has been proposed that exposure to phthalates, could have an effect on metabolic homeostasis. This exploratory cross-sectional study evaluated the possible association between phthalate exposure and self-reported diabetes among adult Mexican women. Methods As part of an on-going case-control study for breast cancer, only controls were selected, which constituted 221 healthy women matched by age (±5 years) and place of residence with the cases. Women with diabetes were identified by self-report. Urinary concentrations of nine phthalate metabolites were measured by online solid phase extraction coupled to high performance liquid chromatography-isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Results Participants with diabetes had significantly higher concentrations of di(2-ethylhexyl) pththalate (DEHP) metabolites: mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP) but lower levels of monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) a metabolite of benzylbutyl phthalate, compared to participants without diabetes. A marginally significant positive associations with diabetes status were observed over tertiles with MEHHP (ORT3 vs. T1 = 2.66; 95% CI: 0.97–7.33; p for trend = 0.063) and MEOHP (ORT3 vs. T1 = 2.27; 95% CI; 0.90–5.75; P for trend = 0.079) even after adjusting for important confounders. Conclusions The results suggest that levels of some phthalates may play a role in the genesis of diabetes. PMID:21696718

  7. Racial and ethnic variations in phthalate metabolite concentration changes across full-term pregnancies.

    PubMed

    James-Todd, Tamarra M; Meeker, John D; Huang, Tianyi; Hauser, Russ; Seely, Ellen W; Ferguson, Kelly K; Rich-Edwards, Janet W; McElrath, Thomas F

    2017-03-01

    Higher concentrations of certain phthalate metabolites are associated with adverse reproductive and pregnancy outcomes, as well as poor infant/child health outcomes. In non-pregnant populations, phthalate metabolite concentrations vary by race/ethnicity. Few studies have documented racial/ethnic differences between phthalate metabolite concentrations at multiple time points across the full-course of pregnancy. The objective of the study was to characterize the change in phthalate metabolite concentrations by race/ethnicity across multiple pregnancy time points. Women were participants in a prospectively collected pregnancy cohort who delivered at term (≥37 weeks) and had available urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations for ≥3 time points across full-term pregnancies (n=350 women). We assessed urinary concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites that were log-transformed and specific gravity-adjusted. We evaluated the potential racial/ethnic differences in phthalate metabolite concentrations at baseline (median 10 weeks gestation) using ANOVA and across pregnancy using linear mixed models to calculate the percent change and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Almost 30% of the population were non-Hispanic black or Hispanic. With the exception of mono-(3-carboxypropyl) (MCPP) and di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites, baseline levels of phthalate metabolites were significantly higher in non-whites (P<0.05). When evaluating patterns by race/ethnicity, mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) and MCPP had significant percent changes across pregnancy. MEP was higher in Hispanics at baseline and decreased in mid-pregnancy but increased in late pregnancy for non-Hispanic blacks. MCPP was substantially higher in non-Hispanic blacks at baseline but decreased later in pregnancy. Across pregnancy, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women had higher concentrations of certain phthalate metabolites. These differences may have implications for racial/ethnic differences in adverse pregnancy and child health outcomes.

  8. Pregnancy urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and gestational diabetes risk factors

    PubMed Central

    James-Todd, TM; Meeker, JD; Huang, T; Hauser, R; Ferguson, KK; Rich-Edwards, JW; McElrath, TF; Seely, EW

    2016-01-01

    Background Epidemiologic studies suggest phthalate metabolite concentrations are associated with type 2 diabetes. GDM is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Little is known about phthalates and GDM risk factors (i.e. 1st trimester body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG), and 2nd trimester glucose levels). Methods A total of 350 women participating in Lifecodes pregnancy cohort (Boston, MA), delivered at term and had pregnancy urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations. Nine specific gravity-adjusted urinary phthalate metabolites were evaluated. General linear regression was used to assess associations between quartiles of phthalate metabolites and continuous 1st trimester BMI and late 2nd trimester blood glucose. Linear mixed models were used for total GWG. Multivariable logistic regression was used for phthalate concentrations and categorized GWG and impaired glucose tolerance defined as glucose ≥ 140mg/dL based on a 50-gram glucose load test. Models were adjusted for potential confounders. Results There were no associations between 1st trimester urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and 1st trimester BMI. Mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) concentrations averaged across pregnancy were associated with a 2.17 increased odds of excessive GWG (95% CI: 0.98, 4.79). Second trimester MEP was associated with an increased odds of impaired glucose tolerance (adj. OR: 7.18; 95% CI: 1.97, 26.15). Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolite concentrations were inversely associated with impaired glucose tolerance (adj. OR: 0.25; adj. 95% CI: 0.08, 0.85). Conclusions Higher exposure to di-ethyl phthalate, the parent compound of MEP, may be associated with excessive GWG and impaired glucose tolerance; higher di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate was associated with reduced odds of impaired glucose tolerance. PMID:27649471

  9. Early Phthalates Exposure in Pregnant Women Is Associated with Alteration of Thyroid Hormones

    PubMed Central

    Tsai, Chih-Hsin; Liang, Wei-Yen; Li, Sih-Syuan; Huang, Han-Bin

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Previous studies revealed that phthalate exposure could alter thyroid hormones during the last trimester of pregnancy. However, thyroid hormones are crucial for fetal development during the first trimester. We aimed to clarify the effect of phthalate exposure on thyroid hormones during early pregnancy. Method We recruited 97 pregnant women who were offered an amniocentesis during the early trimester from an obstetrics clinic in southern Taiwan from 2013 to 2014. After signing an informed consent form, we collected amniotic fluid and urine samples from pregnant women to analyze 11 metabolites, including mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-butyl phthalate (MnBP), of 9 phthalates using liquid chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry. We collected blood samples from each subject to analyze serum thyroid hormones including thyroxine (T4), free T4, and thyroid-binding globulin (TBG). Results Three phthalate metabolites were discovered to be >80% in the urine samples of the pregnant women: MEP (88%), MnBP (81%) and MECPP (86%). Median MnBP and MECPP levels in pregnant Taiwanese women were 21.5 and 17.6 μg/g-creatinine, respectively, that decreased after the 2011 Taiwan DEHP scandal. Results of principal component analysis suggested two major sources (DEHP and other phthalates) of phthalates exposure in pregnant women. After adjusting for age, gestational age, TBG, urinary creatinine, and other phthalate metabolites, we found a significantly negative association between urinary MnBP levels and serum T4 (β = –5.41; p-value = 0.012; n = 97) in pregnant women using Bonferroni correction. Conclusion We observed a potential change in the thyroid hormones of pregnant women during early pregnancy after DnBP exposure. Additional study is necessitated to clarify these associations. PMID:27455052

  10. Study on the leaching of phthalates from polyethylene terephthalate bottles into mineral water.

    PubMed

    Keresztes, Szilvia; Tatár, Enikő; Czégény, Zsuzsanna; Záray, Gyula; Mihucz, Victor G

    2013-08-01

    Carbonated and non-carbonated mineral water samples bottled in 0.5-L, 1.5-L and 2.0-L polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers belonging to three different water brands commercialized in Hungary were studied in order to determine their phthalate content by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Among the six investigated phthalates, diisobutyl phthalate, di-n-butyl-phthalate, benzyl-butyl phthalate and di(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were determined in non-carbonated samples as follows: <3.0 ng L(-1)-0.2 μg L(-1), <6.6 ng L(-1)-0.8 μg L(-1), <6.0 ng L(-1)-0.1 μg L(-1) and <16.0 ng L(-1)-1.7 μg L(-1), respectively. Any of the above-mentioned phthalate esters could be detected in carbonated mineral water samples. DEHP was the most abundant phthalate in the investigated samples. It could be detected after 44 days of storage at 22 °C and its leaching was the most pronounced when samples were stored over 1200 days. Mineral water purchased in PET bottles of 0.5L had the highest phthalate concentrations compared to those obtained for waters of the identical brand bottled in 1.5-L or 2.0-L PET containers due to the higher surface/volume ratio. No clear trend could be established for phthalate leaching when water samples were kept at higher temperatures (max. 60 °C) showing improper storage conditions. Phthalate determination by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometric measurements in the plastic material as well as in the aqueous phase proved the importance of the quality of PET raw material used for the production of the pre-form (virgin vs. polymer containing recycled PET). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Variability and Predictors of Urinary Concentrations of Phthalate Metabolites during Early Childhood

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    The variability and predictors of urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites in preschool-aged children have not been thoroughly examined. Additionally, the impact of temporal changes in the use and restriction of phthalates in children’s products has not been assessed. Our objective was to identify demographic, behavioral, and temporal predictors of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in young children. Between 2004 and 2011, we collected up to five urine samples from each of 296 children participating in a prospective birth cohort during annual study visits at ages 1–5 years. We used linear mixed models to calculate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), a measure of within-individual reproducibility, and identify demographic predictors of urinary phthalate metabolites. We used multivariable linear regression to examine cross-sectional relationships between food packaging or personal care product use and phthalate metabolites measured at age 5 years. Across annual measurements, monoethyl phthalate exhibited the least variation (ICC = 0.38), while di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (ΣDEHP) metabolites exhibited the most variation (ICC = 0.09). Concentrations changed with age, suggesting age-related changes in phthalate exposure and perhaps metabolism. Our findings suggest that fast food consumption may be a source of butylbenzyl phthalate and di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP) exposure, and some personal care products may be sources of diethyl phthalate exposure. Concentrations of ΣDEHP metabolites decreased over the study period; however, concentrations of DiNP metabolites increased. This finding suggests that manufacturer practices and regulations, like the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, may decrease DEHP exposure, but additional work characterizing the nature and toxicity of replacements is critically needed. PMID:24977926

  12. A Randomized Trial of Heart Failure Disease Management in Skilled Nursing Facilities: Design and Rationale

    PubMed Central

    Boxer, Rebecca S.; Dolansky, Mary A.; Bodnar, Christine A.; Singer, Mendel E.; Albert, Jeffery M.; Gravenstein, Stefan

    2013-01-01

    Background Heart failure disease management can improve health outcomes for older community dwelling patients with heart failure. Heart failure disease management has not been studied in skilled nursing facilities, a major site of transitional care for older adults. Methods and Anticipated Results The objective of this trial is to investigate if a heart failure disease management program (HF-DMP) in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) will decrease all-cause rehospitalizations for the first 60 days post SNF admission. The trial is a randomized cluster trial to be conducted in 12 for-profit SNF in the greater Cleveland area. The study population is inclusive of patients with heart failure regardless of ejection fraction but excludes those patients on dialysis and with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. The HF-DMP includes 7 elements considered standard of care for patients with heart failure: documentation of left ventricular function, tracking of weight and symptoms, medication titration, discharge instructions, 7 day follow up appointment post SNF discharge, patient education. The HF-DMP is conducted by a research nurse tasked with adhering to each element of the program and regularly audited to maintain fidelity of the program. Additional outcomes include health status, self-care management, and discharge destination. Conclusion The SNF-Connect Trial is the first trial of its kind to assess if a HF-DMP will improve outcomes for patients in SNFs. This trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of HF-DMP to improve outcomes for older frail heart failure patients undergoing post-acute rehabilitation. PMID:23871475

