Abstract  Glycidol is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.

Abstract  Propylene oxide (PO), a simple alkylating agent used in the chemical industry, is weakly genotoxic and induces nasal cavity tumors in rodents on inhalation at high air concentrations. DNA adducts, hemoglobin adducts, and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) were analyzed as biomarkers of exposure in a group of eight PO-exposed workers and eight nonexposed subjects. 1-2-Hydroxypropyladenine (1-HP-adenine) in DNA of WBCs was analyzed using a hypersensitive (32)P-postlabeling assay. HP-valine in hemoglobin was measured using gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Air measurements indicated PO levels in the range of 1-7 ppm. All three biomarkers showed significantly increased levels in the exposed workers. 1-HP-adenine was recorded in seven of the exposed workers (mean 0.66 mol/10(9) mol nucleotides) but was not detected in any of the control subjects. HP-valine was found in all subjects (means of 2.7 and 0.006 pmol/mg globin in exposed workers and controls, respectively). The average frequencies of SCE were 3.7/cell in exposed workers and 2.0/cell in controls, respectively. DNA and hemoglobin adducts were correlated (r = 0.887), as well as DNA adducts and SCE (r = 0.792) and hemoglobin adducts and SCE (r = 0.762). The present study is the first demonstrating PO-DNA adducts in human individuals. It is also the first study indicating cytogenetic effects in humans from PO exposure, although confounding effects from other sources cannot be excluded.

Abstract  In this study we aimed to identify cancers where there is a consistent sex disparity, with the goal of identifying unexplained sex disparities that may offer promising opportunities for etiologic research. Age- and sex-specific cancer incidence data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, provided by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, were used to calculate incidence rate ratios for 35 cancer sites, comparing men to women, adjusting for attained age, gross domestic product (GDP), and geographical region. Genital cancers and breast cancer were excluded. The consistency of relative risks was examined by GDP and geographical region and, in a subset of longstanding cancer registers, by calendar year. For each cancer site, the sex disparity was broadly classified as plausibly explained by established environmental risk factors, partly explained, or unexplained. Cancer incidence was statistically significantly higher in men than women at 32 of 35 sites, with disparities >2-fold for 15 sites and >4-fold for 5 sites. For nearly all sites, the sex disparity was consistent across GDP groups and geographical regions. However, the incidence rate ratios varied considerably by age at diagnosis. The sex disparity for 13 cancer sites was considered to be entirely unexplained by known risk factors; these sites showed strikingly little variation in the incidence rate ratios over decades. Thus, the basis of many of the largest sex disparities in cancer incidence seems mostly unknown, highlighting the need for intensified research into its origins.

Abstract  BACKGROUND: Cancer epidemiology articles often point out that cancer rates tend to be higher among males than females yet rarely is this theme the subject of investigation.

METHODS: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program data to compute age-adjusted (2000 U.S. standard population) sex-specific incidence rates and male-to-female incidence rate ratios (IRR) for specific cancer sites and histologies for the period 1975 to 2004.

RESULTS: The 10 cancers with the largest male-to-female IRR were Kaposi sarcoma (28.73), lip (7.16), larynx (5.17), mesothelioma (4.88), hypopharynx (4.13), urinary bladder (3.92), esophagus (3.49), tonsil (3.07), oropharynx (3.06), and other urinary organs (2.92). Only 5 cancers had a higher incidence in females compared with males: breast (0.01), peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery (0.18), thyroid (0.39), gallbladder (0.57), and anus, anal canal, and anorectum (0.81). Between 1975 and 2004, the largest consistent increases in male-to-female IRR were for cancers of the tonsil, oropharynx, skin excluding basal and squamous, and esophagus, whereas the largest consistent decreases in IRR were for cancers of the lip and lung and bronchus. Male-to-female IRRs varied considerably by age, the largest increases of which were for ages 40 to 59 years for tonsil cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. The largest decreases in male-to-female IRR by age, meanwhile, were for ages 30 to 49 years for thyroid cancer, ages >70 years for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and ages >30 years for lung and bronchus cancer.

CONCLUSION: These observations emphasize the importance of sex in cancer etiopathogenesis and may suggest novel avenues of investigation.

Abstract  Two different emitting compounds, 1-[1,1';3',1"]Terphenyl-5'-yl-6-(10-[1,1';3',1"]terpheny-5'-yl- anthracen-9-yl)-pyrene (TP-AP-TP) and Poly-phenylene vinylene derivative (PDY 132) were used to white OLED device. By incorporating adjacent blue and yellow emitting layers in a multi-layered structure, highly efficient white emission has been attained. The device was fabricated with a hybrid configuration structure: ITO/PEDOT (40 nm)/PDY-132 (8-50 nm)/ NPB (10 nm)/TP-AP-TP (30 nm)/Alq3 (20 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (200 nm). After fixing TP-AP-TP thickness of 30 nm by evaporation, PDY-132 thickness varied with 8, 15, 35, and 50 nm by spin coating in device. The luminance efficiency of the white devices at 10 mA/cm2 were 2.93 cd/A-6.55 cd/A. One of white devices showed 6.55 cd/A and white color of (0.290, 0.331).