  13. A randomized trial of heart failure disease management in skilled nursing facilities: design and rationale.

    PubMed

    Boxer, Rebecca S; Dolansky, Mary A; Bodnar, Christine A; Singer, Mendel E; Albert, Jeffery M; Gravenstein, Stefan

    2013-09-01

    Heart failure (HF) disease management can improve health outcomes for older community dwelling patients with heart failure. HF disease management has not been studied in skilled nursing facilities, a major site of transitional care for older adults. The objective of this trial is to investigate if a HF- disease management program (HF-DMP) in skilled nursing facilities (SNF)s will decrease all-cause rehospitalizations for the first 60 days post-SNF admission. The trial is a randomized cluster trial to be conducted in 12 for-profit SNF in the greater Cleveland area. The study population is inclusive of patients with HF regardless of ejection fraction but excludes those patients on dialysis and with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. The HF-DMP includes 7 elements considered standard of care for patients with HF documentation of left ventricular function, tracking of weight and symptoms, medication titration, discharge instructions, 7-day follow-up appointment post-SNF discharge, and patient education. The HF-DMP is conducted by a research nurse tasked with adhering to each element of the program and regularly audited to maintain fidelity of the program. Additional outcomes include health status, self-care management, and discharge destination. The SNF-Connect Trial is the first trial of its kind to assess if a HF-DMP will improve outcomes for patients in SNFs. This trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of HF-DMP to improve outcomes for older frail HF patients undergoing postacute rehabilitation. Copyright © 2013 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Predictors and correlations of phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and seminal plasma among reproductive-aged men.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yi-Xin; Liu, Chong; Chen, Ying-Jun; Chen, Heng-Gui; Yang, Pan; Wang, Peng; Huang, Li-Li; Ai, Song-Hua; Duan, Peng; Pan, An; Zeng, Qiang; Lu, Wen-Qing

    2018-02-01

    Certain phthalates are suspected to be endocrine disruptors that are adversely associated with male reproductive health. However, the predictors and correlations of phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and seminal plasma among reproductive-aged men have not been thoroughly studied. To investigate the predictors and correlations of phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and seminal plasma among adult Chinese males. We measured mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), monomethyl phthalate (MMP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-octyl phthalate (MOP), mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) concentrations in seminal plasma and repeated spot-urine samples from 687 men who visited a reproductive center. Mixed-effect models were used to examine the associations of sociodemographic, lifestyle and medical factors with urinary metabolite concentrations. Linear regression models were used to identify predictors of metabolite concentrations in seminal plasma and correlations between metabolite concentrations in spot urine samples and seminal plasma. Measurements taken from spot urine samples poorly predicted same-day seminal plasma concentrations (all R 2 <0.10). Inverse associations were observed between education level and urinary MBP and MEOHP and between household income and urinary MMP; receiving intravenous infusion therapy was associated with increased urinary MBP, MEHHP and MEOHP, use of facial cleanser/cream was associated with increased MEP, and smoking was associated with increased MEHP. The predictors of metabolite concentrations in seminal plasma differed from those in urine, except for the association of intravenous infusion therapy with MBP. BMI was associated with increased seminal plasma MBP, MEHP and MEOHP, smoking was associated with increased MEP, and contact with plastics was associated with increased MEOHP. Phthalate metabolite concentrations in adult men varied in accordance with sociodemographic variables, lifestyle factors and intravenous therapy. Measures of metabolite levels in urine may not directly reflect the exposure status of the male reproductive system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Inhibition of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) by phthalate monoesters.

    PubMed

    Du, Zuo; Cao, Yun-Feng; Li, Sai-Nan; Hu, Cui-Min; Fu, Zhi-Wei; Huang, Chun-Ting; Sun, Xiao-Yu; Liu, Yong-Zhe; Yang, Kun; Fang, Zhong-Ze

    2018-04-01

    Phthalate monoesters are important metabolites of phthalate esters (PAEs) which have been extensively utilized in industry. This study aims to investigate the inhibition of phthalate monoesters on the activity of various isoforms of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), trying to elucidate the toxicity mechanism of environmental endocrine disruptors from the new perspectives. In vitro recombinant UGTs-catalyzed glucuronidation of 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) was employed to evaluate 8 kinds of phthalate monoesters on 11 sorts of main human UGT isoforms. 100 μM phthalate monoesters exhibited negligible inhibition towards the activity of UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A6, UGT1A8, UGT1A10, UGT2B4, UGT2B7, UGT2B15 and UGT2B17. The activity of UGT1A7 was strongly inhibited by monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), but slightly inhibited by all the other phthalate monoesters. UGT1A9 was broadly inhibited by monobenzyl phthalate (MBZP), monocyclohexyl phthalate (MCHP), MEHP, monohexyl phthalate (MHP) and monooctyl phthalate (MOP), respectively. MEHP exhibited competitive inhibition towards UGT1A7, and MBZP, MCHP, MEHP, MHP and MOP showed competitive inhibition towards UGT1A9. The inhibition kinetic parameters (K i ) were calculated to be 11.25 μM for MEHP-UGT1A7, and 2.13, 0.09, 1.17, 7.47, 0.16 μM for MBZP-UGT1A9, MCHP-UGT1A9, MEHP-UGT1A9, MHP-UGT1A9, MOP-UGT1A9, respectively. Molecular docking indicated that both hydrogen bonds formation and hydrophobic interactions significantly contributed to the interaction between phthalate monoesters and UGT isoforms. All these information will be beneficial for understanding the adverse effects of PAEs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Associations of phthalate concentrations in floor dust and multi-surface dust with the interior materials in Japanese dwellings.

    PubMed

    Ait Bamai, Yu; Araki, Atsuko; Kawai, Toshio; Tsuboi, Tazuru; Saito, Ikue; Yoshioka, Eiji; Kanazawa, Ayako; Tajima, Shuji; Shi, Cong; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Kishi, Reiko

    2014-01-15

    Phthalates are widely used as plasticizers in numerous products. However, there has been some concern about the various effects they may have on human health. Thus, household phthalate levels are an important public health issue. While many studies have assessed phthalate levels in house dust, the association of these levels with building characteristics has scarcely been examined. The present study investigated phthalate levels in house dust samples collected from the living areas of homes, and examined associations between these phthalate levels and the interior materials. Dust was collected from two portions of the living area: floor dust from the entire floor surface, and multi-surface dust from objects more than 35 cm above the floor. The levels of seven phthalates were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in selective ion monitoring mode. Phthalate levels were higher in multi-surface dust than in floor dust. Among floor dust samples, those from dwellings with compressed wooden flooring had significantly higher levels of di-iso-butyl phthalate compared to those with other floor materials, while polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring was associated with higher di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) levels. Among multi-surface dust samples, higher levels of DEHP and di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DINP) were found in samples from homes with PVC wallpaper than without. The number of PVC interior materials was significantly positively correlated with the levels of DEHP and DINP in multi-surface dust. The phthalate levels in multi-surface dust were associated with the interior surface materials, and those in floor dust were directly related to the flooring materials. Our findings show that when using house dust as an exposure assessment, it is very important to note where the samples were collected from. The present report provides useful information about the association between phthalates and dust inside dwellings, which will assist with establishing public health provisions. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Phthalate metabolites in Norwegian mothers and children: Levels, diurnal variation and use of personal care products.

    PubMed

    Sakhi, Amrit Kaur; Sabaredzovic, Azemira; Cequier, Enrique; Thomsen, Cathrine

    2017-12-01

    Exposure to phthalates has been associated with reproductive and developmental toxicity. Data on levels of these compounds in the Norwegian population is limited. In this study, urine samples were collected from 48 mothers and their children in two counties in Norway. Eleven different phthalate metabolites originating from six commonly used phthalates in consumer products were determined. Concentrations of phthalate metabolites were significantly higher in children compared to mothers except for mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP). The mothers provided several urine samples during 24hours (h) and diurnal variation showed that the concentrations in the morning urine samples (24-8h) were significantly higher than at other time-periods for most of the phthalate metabolites. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for 24-hour time-period were in the range of 0.49-0.81. These moderate to high ICCs indicate that one spot urine sample can be used to estimate the exposure to phthalates. Since a significant effect of time of day was observed, it is still advisable to standardize the collection time point to reduce the variation. For the mothers, the use of personal care products (PCPs) were less associated with morning urine samples than early day (8-12h) and evening (16-24h) urine samples. The use of perfume and hair products were positively associated with the urinary concentrations of low molecular weight phthalates. Use of shower soap and shampoo were positively associated with urinary concentration of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites. For children, face cream use was positively associated with phthalate metabolites in the morning samples, and hand soap use was negatively associated with concentration of urinary DEHP metabolites in afternoon/evening samples. Since different PCPs were associated with the urinary phthalate metabolites in different time-periods during a day, more than one spot urine sample might be required to study associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and the use of PCPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Characterization of phthalates exposure and risk for cosmetics and perfume sales clerks.

    PubMed

    Huang, Po-Chin; Liao, Kai-Wei; Chang, Jung-Wei; Chan, Shiou-Hui; Lee, Ching-Chang

    2018-02-01

    High levels of phthalates in name-brand cosmetics products have raised concerns about phthalate exposure and the associated risk for cosmetics sales clerks. We assessed the exposure and risk of phthalates in 23 cosmetics, 4 perfume, and 9 clothing department store sales clerks. We collected 108 urine samples pre- and post-shift and analyzed for phthalate monoesters through liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Phthalates in 32 air samples were collected and analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Demographic characteristics and information on the exposure scenarios were obtained through questionnaires. Principal component analysis, cluster and risk analysis were applied to identify the exposure profile and risk of phthalate. Median post-shift levels of urinary mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) and monomethyl phthalate (MMP) were significantly higher than the corresponding pre-shift levels in cosmetics group (53.3 vs. 30.9 μg/g-c for MEHP; 34.4 vs. 22.5 μg/g-c for MMP; both P < 0.05) and the post-shift levels of urinary MMP was significantly higher than the corresponding pre-shift levels in perfume group (26.6 vs. 14.9 μg/g-c, P < 0.05). Median levels of air diethyl phthalate (DEP) in cosmetics (1.77 μg/m 3 ) and perfume (1.75 μg/m 3 ) groups and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in perfume group (6.98 μg/m 3 ) were higher than those in clothing group (DEP: 0.89; DEHP: 2.16 μg/m 3 ). Over half of cosmetic (70%) and perfume sale clerks had exceeded cumulative risk of phthalate exposure for anti-androgenic effect. We concluded that cosmetic and perfume workers had increased risks of reproductive or hepatic effects for DBP and DEHP exposure. We suggest that not only inhalation but dermal exposure is important route of phthalate exposure for cosmetics and perfume workers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. 40 CFR 721.10501 - Tridecyl phthalate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Tridecyl phthalate (generic). 721... Substances § 721.10501 Tridecyl phthalate (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically as tridecyl phthalate (PMN P-06-542...

  20. Medications as a source of human exposure to phthalates.

    PubMed Central

    Hauser, Russ; Duty, Susan; Godfrey-Bailey, Linda; Calafat, Antonia M

    2004-01-01

    Phthalates are a group of multifunctional chemicals used in consumer and personal care products, plastics, and medical devices. Laboratory studies show that some phthalates are reproductive and developmental toxicants. Recently, human studies have shown measurable levels of several phthalates in most of the U.S. general population. Despite their widespread use and the consistent toxicologic data on phthalates, information is limited on sources and pathways of human exposure to phthalates. One potential source of exposure is medications. The need for site-specific dosage medications has led to the use of enteric coatings that allow the release of the active ingredients into the small intestine or in the colon. The enteric coatings generally consist of various polymers that contain plasticizers, including triethyl citrate, dibutyl sebacate, and phthalates such as diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). In this article we report on medications as a potential source of exposure to DBP in a man who took Asacol [active ingredient mesalamine (mesalazine)] for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. In a spot urine sample from this man collected 3 months after he started taking Asacol, the concentration of monobutyl phthalate, a DBP metabolite, was 16,868 ng/mL (6,180 micro g/g creatinine). This concentration was more than two orders of magnitude higher than the 95th percentile for males reported in the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The patient's urinary concentrations of monoethyl phthalate (443.7 ng/mL, 162.6 micro g/g creatinine), mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (3.0 ng/mL, 1.1 micro g/g creatinine), and monobenzyl phthalate (9.3 ng/mL, 3.4 micro g/g creatinine) were unremarkable compared with the NHANES 1999-2000 values. Before this report, the highest estimated human exposure to DBP was more than two orders of magnitude lower than the no observable adverse effect level from animal studies. Further research is necessary to determine the proportional contribution of medications, as well as personal care and consumer products, to a person's total phthalate burden. PMID:15121520

  1. Computational Proficiency and Algorithmic Learning of Sixth-Graders Using DMP Materials: A Formative Evaluation. Technical Report No. 401.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiles, Clyde

    Two questions were investigated in this study: (1) How did the computational proficiency of sixth graders who had one year's experience with Developing Mathematical Processes (DMP) materials compare with an equivalent group of students who used the usual textbook program; and (2) What occurs when sixth graders study algorithms as sequences of rule…

  2. Laccase-catalyzed removal of 2,4-dimethylphenol from synthetic wastewater: effect of polyethylene glycol and dissolved oxygen.

    PubMed

    Ghosh, J P; Taylor, K E; Bewtra, J K; Biswas, N

    2008-04-01

    The potential use of laccase (SP-504) in an advanced oxidation-based treatment technology to remove 2,4-dimethylphenol (DMP) from water was investigated with and without the additive, polyethylene glycol (PEG). The DMP concentration was varied between 1.0 and 5.0 mM. The optimization of pH and enzyme concentration in the presence and absence of PEG was carried out. All experiments were carried out in continuously stirred reactors for 3h at room temperature. The reaction was initiated by adding enzyme to the reaction mixture. For more than 95% removal of DMP, the presence of PEG reduced the inactivation of enzyme so that the required enzyme concentrations were reduced by about 2-fold compared to the same reactions in the absence of PEG. Finally, the PEG concentrations were optimized to obtain the minimum dose required. For higher substrate concentrations, the availability of oxygen was insufficient in achieving 95% or more removal. Therefore, the effect of increasing dissolved oxygen at higher substrate concentration was investigated. The laccase studied was capable of efficiently removing DMP at very low enzyme concentrations and hence shows great potential for cost-effective industrial applications.

  3. Biodegradation of endocrine disruptor dibutyl phthalate (DBP) by a newly isolated Methylobacillus sp. V29b and the DBP degradation pathway.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Vinay; Maitra, S S

    2016-12-01

    Bacteria of the genus Methylobacillus are methanotrophs, a metabolic feature that is widespread in the phylum Proteobacteria. The study demonstrates the isolation and characterization of a newly isolated Methylobacillus sp. V29b. which grows on methanol, protocatechuate, monobutyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate and diisodecyl phthalate. Methylobacillus sp. V29b was characterized with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Gram staining, antibiotics sensitivity tests and biochemical characterization. It degrades 70 % of the initial DBP in minimal salt medium and 65 % of the initial DBP in samples contaminated with DBP. DBP biodegradation kinetics was explained by the Monod growth inhibition model. Values for maximum specific growth rate (µ max ) and half-velocity constant (K s ) are 0.07 h -1 and 998.2 mg/l, respectively. Stoichiometry for DBP degradation was calculated for Methylobacillus sp. V29b. Four metabolic intermediates, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), monobutyl phthalate, phthalic acid and pyrocatechol, were identified. Based on the metabolic intermediates identified, a chemical pathway for DBP degradation was proposed. Six genes for phthalic acid degradation were identified from the genome of Methylobacillus sp. V29b.

  4. Age and Gender Differences in Urinary Levels of Eleven Phthalate Metabolites in General Taiwanese Population after a DEHP Episode

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Po-Chin; Tsai, Chih-Hsin; Liang, Wei-Yen; Li, Sih-Syuan; Pan, Wen-Harn; Chiang, Hung-Che

    2015-01-01

    Introduction In 2011, the Taiwan FDA disclosed illegal di(2-ethylhexyl phthalate) (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) use in beverage and nutrition supplements. We aim to determine phthalate exposure and other relevant factors in a sample of the general Taiwanese population in order to evaluate actual phthalate exposure levels after this disclosure of DEHP use. Method We selected subjects aged 7 years old and older in 2013 from the general Taiwanese population. First morning urine samples from each participant were collected to analyze 11 phthalate metabolites representing 7 parent phthalates using on-line liquid chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry. An interview questionnaire was applied to obtain participant demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and other relevant factors. Results The median levels of metabolites of DEHP, including mono-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), DBP (DnBP and DiBP), including mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP), and mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) in urine samples of 290 adults/ 97 minors (<18 years) were 7.9/ 6.1, 12.6/ 17.8, 22.0/ 25.8, 25.4/ 30.8, 18.1/ 23.6, 9.4/ 13.6 and 14.5/ 12.4 μg/g creatinine, respectively. Women (≧18 years) were exposed to significantly higher levels of MEHHP (P=0.011), MECPP (P=0.01), MnBP (P=0.001) and MEP (P<0.001) than men (≧18 years), whereas no gender difference was observed in minors. We found significant higher level of MEP (creatinine-unadjusted) in subject aged between 18 to 40 years old (P<0.001), especially for women. Exposure levels of MEOHP (P<0.001), MECPP (P=0.002) and MnBP (P=0.044) in minors were significantly higher than those of adults. High frequency usage of food preservation film and bags, and personal care products are potential sources of phthalates exposure in general Taiwanese. Conclusion Our findings indicated that DEHP and DBP exposure in a sample of the general Taiwanese population varied by age and gender, possibly affected by different lifestyles, and continuing bio-monitoring surveillance is warranted. PMID:26207744

  5. COMBINATION DOSE OF TWO PHTHALATES ADDITIVELY DEPRESSES TESTOSTERONE PRODUCTION AND INSL3 GENE EXPRESSION IN MALE RAT FETUSES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP) are phthalate esters used to modify plastic and polymer textures. Individually,DEHP and DBP reduce testosterone production, inhibit reproductive tract development, andinduce reproductive organ malformationsin male rats...

  6. 40 CFR 721.10043 - Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10043 Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (generic). (a) Chemical... as dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (PMN P-02-697) is subject to reporting under this section for...

  7. 40 CFR 721.10043 - Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10043 Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (generic). (a) Chemical... as dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (PMN P-02-697) is subject to reporting under this section for...

  8. 40 CFR Appendix - Tables to Part 132

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... ether Butyl benzyl phthalate Cadmium Carbon tetrachloride; tetrachloromethane Chlorobenzene p-Chloro-m... Copper Cyanide 2,4-D; 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid DEHP; di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Diazinon 1,2:5,6-Dibenzanthracene; dibenz[a,h]anthracene Dibutyl phthalate; di-n-butyl phthalate 1,2-Dichlorobenzene 1,3...

  9. 40 CFR 721.10043 - Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10043 Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (generic). (a) Chemical... as dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (PMN P-02-697) is subject to reporting under this section for...

  10. 40 CFR 721.10043 - Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10043 Dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (generic). (a) Chemical... as dineopentyl-4-substituted phthalate (PMN P-02-697) is subject to reporting under this section for...

  11. Exposure to Bisphenol A and phthalates metabolites in the third trimester of pregnancy and BMI trajectories.

    PubMed

    Yang, T C; Peterson, K E; Meeker, J D; Sánchez, B N; Zhang, Z; Cantoral, A; Solano, M; Tellez-Rojo, M M

    2018-04-26

    Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates metabolites are linked to a variety of adverse health consequences but studies have not explored their association with growth trajectories. Explore body mass index (BMI) trajectories for tertile exposures to BPA and phthalates metabolites in the third trimester of pregnancy. We constructed BMI (kg/m 2 ) trajectories from birth to 14 years in a birth cohort of 249 children from Mexico City using tertiles of third trimester maternal urinary concentrations of BPA and phthalates metabolites. Fractional age polynomials and mixed effects models were fit separately by sex. Predicted models were plotted for each metabolite tertile with the covariates mother's education and BMI centered at average values. Highest predicted BMI trajectories for female children were observed for third tertile exposure to the phthalate metabolite mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate. In male children, first tertile exposure to mono-isobutyl phthalate and monobenzyl phthalate and second tertile exposure to mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate predicted the highest BMI trajectory by adolescence. There was no relationshsip between BPA and child growth trajectory. These results suggest sex-specific differences in BMI trajectories by levels of metabolite exposure. Additional studies are needed to consider growth through adolescence in assessing the association of pregnancy exposures on child's BMI. © 2018 World Obesity Federation.