Abstract  We designed and synthesized two pyrene derivatives: 1,6-di-1-naphthalenyl-pyrene (1) 1,6-Bis(10- phenyl-9-anthracenyl)-pyrene (2). Two OLED devices were fabricated in the following sequence: ITO (180 nm)/4,4'-bis(N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenylamino)bipheny (NPB) (50 nm)/Blue materials 1 and 2 (40 nm)/Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)aluminium (Alq3) (15 nm)/lithium quinolate (Liq) (2.0 nm)/Al (100 nm). Two devices showed efficient blue emissions. Particularly, a device using 2 as emitting material showed blue EL properties with luminous efficiencies of 3.19 cd/A, power efficiencies of 1.54 lm/W, quantum efficiency of 2.42% at 500 cd/m2 and CIEx,y coordinates of (0.19, 0.16) at 7 V.

Abstract  Benzophenone (BP)-type UV filters are commonly used in our daily life. 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone (BP-3), 4-hydroxy benzophenone (4-HBP), 2,4-dihydroxy benzophenone (BP-1), 2,2',4,4'-tetrahydroxy benzophenone (BP-2) and 2,2'-dihydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone (BP-8) were measured in urine samples from Chinese young adults. The results indicated that Chinese young adults were widely exposed to BP-3, BP-1, and 4-HBP, with the median concentrations of 0.55, 0.21, and 0.08 ng/mL, respectively. No significant difference was found between males and females, between urban and rural population. The correlations between urinary concentrations provided important indications for sources and metabolic pathways of target compounds. The estimated daily excretion doses of BP-3, 4-HBP, BP-1, BP-2 and BP-8 were 27.2, 2.24, 5.86, 0.76 and 0.30 ng/kg-bw/day, respectively. The ratio of exposure to excretion must be considered for the exposure assessment with chemicals based on urine measurement. This is the first nationwide study on BP-derivatives with young adults in China. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract  We investigated the solid state solvation effect (SSSE) of a donor-acceptor (D-A) type green fluorescent emitter, 3,7-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)-10-methylphenothiazine (BBMP), and fabricated white organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by utilizing SSSE. After having confirmed that BBMP showed a large solvatochromic photoluminescence spectral shift not only in liquid solutions but also in solid solutions, we induced a sky-blue electroluminescence (EL) by doping the green-emitting BBMP in non-polar host materials. The emission spectrum of BBMP blue-shifted as the polarity of host material decreased, and white OLEDs were obtained by integrating an additional orange light-emitting material, Rubrene, into this sky-blue-emitting OLED structure. When 9, 10-di(naphtha-2-yl)anthracene(ADN) was employed as a non-polar host of BBMP, the device exhibited a sky-blue (lambda(peak,EL) = 475 nm) emission by SSSE with evidently improved EL properties: the luminous efficiency, the external quantum efficiency, and the maximum luminance were 10.4 cd/A, 3.5%, and 46,600 cd/m(2), respectively. Finally, the white OLED with an optimized structure of [ITO/NPB (20 nm)/ADN:Rubrene (20 nm)/NPB (2 nm)/ADN:BBMP (20 nm)/TPBi (20 nm)/Alq3 (10 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/AI (100 nm)] demonstrated a luminous efficiency of 5.3 cd/A, an external quantum efficiency of 1.3%, and a maximum luminance of 15,200 cd/m(2) with CIE coordinates of (032, 0.42) at 100 mA/cm(2). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract  The crystal structure of Er(PM)(3)(TP)(2) [PM = 1-Phenyl-3-methyl-4-isobutyryl-5-pyrazoloiie, TP = triphenyl phosphine oxide] was reported and its photoluminescence properties were studied by UV-vis absorption, excited, and emission spectra. The Judd-ofelt theory was introduced to calculate the radiative transition rate and the radiative decay time of 3.65 ms for the I-4(13/2) -> I-4(15/2) transition of Er3+ ion in this complex. The antenna-effect and phonon-assisted energy-transfer were introduced to discuss the intramolecular energy transfer from ligands to Er3+ ion. Based on this Er(111) complex as the emitter, the multilayer phosphorescent organic light emitting diode was fabricated with the structure of ITO/NPB 20 nm/Er(PM)(3)(TP)(2) 50 nm/BCP 20 nm/AlQ 40 nm/LiF 1 nm/Al 120 nm, which shows the typical 1.54 mu m near-Infrared (NIR) emission from Er3+ ion with the maximum NIR irradiance of 0.21 mu W/cm(2) (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract  This paper reports a new HTL material that has high glass-transition temperatures (T-g) and excellent thermal properties. The synthesized material was N,N'-diethyl-3,3'-bicarbazyl (DEBC), N,N'-diphenyl-3,3'-bicarbazyl (DPBC) and N,N'-dinaphthyl-3,3'-bicarbazyl (DNBC). The device that used DPBC as HTL showed the highest efficiency of 4.95 cd/A and 2.22 Im/W at 10 mA/cm(2). This is an improvement by more than 10% from the luminance efficiency of NPB, a commercialized material.