  12. Urinary phthalate metabolites and male reproductive function parameters in Chongqing general population, China.

    PubMed

    Han, Xue; Cui, Zhihong; Zhou, Niya; Ma, Mingfu; Li, Lianbing; Li, Yafei; Lin, Hui; Ao, Lin; Shu, Weiqun; Liu, Jinyi; Cao, Jia

    2014-03-01

    This study was designed to investigate the phthalates exposure levels in general population in Chongqing City of China, and to determine the possible associations between phthalate exposure and male reproductive function parameters. We recruited 232 general men through Chongqing Family Planning Research Institute and Reproductive Center of Chongqing. In a single spot urine sample from each man, phthalate metabolites, including mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), phthalic acid (PA), and total PA were analyzed using solid phase extraction and coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography and detection by tandem mass spectrometry. Semen parameters were dichotomized based on World Health Organization reference values. Sperm DNA damage were analyzed using the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay. Reproductive hormones were determined in serum by the radioimmunoassay kit. We observed a weak association between urinary MBP concentration and sperm concentration in Chongqing general population. MBP levels above the median were 1.97 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97-4.04) more likely to have sperm concentration below the reference value. There were no other associations between phthalate metabolites and reproductive function parameters after adjusted for potential risk factors. Our study suggested that general population in Chongqing area of China exposure to the environmental level of phthalate have weak or without adverse effects on the reproduction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  13. Free and total urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations among pregnant women from the Healthy Baby Cohort (HBC), China.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Yingshuang; Wan, Yanjian; Li, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Bin; Zhou, Aifen; Cai, Zongwei; Qian, Zhengmin; Zhang, Chuncao; Huo, Wenqian; Huang, Kai; Hu, Jie; Cheng, Lu; Chang, Huailong; Huang, Zheng; Xu, Bing; Xia, Wei; Xu, Shunqing

    2016-03-01

    Total urinary phthalate metabolites (the free plus glucuronidated forms) have been frequently measured in the general population. However, data are limited on the free forms which may be more bioactive, especially for sensitive population such as pregnant women. Here the data gap was addressed by measuring concentrations of free and total forms of six phthalate metabolites in 293 urine samples from pregnant women at delivery, who were randomly selected from the prospective Healthy Baby Cohort (HBC), China. We observed detectable concentrations of the total amount of phthalate metabolites in all urine samples. The geometric mean (GM) urinary concentrations of free and total mono-butyl phthalate (MBP) (5.20, 54.49ng/mL) were the highest, followed by mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP) (4.52, 7.27ng/mL). For most of phthalate metabolites, urinary concentrations were significantly higher in women who were nulliparous. Significantly higher concentrations of mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) were found in women who had higher educational level. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the free and total forms of phthalate metabolites among pregnant women in China. The results suggest that exposure characteristics may be related to parity and education. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Prenatal phthalate exposures and child temperament at 12 and 24 months.

    PubMed

    Singer, Alison B; Wolff, Mary S; Silva, Manori J; Calafat, Antonia M; Engel, Stephanie M

    2017-09-01

    Gestational phthalate exposures have been adversely associated with attention, externalizing, and internalizing behaviors in childhood. Early childhood temperament may be a marker of later behavioral patterns. We therefore sought to determine whether gestational phthalate exposures were associated with infant and toddler temperament. The Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Study is a prospective cohort study of children born between May 1998 and July 2001 in New York City (N=404). Phthalate metabolites were measured in spot urine samples collected from pregnant women in their third trimester. Child temperament was assessed by parental report at 12-months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) (N=204) and at 24-months using the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (TBAQ) (N=279). We used multiple linear regression to evaluate associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and eleven temperament domains. Phthalate biomarker concentrations were weakly associated with lower gross motor activity levels as well as higher duration of orienting at the 12-month assessment. Mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) and the sum of metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (∑DEHP) were associated with lower levels of smiling and laughing at 12 months. At 24-months, social fear and lower pleasure was linked to higher concentrations of MCPP and MBzP, and higher ∑DEHP was weakly associated with increased anger levels at 24-months. Though we observed some weak associations between biomarkers of prenatal exposure to phthalates and temperament at 12- and 24-months, overall phthalates biomarkers were not strongly associated with alterations in temperament. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Association between urine phthalate levels and poor attentional performance in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder with evidence of dopamine gene-phthalate interaction.

    PubMed

    Park, Subin; Kim, Bung-Nyun; Cho, Soo-Churl; Kim, Yeni; Kim, Jae-Won; Lee, Ju-Young; Hong, Soon-Beom; Shin, Min-Sup; Yoo, Hee Jeong; Im, Hosub; Cheong, Jae Hoon; Han, Doug Hyun

    2014-06-27

    Although there is some evidence supporting the existence of an association between prenatal maternal or postnatal child's urine phthalate metabolite concentrations and poor attentional performances, the interaction between urine phthalate metabolite levels and genetic variation for neuropsychological deficit of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not been examined. The aim of this study was to determine whether phthalate metabolites in urine are associated with poor neuropsychological performance in children with ADHD, and whether such association is affected by genotype-phthalate interaction. A cross-sectional examination of urine phthalate metabolite concentrations and the continuous performance test (CPT) were performed in 179 Korean children with ADHD recruited from department of psychiatry of university hospital. Correlations between urine phthalate metabolite concentrations and the CPT scores were investigated, and the interaction of phthalate metabolite levels with the selected polymorphisms at major candidate genes for ADHD, namely dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4), dopamine transporter, α-2A-adrenergic receptor, and norepinephrine transporter genes. For the subjects with the DRD4 4/4 genotype, there were significant associations of the urine phthalate metabolite concentrations with the number of omission errors, the number of commission errors, and the response time variability scores on the CPT. However, for the subjects without the DRD4 4/4 genotype, no significant associations were found. The results of this study suggest a possible association between phthalate metabolite concentrations and poor attentional performances of ADHD as well as a genetic influence on this association. Further prospective and epigenetic studies are needed to investigate causality and pathophysiological mechanisms.

  16. COMBINATION DOSE OF TWO PHTHALATES ADDITIVELY DEPRESSES TESTOSTERONE PRODUCTION AND INSL3 GENE EXPRESSION IN MALE RAT FETUSES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP) are phthalate esters used to modify plastic and polymer textures. Individually,in uteroexposure to DEHP and DBP inhibit reproductive tract development,induce reproductive organ malformations, and reduce testosterone (T...

  17. MEASUREMENT OF PHTHALATE LEVELS IN HUMAN MILK: CONTRIBUTION FROM PLASTICS IN BREAST PUMPS, STORAGE BOTTLES AND BAGS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Phthalates are plasticizers used to impart flexibility in products widely used by the general population, including polyvinyl chloride, plastic toys, and medical devices. Some phthalates act as anti-androgens, and prenatal or perinatal exposure to phthalates in laboratory animals...

  18. 40 CFR 721.3085 - Brominated phthalate ester.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Brominated phthalate ester. 721.3085... Substances § 721.3085 Brominated phthalate ester. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically as brominated phthalate ester (PMN P-90-581) is...

  19. 40 CFR 721.3085 - Brominated phthalate ester.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Brominated phthalate ester. 721.3085... Substances § 721.3085 Brominated phthalate ester. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically as brominated phthalate ester (PMN P-90-581) is...

  20. 40 CFR 721.3085 - Brominated phthalate ester.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Brominated phthalate ester. 721.3085... Substances § 721.3085 Brominated phthalate ester. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically as brominated phthalate ester (PMN P-90-581) is...

  1. 75 FR 67692 - Notice of Teleconference of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-03

    ... Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314). The CHAP will discuss possible risk... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Teleconference of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of...

  2. 76 FR 57024 - Notice of Teleconference of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-15

    ... Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314). The CHAP will discuss its progress... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Teleconference of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of...

  3. MONO-(3-CARBOXYPROPYL) PHTHALATE, A METABOLITE OF DI-N-OCTYL PHTHALATE

    EPA Science Inventory

    Di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) is found as a component of mixed C6–C10 linear-chain phthalates used as plasticizers in various polyvinyl chloride applications, including flooring and carpet tiles. Following exposure and absorption, DnOP is metabolized to its hydrolytic monoester, mo...

  4. Assessment of Phthalate-induced Changes in Fetal Rat Testis Gene Expression using an rt-PCR Drug Metabolism Array.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Phthalate esters are a large family of compounds used in many industrial and commercial products. Based on numerous studies, phthalates such as diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) produce reproductive malformations in male rodents through reduction of testosterone production and gene ...

  5. Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides and Neurobehavioral Development of Neonates: A Birth Cohort Study in Shenyang, China

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Ying; Han, Song; Liang, Duohong; Shi, Xinzhu; Wang, Fengzhi; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Li; Chen, Lixin; Gu, Yingzi; Tian, Ying

    2014-01-01

    Background A large amount of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are used in agriculture in China every year, contributing to exposure of OPs through dietary consumption among the general population. However, the level of exposure to OPs in China is still uncertain. Objective To investigate the effect of the exposure to OPs on the neonatal neurodevelopment during pregnancy in Shenyang, China. Methods 249 pregnant women enrolled in the Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College from February 2011 to August 2012. A cohort of the mothers and their neonates participated in the study and information on each subject was obtained by questionnaire. Dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites were detected in the urine of mothers during pregnancy to evaluate the exposure level to OPs. Neonate neurobehavioral developmental levels were assessed according to the standards of the Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment (NBNA). Multiple linear regressions were utilized to analyze the association between pregnancy exposure to OPs and neonatal neurobehavioral development. Results The geometric means (GM) of urinary metabolites for dimethyl phosphate (DMP), dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP), diethyl phosphate (DEP), and diethyl thiophosphate (DETP) in pregnant women were 18.03, 8.53, 7.14, and 5.64 µg/L, respectively. Results from multiple linear regressions showed that prenatal OP exposure was one of the most important factors affecting NBNA scores. Prenatal total DAP concentrations were inversely associated with scores on the NBNA scales.?Additionally, a 10-fold increase in DAP concentrations was associated with a decrease of 1.78 regarding the Summary NBNA (95% CI, −2.12 to −1.45). And there was an estimated 2.11-point difference in summary NBNA scores between neonates in the highest quintile of prenatal OP exposure and the lowest quintile group. Conclusion The high exposure of pregnant women to OPs in Shenyang, China was the predominant risk factor for neonatal neurobehavioral development. PMID:24551109

  6. Occurrence of phthalates in aquatic environment and their removal during wastewater treatment processes: a review.

    PubMed

    Gani, Khalid Muzamil; Tyagi, Vinay Kumar; Kazmi, Absar Ahmad

    2017-07-01

    Phthalates are plasticizers and are concerned environmental endocrine-disrupting compounds. Due to their extensive usage in plastic manufacturing and personal care products as well as the potential to leach out from these products, phthalates have been detected in various aquatic environments including drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and wastewater. The primary source of their environmental occurrence is the discharge of phthalate-laden wastewater and sludge. This review focuses on recent knowledge on the occurrence of phthalate in different aquatic environments and their fate in conventional and advanced wastewater treatment processes. This review also summarizes recent advances in biological removal and degradation mechanisms of phthalates, identifies knowledge gaps, and suggests future research directions.

  7. Migrated phthalate levels into edible oils.

    PubMed

    Sungur, Sana; Okur, Ramazan; Turgut, Faruk Hilmi; Ustun, Ihsan; Gokce, Cumali

    2015-01-01

    The determination of phthalates in edible oils (virgin olive oil, olive oil, canola oil, hazelnut oil, sunflower oil, corn oil) sold in Turkish markets was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mean phthalate concentrations were between 0.102 and 3.863 mg L(-1) in virgin olive oil; 0.172 and 6.486 mg L(-1) in olive oil; 0.501 and 3.651 mg L(-1) in hazelnut oil; 0.457 and 3.415 mg L(-1) in canola oil; 2.227 and 6.673 mg L(-1) in sunflower oil; and 1.585 and 6.248 mg L(-1) in corn oil. Furthermore, the influence of the types of oil and container to the phthalate migration was investigated. The highest phthalate levels were measured in sunflower oil. The lowest phthalate levels were determined in virgin olive oil and hazelnut oil. The highest phthalate levels were determined in oil samples contained in polyethylene terephthalate.

  8. Influence of polluted SY River on child growth and sex hormones.

    PubMed

    Tang, Chun Yu; Li, An Qi; Guan, Yong Bo; Li, Yan; Cheng, Xue Min; Li, Ping; Li, Shi Qun; Luo, Yi Xin; Huang, Qi; Chen, Hong Yang; Cui, Liu Xin

    2012-06-01

    To investigate the influence of the polluted SY River on children's growth and sex hormones, and provide scientific data for assessment of the polluted status of the SY River. The study areas were selected randomly from the SY River Basin. Lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), phthalates (DEP, DBP, DMP, DEHP), and bisphenol A (BPA) were measured both in the river water and in the drinking water. School children were selected by cluster sampling (n=154). Physical development indexes (height, weight, bust-circumference, and skinfold thickness) and sex hormones [testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2)] were measured for all the children. The contents of Pb and Hg exceeded Class V standards of surface water quality in each section of the river and other indicators exceeded Class III. Compared to the control area, the concentrations of Pb, Hg, As, BPA, DEP, and DBP in the drinking water were significantly higher than in the polluted area (P<0.05). Children from the control area had significantly lower E2 and T than children from the polluted area (P<0.05). Among anthropometric results, only skinfold thickness had statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05), while the other indexes showed no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The drinking water has been polluted by the SY River and affected serum sex hormone levels of children living in the polluted area. Copyright © 2012 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Temporal trends of cumulative risks to phthalate mixtures in the United States from 2005 to 2014

    EPA Science Inventory

    Phthalates are used in a wide range of consumer goods resulting in widespread exposures among the general population. Exposures to specific phthalates are expected to vary over time with changes in the patterns of phthalate use. We investigated the existence of trends in estimate...

  10. 77 FR 2276 - Teleconference and Public Meeting of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-17

    ... levels of children's, pregnant women's, and others' exposure to phthalates, based upon a reasonable... 2010, and in March, July, and November 2011, at the CPSC's offices in Bethesda, MD, and by... on children's health of all phthalates and phthalate alternatives, as used in children's toys and...

  11. 75 FR 69662 - Workshop: Cumulative Mixtures Risk of Six Selected Phthalates in Support of Summary Information...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    ...: Cumulative Mixtures Risk of Six Selected Phthalates in Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk... Workshop on the Cumulative Mixtures Risk of Six Selected Phthalates; Request for Public Comments. SUMMARY...) Review the recommendations for evaluation of the cumulative mixtures risk of phthalates as set forth in...

  12. OCTANOL/WATER PARTITION COEFFICIENTS AND WATER SOLUBILITIES OF PHTHALATE ESTERS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Measurements of the octanol/water partition coefficients (K-ow) and water solubilities of di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) and di-n-decyl phthalate (DnDP) by the slow-stirring method are reported. The water solubility was also measured for di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHP). The log K-ow val...

  13. Using exposure prediction tools to link exposure and dosimetry for risk-based decisions: A case study with phthalates

    EPA Science Inventory

    A few different exposure prediction tools were evaluated for use in the new in vitro-based safety assessment paradigm using di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DnBP) as case compounds. Daily intake of each phthalate was estimated using both high-throughput (HT...

  14. 76 FR 38116 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-29

    ... Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314). DATES: The meeting will be held on... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting...

  15. 75 FR 73048 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-29

    ..., pursuant to section 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting...

  16. 76 FR 63610 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-13

    ... Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314). DATES: The meeting will be held on... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting...

  17. 76 FR 13988 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-15

    ... Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314). DATES: The meeting will be held on... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting...

  18. Associations between paternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and reproductive outcomes among couples seeking fertility treatment

    PubMed Central

    Dodge, LE; Williams, PL; Williams, MA; Missmer, SA; Souter, I; Calafat, AM; Hauser, R

    2015-01-01

    INTRODUCTION Limited evidence suggests that male exposure to ubiquitous environmental phthalates may result in poor reproductive outcomes among female partners. METHODS This analysis included male-female couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or intrauterine insemination (IUI). We evaluated associations between the geometric mean of paternal specific gravity-adjusted urinary phthalate concentrations prior to the female partners’ cycle and fertilization, embryo quality, implantation, and live birth using generalized linear mixed models. RESULTS Two-hundred eighteen couples underwent 211 IVF and 195 IUI cycles. Trends were observed between paternal urinary mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP; P=0.01) and mono(carboxyoctyl) phthalate (MCOP; P=0.01) and decreased odds of implantation. MCPP and MCOP were also associated with decreased odds of live birth following IVF (P=0.01 and P=0.04, respectively), and monobutyl phthalate above the first quartile was significantly associated with decreased odds of live birth following IUI (P=0.04). However, most urinary phthalate metabolites were not associated with these reproductive outcomes. CONCLUSION Selected phthalates were associated with decreased odds of implantation and live birth. PMID:26456810

  19. Women’s exposure to phthalates in relation to use of personal care products

    PubMed Central

    Parlett, Lauren E.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Swan, Shanna H.

    2014-01-01

    Background Several phthalates, particularly diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), can be used in personal care products (PCPs) to fix fragrance and hold color. We investigated associations between women’s reported use of personal care products within the 24 hours prior to urine collection and concentrations of several urinary phthalate metabolites. Methods Between 2002–2005, 337 women provided spot urine samples and answered questions regarding their use of thirteen PCPs at a follow-up visit 3–36 months after pregnancy. We examined associations between urinary concentrations of several phthalate metabolites and use of PCPs using linear regression. Results Use of individual PCPs ranged from 7% (nail polish) to 91% (deodorant). After adjusting for age, education, and urinary creatinine, women reporting use of perfume had 2.92 times higher (95% CI: 2.20–3.89) concentration of monoethyl phthalate (MEP, the primary metabolite of diethyl phthalate) than other women. Other PCPs that were significantly associated with MEP included: hair spray, nail polish, and deodorant. MEP concentrations increased with the number of PCPs used. Conclusion PCP use was widespread in this group of recently pregnant women. Women’s use of PCPs, particularly of perfumes and fragranced products, was positively associated with urinary concentration of multiple phthalate metabolites. PMID:23168567

  20. Phthalates impact human health: Epidemiological evidences and plausible mechanism of action.

    PubMed

    Benjamin, Sailas; Masai, Eiji; Kamimura, Naofumi; Takahashi, Kenji; Anderson, Robin C; Faisal, Panichikkal Abdul

    2017-10-15

    Disregarding the rising alarm on the hazardous nature of various phthalates and their metabolites, ruthless usage of phthalates as plasticizer in plastics and as additives in innumerable consumer products continues due low their cost, attractive properties, and lack of suitable alternatives. Globally, in silico computational, in vitro mechanistic, in vivo preclinical and limited clinical or epidemiological human studies showed that over a dozen phthalates and their metabolites ingested passively by man from the general environment, foods, drinks, breathing air, and routine household products cause various dysfunctions. Thus, this review addresses the health hazards posed by phthalates on children and adolescents, epigenetic modulation, reproductive toxicity in women and men; insulin resistance and type II diabetes; overweight and obesity, skeletal anomalies, allergy and asthma, cancer, etc., coupled with the description of major phthalates and their general uses, phthalate exposure routes, biomonitoring and risk assessment, special account on endocrine disruption; and finally, a plausible molecular cross-talk with a unique mechanism of action. This clinically focused comprehensive review on the hazards of phthalates would benefit the general population, academia, scientists, clinicians, environmentalists, and law or policy makers to decide upon whether usage of phthalates to be continued swiftly without sufficient deceleration or regulated by law or to be phased out from earth forever. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Exposure to diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) promotes the loss of alveolar epithelial phenotype of A549 cells.

    PubMed

    Rafael-Vázquez, L; García-Trejo, Semiramis; Aztatzi-Aguilar, O G; Bazán-Perkins, B; Quintanilla-Vega, B

    2018-05-17

    Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widely used plasticizer that is metabolized to mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP). Inhalation is an important exposure route for both phthalates, and their effects on lungs include inflammation, alteration of postnatal maturation (alveolarization), enlarged airspaces and cell differentiation changes, suggesting that alveolar epithelial cells-2 (AEC) are targets of phthalates. This study evaluated the cell progression, epithelial and mesenchymal markers, including surfactant secretion in A549 cells (AEC) that were exposed to DEHP (1-100 μM) or MEHP (1-50 μM) for 24-72 h. The results showed an increased cell proliferation at all concentrations of each phthalate at 24 and 48 h. Cell migration showed a concentration-dependent increase at 24 and 48 h of exposure to either phthalate and enlarged structures were seen. Decreased levels of both surfactants (SP-B/SP-C) were observed after the exposure to either phthalate at 48 h, and of SP-C positive cells exposed to MEHP, suggesting a loss of the epithelial phenotype. While a decrease in the epithelial marker E-cadherin and an increase in the mesenchymal marker fibronectin were observed following exposure to either phthalate. Our results showed that DEHP and MEHP altered the structure and migration of A549 cells and promoted the loss of the epithelial phenotype. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Occupational exposure to phthalates in relation to gender, consumer practices and body composition.

    PubMed

    Petrovičová, Ida; Kolena, Branislav; Šidlovská, Miroslava; Pilka, Tomáš; Wimmerová, Soňa; Trnovec, Tomáš

    2016-12-01

    The aim of our work was to find associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and occupation, consumer practices and body composition. We divided our cohort (n = 129) into occupationally exposed subjects, community service workers (group A; n = 45) and workers from plastic industry (group B; n = 35) and group of general population (control group C, n = 49). To estimate levels of five phthalate metabolites, we used high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis. We found in plastic industry workers compared to community service workers and subjects of the control group significantly higher urinary concentration mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono (2-etylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), sum di-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (DEHP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP). We identified by multivariate analysis of covariance inverse relationship between MEHP and body parameters as waist-to-height ratio, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, hip circumference and waist circumference among females, whereas in males, no significant association was found. Results of our study show, despite of variability in terms of occupational exposure to phthalates, that plastic manufactory represents a higher occupational risk in comparison with waste management. The differences in anthropometric parameters between the two occupationally exposed groups and the general population are suggesting a detrimental effect of occupational exposure on body weight homeostasis.

  3. Dietary exposure and human risk assessment of phthalate esters based on total diet study in Cambodia.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Zhang; Li, Han-Han; Wang, Hong-Sheng; Zhu, Xue-Mei; Sthiannopkao, Suthipong; Kim, Kyoung-Woong; Yasin, Mohamed Salleh Mohamed; Hashim, Jamal Hisham; Wong, Ming-Hung

    2016-10-01

    Phthalate esters are used in a wide variety of consumer products, and human exposure to this class of compounds is widespread. Nevertheless, studies on dietary exposure of human to phthalates are limited. In this study, to assess the daily intakes of phthalate esters and the possible adverse health impacts, different food samples were collected from three areas of Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in the world. The ∑phthalate ester concentrations in Kampong Cham, Kratie and Kandal provinces ranged from 0.05 to 2.34 (median 0.88) μgg(-1), 0.19-1.65 (median 0.86) μgg(-1) and 0.24-3.05 (median 0.59) μgg(-1) wet weight (ww), respectively. Di-2-Ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) were the predominant compounds among all foodstuffs. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of phthalate esters for the general population in Kampong Cham, Kratie and Kandal was 34.3, 35.6 and 35.8μgkg(-1) bw d(-1), respectively. The dietary daily intake of DEHP, benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in Kampong Cham, Kratie and Kandal were below the tolerable daily intakes (TDI) imposed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and reference doses (RfD) imposed by The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Rice contributed the greatest quantity of DEHP to the daily intake in Cambodia so may deserve further exploration. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the occurrence and the daily intakes of phthalate esters in Cambodia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Association between Urine Phthalate Levels and Poor Attentional Performance in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with Evidence of Dopamine Gene-Phthalate Interaction

    PubMed Central

    Park, Subin; Kim, Bung-Nyun; Cho, Soo-Churl; Kim, Yeni; Kim, Jae-Won; Lee, Ju-Young; Hong, Soon-Beom; Shin, Min-Sup; Yoo, Hee Jeong; Im, Hosub; Cheong, Jae Hoon; Han, Doug Hyun

    2014-01-01

    Although there is some evidence supporting the existence of an association between prenatal maternal or postnatal child’s urine phthalate metabolite concentrations and poor attentional performances, the interaction between urine phthalate metabolite levels and genetic variation for neuropsychological deficit of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not been examined. The aim of this study was to determine whether phthalate metabolites in urine are associated with poor neuropsychological performance in children with ADHD, and whether such association is affected by genotype-phthalate interaction. A cross-sectional examination of urine phthalate metabolite concentrations and the continuous performance test (CPT) were performed in 179 Korean children with ADHD recruited from department of psychiatry of university hospital. Correlations between urine phthalate metabolite concentrations and the CPT scores were investigated, and the interaction of phthalate metabolite levels with the selected polymorphisms at major candidate genes for ADHD, namely dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4), dopamine transporter, α-2A-adrenergic receptor, and norepinephrine transporter genes. For the subjects with the DRD4 4/4 genotype, there were significant associations of the urine phthalate metabolite concentrations with the number of omission errors, the number of commission errors, and the response time variability scores on the CPT. However, for the subjects without the DRD4 4/4 genotype, no significant associations were found. The results of this study suggest a possible association between phthalate metabolite concentrations and poor attentional performances of ADHD as well as a genetic influence on this association. Further prospective and epigenetic studies are needed to investigate causality and pathophysiological mechanisms. PMID:24978879

  5. Early-Life Phthalate Exposure and Adiposity at 8 Years of Age

    PubMed Central

    Papandonatos, George D.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Ye, Xiaoyun; Chen, Aimin; Lanphear, Bruce P.; Yolton, Kimberly; Braun, Joseph M.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Early-life phthalate exposure may influence child adiposity, but prior studies have not determined if there are periods of enhanced vulnerability to phthalates. Objective: To examine the relationship between child adiposity at 8 y of age and repeated urinary biomarkers of phthalate exposure from gestation through childhood to determine if there are distinct periods of vulnerability. Methods: In 219 mother–child pairs from Cincinnati, Ohio, we quantified nine urinary phthalate metabolites up to two times prenatally and six times from 1–8 y of age. We measured child body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and percent body fat at 8 y of age. To identify periods of vulnerability, we used two statistical methods to estimate phthalate–adiposity associations at each visit, test differences in phthalate–adiposity associations across visits, and model trajectories of phthalate concentrations for children at different levels of adiposity. Results: Prenatal phthalate concentrations were not associated with excess child adiposity. Monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) concentrations during pregnancy and childhood were inversely associated with adiposity. The associations of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (∑DEHP) metabolites and monoethyl phthalate (MEP) with child adiposity depended on the timing of exposure. A 10-fold increase in ∑DEHP at 1 and 5 y was associated with a 2.7% decrease [95% confidence interval (CI): −4.8, −0.5] and 2.9% increase (95% CI: 0.3, 5.5) in body fat, respectively. MEP concentrations at 5 and 8 y of age were associated with higher child adiposity, but earlier childhood concentrations were not. Conclusion: In this cohort, we did not find evidence of an obesogenic effect of prenatal phthalate exposure. Positive associations between postnatal MEP and ∑DEHP concentrations depended on the timing of exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1022 PMID:28935615

  6. Determination of phthalic acid esters in water samples using core-shell poly(dopamine) magnetic nanoparticles and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    González-Sálamo, Javier; Socas-Rodríguez, Bárbara; Hernández-Borges, Javier; Rodríguez-Delgado, Miguel Ángel

    2017-12-29

    In this work, the first application of core-shell poly(dopamine) magnetic nanoparticles as sorbent for the extraction of a group of eleven phthalic acid esters of interest (i.e. diethyl phthalate (DEP), dipropyl phthalate (DPP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), bis-isopentyl phthalate (DIPP), bis-n-pentyl phthalate (DNPP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP)) and one adipate (bis (2-ethylhexyl) adipate, DEHA) from different water samples (Milli-Q, mineral, tap, pond and waste water) is proposed. Analysis were carried out by gas chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Parameters that affect the extraction performance were optimized following a step by step approach, being the optimum conditions the extraction of water at pH 6, with 60mg of sorbent and the elution with 6mL of dichloromethane. The methodology was validated for the five selected water samples using DBP-d 4 as internal standard. Determination coefficients of matrix-matched calibration curves were above 0.9904 in all cases while relative recovery values ranged between 71 and 120%, with relative standard deviation values below 19%. The limits of quantification of the method ranged between 9 and 20ng/L. Matrix effects were found for most analytes and water samples. Real water samples were also analyzed, finding DEP and DBP at concentrations below 4.20 and 1.23μg/L, respectively, in mineral, tap and waste water. DCHP, DEHP and BBP were also found in some of the samples at concentrations below the LOQs of the method. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Investigation of the primary plasticisers present in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products currently authorised as food contact materials.

    PubMed

    Carlos, Katherine S; de Jager, Lowri S; Begley, Timothy H

    2018-03-15

    PVC is a common food contact material that is usually plasticised to increase its flexibility. Phthalates are one class of chemical compounds that are often used as plasticisers in PVC in a wide range of industries. They may be used in packaging materials for foods and can also be found in components of certain food processing equipment such as conveyor belts and tubing. Transfer of plasticisers from packaging to foods can occur. In recent years, there has been increased interest in understanding the health effects of phthalates, as well as the possible human exposure levels. However, there is limited information available about the routes of exposure to phthalates. In July 2014, the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP) produced a report for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission detailing the potential health hazards of phthalates and phthalate alternatives. This report listed diet as one factor contributing greater than or equal to 10% of total phthalate exposure. As a result of this report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is interested in determining the types of the primary plasticiser present in food packaging and processing materials as well as their concentrations. An investigation was conducted of 56 different samples of PVC food packaging and food processing materials available in the US market using a solvent extraction and GC-MS analysis. Nine different plasticisers including three phthalates, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, diisononyl phthalate and diisodecyl phthalate, were identified in the products tested. The plasticiser concentrations ranged from 1 to 53% depending on the types of food contact materials and the type of plasticiser. Overall, it appears that manufacturers are switching away from phthalates as their primary plasticiser to alternate compounds such as ESBO, ATBC, DEHT, DINCH, DEHA and DINA.

  8. Exposure to phthalates: reproductive outcome and children health. A review of epidemiological studies.

    PubMed

    Jurewicz, Joanna; Hanke, Wojciech

    2011-06-01

    Phthalates are a family of industrial chemicals that have been used for a variety of purposes. As the potential consequences of human exposure to phthalates have raised concerns in the general population, they have been studied in susceptible subjects such as pregnant women, infants and children. This article aims at evaluating the impact of exposure to phthalates on reproductive outcomes and children health by reviewing most recent published literature. Epidemiological studies focusing on exposure to phthalates and pregnancy outcome, genital development, semen quality, precocious puberty, thyroid function, respiratory symptoms and neurodevelopment in children for the last ten years were identified by a search of the PubMed, Medline, Ebsco, Agricola and Toxnet literature bases. The results from the presented studies suggest that there are strong and rather consistent indications that phthalates increase the risk of allergy and asthma and have an adverse impact on children's neurodevelopment reflected by quality of alertness among girls, decreased (less masculine) composite score in boys and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Results of few studies demonstrate negative associations between phthalate levels commonly experienced by the public and impaired sperm quality (concentration, morphology, motility). Phthalates negatively impact also on gestational age and head circumference; however, the results of the studies were not consistent. In all the reviewed studies, exposure to phthalates adversely affected the level of reproductive hormones (luteinizing hormone, free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin), anogenital distance and thyroid function. The urinary levels of phthalates were significantly higher in the pubertal gynecomastia group, in serum in girls with premature thelarche and in girls with precocious puberty. Epidemiological studies, in spite of their limitations, suggest that phthalates may affect reproductive outcome and children health. Considering the suggested health effects, more epidemiologic data is urgently needed and, in the meantime, precautionary policies must be implemented.

  9. Relationship between environmental phthalate exposure and the intelligence of school-age children.

    PubMed

    Cho, Soo-Churl; Bhang, Soo-Young; Hong, Yun-Chul; Shin, Min-Sup; Kim, Boong-Nyun; Kim, Jae-Won; Yoo, Hee-Jung; Cho, In Hee; Kim, Hyo-Won

    2010-07-01

    Concern over phthalates has emerged because of their potential toxicity to humans. We investigated the relationship between the urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and children's intellectual functioning. This study enrolled 667 children at nine elementary schools in five South Korean cities. A cross-sectional examination of urine phthalate concentrations was performed, and scores on neuropsychological tests were obtained from both the children and their mothers. We measured mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl)phthalate (MEOHP), both metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), a metabolite of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), in urine samples. The geometric mean (ln) concentrations of MEHP, MEOHP, and MBP were 21.3 microg/L [geometric SD (GSD) = 2.2 microg/L; range, 0.5-445.4], 18.0 microg/L (GSD = 2.4; range, 0.07-291.1), and 48.9 microg/L (GSD = 2.2; range, 2.1-1645.5), respectively. After adjusting for demographic and developmental covariates, the Full Scale IQ and Verbal IQ scores were negatively associated with DEHP metabolites but not with DBP metabolites. We also found a significant negative relationship between the urine concentrations of the metabolites of DEHP and DBP and children's vocabulary subscores. After controlling for maternal IQ, a significant inverse relationship between DEHP metabolites and vocabulary subscale score remained. Among boys, we found a negative association between increasing MEHP phthalate concentrations and the sum of DEHP metabolite concentrations and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children vocabulary score; however, among girls, we found no significant association between these variables. Controlling for maternal IQ and other covariates, the results show an inverse relationship between phthalate metabolites and IQ scores; however, given the limitations in cross-sectional epidemiology, prospective studies are needed to fully explore these associations.

  10. Low-Level Environmental Phthalate Exposure Associates with Urine Metabolome Alteration in a Chinese Male Cohort.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jie; Liu, Liangpo; Wang, Xiaofei; Huang, Qingyu; Tian, Meiping; Shen, Heqing

    2016-06-07

    The general population is exposed to phthalates through various sources and routes. Integration of omics data and epidemiological data is a key step toward directly linking phthalate biomonitoring data with biological response. Urine metabolomics is a powerful tool to identify exposure biomarkers and delineate the modes of action of environmental stressors. The objectives of this study are to investigate the association between low-level environmental phthalate exposure and urine metabolome alteration in male population, and to unveil the metabolic pathways involved in the mechanisms of phthalate toxicity. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we studied the urine metabolomic profiles of 364 male subjects exposed to low-level environmental phthalates. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) are the most widely used phthalates. ∑DEHP and MBP (the major metabolite of DBP) were associated with significant alteration of global urine metabolome in the male population. We observed significant increase in the levels of acetylneuraminic acid, carnitine C8:1, carnitine C18:0, cystine, phenylglycine, phenylpyruvic acid and glutamylphenylalanine; and meanwhile, decrease in the levels of carnitine C16:2, diacetylspermine, alanine, taurine, tryptophan, ornithine, methylglutaconic acid, hydroxyl-PEG2 and keto-PGE2 in high exposure group. The observations indicated that low-level environmental phthalate exposure associated with increased oxidative stress and fatty acid oxidation and decreased prostaglandin metabolism. Urea cycle, tryptophan and phenylalanine metabolism disruption was also observed. The urine metabolome disruption effects associated with ∑DEHP and MBP were similar, but not identical. The multibiomarker models presented AUC values of 0.845 and 0.834 for ∑DEHP and MBP, respectively. The predictive accuracy rates of established models were 81% for ΣDEHP and 73% for MBP. Our results suggest that low-level environmental phthalate exposure associates with urine metabolome disruption in male population, providing new insight into the early molecular events of phthalate exposure.

  11. The role of phthalate esters in autism development: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Jeddi, Maryam Zare; Janani, Leila; Memari, Amir Hossein; Akhondzadeh, Shahin; Yunesian, Masud

    2016-11-01

    Available evidence implicates environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the role of specific environmental chemicals such as phthalate esters that influence ASD risk remains elusive. This paper systematically reviews published evidences on association between prenatal and/or childhood exposure to phthalate and ASD. Studies pertaining to systematic literature search from Scopus, PubMed, PsycInfo and Web of Science prior to December 2015 were identified. The authors included studies which assessed the effect of exposure to phthalates on occurrence of ASD. This comprehensive bibliographic search identified five independent studies. Each eligible paper was summarized with respect to its methods and results with particular attention to study design and exposure assessment. Because of the heterogeneity in the type of included studies, different methods of assessing exposure to phthalates and the use of different statistics for summarizing the results, meta-analysis could not be used to combine the results of included studies. The results of this systematic review have revealed the limited number of studies conducted and assessed phthalate exposure. Seven studies were regarded as relevant to the objectives of this review. Two of them did not measure phthalate exposure directly and did not result in quantitative results. Out of the five studies in which phthalate exposure was mainly measured by the examining biomarkers in biological samples, two were cohort studies (one with positive results and another one with not clear association). Among the three case control studies, two of them showed a significant relation between exposure to phthalate and ASD and the last case control study had negative results. Indeed, this case control studies showed a compromised phthalate metabolite glucuronidation pathway, as a probable explanation of mechanism of the relation between phthalate exposure and ASD. This review reveals evidence showing a connection between exposure to phthalates and ASD. Nevertheless, further research is needed with appropriate attention to exposure assessment and relevant pre and post-natal cofounders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Prenatal Phthalate Exposures and Anogenital Distance in Swedish Boys

    PubMed Central

    Carlstedt, Fredrik; Jönsson, Bo AG.; Lindh, Christian H.; Jensen, Tina K.; Bodin, Anna; Jonsson, Carin; Janson, Staffan; Swan, Shanna H.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Phthalates are used as plasticizers in soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and in a large number of consumer products. Because of reported health risks, diisononyl phthalate (DiNP) has been introduced as a replacement for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in soft PVC. This raises concerns because animal data suggest that DiNP may have antiandrogenic properties similar to those of DEHP. The anogenital distance (AGD)—the distance from the anus to the genitals—has been used to assess reproductive toxicity. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and AGD in Swedish infants. Methods: AGD was measured in 196 boys at 21 months of age, and first-trimester urine was analyzed for 10 phthalate metabolites of DEP (diethyl phthalate), DBP (dibutyl phthalate), DEHP, BBzP (benzylbutyl phthalate), as well as DiNP and creatinine. Data on covariates were collected by questionnaires. Results: The most significant associations were found between the shorter of two AGD measures (anoscrotal distance; AGDas) and DiNP metabolites and strongest for oh-MMeOP [mono-(4-methyl-7-hydroxyloctyl) phthalate] and oxo-MMeOP [mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate]. However, the AGDas reduction was small (4%) in relation to more than an interquartile range increase in DiNP exposure. Conclusions: These findings call into question the safety of substituting DiNP for DEHP in soft PVC, particularly because a shorter male AGD has been shown to relate to male genital birth defects in children and impaired reproductive function in adult males and the fact that human levels of DiNP are increasing globally. Citation: Bornehag CG, Carlstedt F, Jönsson BA, Lindh CH, Jensen TK, Bodin A, Jonsson C, Janson S, Swan SH. 2015. Prenatal phthalate exposures and anogenital distance in Swedish boys. Environ Health Perspect 123:101–107; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408163 PMID:25353625

  13. Neonatal intensive care unit phthalate exposure and preterm infant neurobehavioral performance.

    PubMed

    Stroustrup, Annemarie; Bragg, Jennifer B; Andra, Syam S; Curtin, Paul C; Spear, Emily A; Sison, Denise B; Just, Allan C; Arora, Manish; Gennings, Chris

    2018-01-01

    Every year in the United States, more than 300,000 infants are admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) where they are exposed to a chemical-intensive hospital environment during a developmentally vulnerable period. The neurodevelopmental impact of environmental exposure to phthalates during the NICU stay is unknown. As phthalate exposure during the third trimester developmental window has been implicated in neurobehavioral deficits in term-born children that are strikingly similar to a phenotype of neurobehavioral morbidity common among children born premature, the role of early-life phthalate exposure on the neurodevelopmental trajectory of premature infants may be clinically important. In this study, premature newborns with birth weight <1500g were recruited to participate in a prospective environmental health cohort study, NICU-HEALTH (Hospital Exposures and Long-Term Health), part of the DINE (Developmental Impact of NICU Exposures) cohort of the ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) program. Seventy-six percent of eligible infants enrolled in the study. Sixty-four of 81 infants survived and are included in this analysis. 164 urine specimens were analyzed for phthalate metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) was performed prior to NICU discharge. Linear and weighted quantile sum regression quantified associations between phthalate biomarkers and NNNS performance, and between phthalate biomarkers and intensity of medical intervention. The sum of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites (∑DEHP) was associated with improved performance on the Attention and Regulation scales. Specific mixtures of phthalate biomarkers were also associated with improved NNNS performance. More intense medical intervention was associated with higher ∑DEHP exposure. NICU-based exposure to phthalates mixtures was associated with improved attention and social response. This suggests that the impact of phthalate exposure on neurodevelopment may follow a non-linear trajectory, perhaps accelerating the development of certain neural networks. The long-term neurodevelopmental impact of NICU-based phthalate exposure needs to be evaluated.

  14. Bisphenol and phthalate concentrations and its determinants among pregnant women in a population-based cohort in the Netherlands, 2004-5.

    PubMed

    Philips, Elise M; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Asimakopoulos, Alexandros G; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Steegers, Eric A P; Santos, Susana; Trasande, Leonardo

    2018-02-01

    Exposure to bisphenols and phthalates in pregnancy may lead to adverse health effects in women themselves and their offspring. To describe first trimester bisphenol and phthalate urine concentrations, including bisphenol and phthalate replacements, and determine nutritional, socio-demographic and lifestyle related determinants. In a population-based prospective cohort of 1396 mothers, we measured first trimester bisphenol, phthalate and creatinine urine concentrations (samples collected in 2004-2005, median gestational age 12.9 weeks [inter-quartile range (IQR) 12.1-14.4]). We examined associations of potential determinants with log-transformed bisphenol and phthalate concentrations. Outcomes were back-transformed. Nutritional analyses were performed in a subgroup of 642 Dutch participants only, as the Food Frequency Questionnaire was aimed at Dutch food patterns. Bisphenol A, bisphenol S, and bisphenol F were detected in 79.2%, 67.8% and 40.2% of the population, respectively. Mono-n-butylphthalate, mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl)phthalate and monobenzylphthalate were detected in > 90% of the population. Nutritional intake was not associated with bisphenol and phthalate concentrations after correction for multiple testing was applied. Obesity was associated with higher high-molecular-weight phthalate concentrations and the lack of folic acid supplement use with higher di-n-octylphthalate concentrations (respective mean differences were 46.73nmol/l [95% CI 14.56-93.72] and 1.03nmol/l [0.31-2.06]). Bisphenol S and F exposure was highly prevalent in pregnant women in the Netherlands as early as 2004-5. Although associations of dietary and other key factors with bisphenol and phthalate concentrations were limited, adverse lifestyle factors including obesity and the lack of folic acid supplement use seem to be associated with higher phthalate concentrations in pregnant women. The major limitation was the availability of only one urine sample per participant. However, since phthalates are reported to be quite stable over time, results concerning determinants of phthalate concentrations are expected to be robust. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Bisphenol and phthalate concentrations and its determinants among pregnant women in a population-based cohort in the Netherlands, 2004–5

    PubMed Central

    Philips, Elise M.; Jaddoe, Vincent W.V.; Asimakopoulos, Alexandros G.; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Steegers, Eric A.P.; Santos, Susana; Trasande, Leonardo

    2018-01-01

    Background Exposure to bisphenols and phthalates in pregnancy may lead to adverse health effects in women themselves and their offspring. Objective To describe first trimester bisphenol and phthalate urine concentrations, including bisphenol and phthalate replacements, and determine nutritional, socio-demographic and lifestyle related determinants. Methods In a population-based prospective cohort of 1396 mothers, we measured first trimester bisphenol, phthalate and creatinine urine concentrations (samples collected in 2004–2005, median gestational age 12.9 weeks [inter-quartile range (IQR) 12.1–14.4]). We examined associations of potential determinants with log-transformed bisphenol and phthalate concentrations. Outcomes were back-transformed. Nutritional analyses were performed in a subgroup of 642 Dutch participants only, as the Food Frequency Questionnaire was aimed at Dutch food patterns. Results Bisphenol A, bisphenol S, and bisphenol F were detected in 79.2%, 67.8% and 40.2% of the population, respectively. Mono-n-butylphthalate, mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl)phthalate and monobenzylphthalate were detected in > 90% of the population. Nutritional intake was not associated with bisphenol and phthalate concentrations after correction for multiple testing was applied. Obesity was associated with higher high-molecular-weight phthalate concentrations and the lack of folic acid supplement use with higher di-n-octylphthalate concentrations (respective mean differences were 46.73 nmol/l [95% CI 14.56–93.72] and 1.03 nmol/l [0.31–2.06]). Conclusion Bisphenol S and F exposure was highly prevalent in pregnant women in the Netherlands as early as 2004–5. Although associations of dietary and other key factors with bisphenol and phthalate concentrations were limited, adverse lifestyle factors including obesity and the lack of folic acid supplement use seem to be associated with higher phthalate concentrations in pregnant women. The major limitation was the availability of only one urine sample per participant. However, since phthalates are reported to be quite stable over time, results concerning determinants of phthalate concentrations are expected to be robust. PMID:29245124

  16. Associations between urinary phthalate concentrations and semen quality parameters in a general population

    PubMed Central

    Bloom, M.S.; Whitcomb, B.W.; Chen, Z.; Ye, A.; Kannan, K.; Buck Louis, G.M.

    2015-01-01

    STUDY QUESTION Are urinary phthalate concentrations associated with altered semen quality parameters among males recruited from the general population? SUMMARY ANSWER Urinary levels of metabolites of phthalate diesters are associated with lower total sperm counts, larger sperm head sizes, and higher percentages of morphologically abnormal sperm. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY High dose experiments in rats implicate phthalates as anti-androgens. Studies involving infertile men seeking care suggest that phthalates influence measures of semen quality raising concern about the implications for men in the general population. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This prospective cohort study comprised 501 male partners in couples discontinuing contraception to become pregnant, who were recruited from 16 US counties using population-based sampling frameworks from 2005 to 2009. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Urine and semen samples were obtained at baseline from 473 (94%) men, of whom 378 (80%) men provided a second sample the following month. Urine was analyzed for 14 monoester metabolites of phthalate diesters by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Semen samples were analyzed for 34 quality parameters categorized as general, motility, morphology, sperm head and sperm chromatin structure. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Urinary mono-[2-(carboxymethyl) hexyl] phthalate (MCMHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), and mono-isononyl phthalate (MNP) were significantly associated with lower total sperm counts and concentrations, larger sperm head sizes, higher proportions of megalo head sperm morphology, and/or other morphological changes. Urinary mono-methyl phthalate (MMP) and mono-cyclohexyl phthalate (MCPP) were significantly associated with lower sperm motility, and urine mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) was significantly associated with higher sperm motility. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION While adverse associations were observed, the implications of the findings for couple fecundity and fertility remain to be established. Cautious interpretation is needed in light of reliance on a single measurement of phthalate measure and no correction for multiple comparisons. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (N01-HD-3-3355, N01-HD-3-3356 and NOH-HD-3-3358). The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests. PMID:26350610

  17. Phthalate exposure, even below US EPA reference doses, was associated with semen quality and reproductive hormones: Prospective MARHCS study in general population.

    PubMed

    Chen, Qing; Yang, Huan; Zhou, Niya; Sun, Lei; Bao, Huaqiong; Tan, Lu; Chen, Hongqiang; Ling, Xi; Zhang, Guowei; Huang, Linping; Li, Lianbing; Ma, Mingfu; Yang, Hao; Wang, Xiaogang; Zou, Peng; Peng, Kaige; Liu, Taixiu; Shi, Xiefei; Feng, Dejian; Zhou, Ziyuan; Ao, Lin; Cui, Zhihong; Cao, Jia

    2017-07-01

    Environment-Protection-Agency Reference Doses (EPA RfDs) for phthalate intakes are based on limited evidence, especially regarding low-dose male-reproductive toxicity. This study investigates the association between phthalate exposure and semen parameters and reproductive hormones in a general population with low phthalate exposure compared to the EPA RfDs. The MARHCS (Male-Reproductive-Health-in-Chongqing-College-Students) cohort recruited 796 male students, who experienced a relocation of campuses and shifting environmental exposure. Urine, semen and blood before and after the relocation was collected and investigated for: (1) the associations between 13 urinary phthalate metabolites and 11 semen/hormone outcomes (five semen parameters including semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number, progressive motility, normal morphology) and six serum reproductive hormones including estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, progesterone, testosterone; (2) re-analysis of the metabolite-outcome associations in the subjects with estimated phthalate intakes below the RfDs; (3) a change in phthalate metabolites and change in semen/hormone outcomes after the relocation; (4) the association between these changes. (1) All but two semen/hormone outcomes were associated with at least one phthalate metabolite, e.g., each quartile monoethyl phthalate was associated with a 5.3%, 5.7% and 2.6% decrease of sperm concentration, total sperm number and progressive motility respectively. (2) In the subjects with phthalate intakes below the RfDs, these metabolite-outcome associations remained significant. (3) All metabolites except mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate declined after relocation (P<0.001 respectively); at the same time, semen volume, normal morphology, estradiol and luteinizing hormone increased (by 5.9%, 25.0%, 34.2% and 10.0%) and testosterone decreased (by 7.0%). (4) The changes in semen volume, normal morphology, estradiol and testosterone, but not the change in luteinizing hormone after relocation, were associated with the changes in the phthalate metabolites. Phthalate exposure is associated with interrupted semen quality and reproductive hormones in the human population even with a dose given below the RfDs. These effects, however, may only partially revert back when exposure decreases, thus emphasizing the urgency of stricter phthalate administration. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Breast Cancer Incidence and Survival following Breast Cancer: The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project.

    PubMed

    Parada, Humberto; Gammon, Marilie D; Chen, Jia; Calafat, Antonia M; Neugut, Alfred I; Santella, Regina M; Wolff, Mary S; Teitelbaum, Susan L

    2018-04-26

    Phthalates, known endocrine disruptors, may play a role in breast carcinogenesis. Few studies have examined phthalates in relation to breast cancer (BC), and, to our knowledge, none have considered survival following BC. We examined 11 urinary phthalate metabolites, individually and as molar sum groupings, in association with BC incidence and subsequent survival. Our study includes 710 women diagnosed with first primary BC in 1996-1997 and 598 women without BC from Long Island, New York. Within 3 mo of diagnosis, participants provided spot urine samples. Nine phthalate metabolites were measured in all women; two [monocarboxyoctyl phthalate (MCOP) and monocarboxy-isononyl phthalate (MCNP)] were measured in 320 women with and 205 without BC. Women with BC were followed since diagnosis using the National Death Index; during follow-up (median=17.6 y), we identified 271 deaths (98 BC related). We examined creatinine-corrected metabolite concentrations in association with: BC, using logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and all-cause/BC-specific mortality, using Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. We also examined effect modification by body mass index (BMI) and estrogen receptor (ER) status. The highest (vs. lowest) quintiles of mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), MCNP, and MCOP were associated with BC ORs ranging from 0.71-0.73. The highest (vs. lowest) quintiles of mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and MCOP were associated with BC-specific mortality HRs of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.28, 1.04) and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.23, 1.35), respectively. For BC-specific mortality, interactions were significant between BMI and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxyhexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), with positive associations among women with BMI<25 and inverse associations among women with BMI≥25.0 kg/m 2 . Consistent with laboratory evidence, we observed inverse associations between urinary concentrations of several phthalate metabolites and BC and subsequent survival; however, these results should be interpreted with caution given that biospecimen collection among women with BC occurred after diagnosis, which may be of particular concern for our case-control findings. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2083.

  19. The Impact of Prenatal Organophosphate Pesticide Exposures on Thai Infant Neurodevelopment

    PubMed Central

    Kongtip, Pornpimol; Techasaensiri, Benyachalee; Nankongnab, Noppanun; Adams, Jane; Phamonphon, Akkarat; Surach, Anu; Sangprasert, Supha; Thongsuksai, Aree; Srikumpol, Prayoon; Woskie, Susan

    2017-01-01

    A birth cohort was begun to investigate the levels and sources of pesticide exposure in pregnant women living in Thailand, and to examine the effects of pesticide exposure on infant neurodevelopment at five months of age. Subjects were interviewed using questionnaires regarding their demographic characteristics, educational background, and work and home activities related to pesticide exposures. Spot urine samples were collected at 28 weeks gestation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine maternal metabolite levels of organophosphate pesticides including dimethyl phosphate (DMP); total DEP (diethyl phosphate (DEP), diethyl thiophosphate (DETP), and diethyl dithiophosphate (DEDTP), and total DAP (the sum of all metabolite levels). At five months of age, infant development was evaluated using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III (Bayley-III). Higher total DEP and total DAP metabolite levels from the mother at 28 weeks’ gestation were significantly associated with reduced motor composite scores on the Bayley-III at five months of age. The total DEP levels were also significantly associated with reduced cognitive composite scores. Prenatal concentrations of maternal urinary metabolites were associated with infant cognitive and motor development. The results of several studies now suggest the need for public health intervention to reduce prenatal pesticide exposures from both agricultural and domestic use. PMID:28554999

  20. Patient-experienced effect of an active implementation of a disease management programme for COPD – a randomised trial

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background People living with chronic disease currently account for the majority of the total healthcare costs. The Central Denmark Region implemented a disease management programme (DMP) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2008. This presented an opportunity to examine the effect of an evidence-based, planned and proactive implementation of a DMP compared to the usual implementation strategy. Methods We performed a block- and cluster-randomised controlled trial with two groups and an extra external control group. The primary outcome was patients’ assessment of their care after using an active implementation model for a DMP for COPD measured with the Patient-Assessment-of-Chronic-Illness-Care (PACIC) instrument. At baseline, questionnaires were sent to 2,895 patients identified by an algorithm based on health registry data on lung-related contacts to the healthcare system. Patients were asked to confirm or refute their diagnosis of COPD. Of those who responded, 1,445 (72.8%) confirmed their diagnosis. PACIC data were collected at baseline and at a 12-month follow-up for 744 (51.1%) patients. Results Comparing the three groups after the implementation of the DMP, we found a statistically significantly higher change in the PACIC score in the intervention group than in the control groups. No statistically significant differences were found between the control and the external control groups in any of the dimensions. Conclusions Reinforcing the role of general practice as coordinator for care-and self-management-support with an active implementation of a DMP for COPD made patients score higher on the PACIC instrument, which indicates a better experience of the received healthcare. Trial registration NCT01228708. PMID:24088417

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