Abstract  Many states are considering, and some states have actively pursued, banning the use of perchloroethylene (PERC) in dry cleaning establishments. Proposed legislation has led many dry cleaners to consider the use of products that contain greater than 90% n-propyl bromide (n-PB; also called 1-bromopropane or 1-BP). Very little information is known about toxicity and exposure to n-PB. Some n-PB-containing products are marketed as nonhazardous and "green" or "organic." This has resulted in some users perceiving the solvent as nontoxic and has resulted in at least one significant poisoning incident in New Jersey. In addition, many dry cleaning operators may not realize that the machine components and settings must be changed when converting from PERC to n-PB containing products. Not performing these modifications may result in overheating and significant leaks in the dry cleaning equipment. A preliminary investigation was conducted of the potential exposures to n-PB and isopropyl bromide (iso-PB; also called 2-bromopropane or 2-BP) among dry cleaners in New Jersey who have converted their machines from PERC to these new solvent products. Personal breathing zone and area samples were collected using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Sampling and Analytical Method 1025, with a slight modification to gas chromatography conditions to facilitate better separation of n-PB from iso-PB. During the preliminary investigation, exposures to n-PB among some workers in two of three shops were measured that were greater than the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value (TLV) for n-PB. The highest exposure measured among a dry cleaning machine operator was 54 parts per million (ppm) as an 8-hr time-weighted average, which is more than 5 times the ACGIH TLV of 10 ppm. The preliminary investigation also found that the work tasks most likely to result in the highest short-term exposures included the introduction of solvent to the machine, maintenance of the machine, unloading and handling of recently cleaned clothes, and interrupting the wash cycle of the machine. In addition, this assessment suggested that leaks may have contributed to exposure and may have resulted from normal machine wear over time, ineffective maintenance, and from the incompatibility of n-PB with gasket materials.

Abstract  To ascertain the neurotoxicity of 2-bromopropane and 1-bromopropane, three doses of 2-bromopropane (1.1, 3.7 and 11.0 mmol/kg), two doses of 1-bromopropane (3.7 and 11.0 mmol/kg), and a dose of 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) as a positive reference (2.6 mmol/kg) dissolved in olive oil were subcutaneously injected into rats once a day, 5 d/wk for 4 weeks. A control group were injected with olive oil alone. The maximum motor conduction velocity (MCV) and the motor latency (ML) in rat tail nerve, as indexes of the electrophysiological changes, were investigated for 4 weeks. From 2 weeks after the injections, the MCV in the 1-bromopropane and 2-bromopropane-treated groups began to decrease in a dose-dependent fashion. These dose-related decreases continued, and the MCV in the groups injected with 1-bromopropane (11.0 mmol/kg) and 2-bromopropane (3.7 and 11.0 mmol/kg) decreased significantly compared with that in the control group. The ML in the 1-bromopropane and 2-bromopropane-treated groups increased in reverse correlation with the MCV decreases. The changes in ML occurred earlier than the MCV changes in the 1-bromopropane and 2-bromopropane-treated groups. The potency of the peripheral neurotoxic changes induced by 1-bromopropane and 2-bromopropane at the doses used in the present study was weaker than that observed in the positive reference 2,5-HD (2.6 mmol/kg) group.

Abstract  A number of the compounds proposed as replacements for substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol have extremely short atmospheric lifetimes, on the order of days to a few months. An important example is n-propyl bromide (also referred to as 1-bromopropane, CH2BrCH2CH3 or simplified as 1-C3H7Br or nPB). This compound, useful as a solvent, has an atmospheric lifetime of less than 20 days due to its reaction with hydroxyl. Because nPB contains bromine, any amount reaching the stratosphere has the potential to affect concentrations of stratospheric ozone. The definition of Ozone Depletion Potentials (ODP) needs to be modified for such short-lived compounds to account for the location and timing of emissions. It is not adequate to treat these chemicals as if they were uniformly emitted at all latitudes and longitudes as normally done for longer-lived gases. Thus, for short-lived compounds, policymakers will need a table of ODP values instead of the single value generally provided in past studies. This study uses the MOZART2 three-dimensional chemical-transport model in combination with studies with our less computationally expensive two-dimensional model to examine potential effects of nPB on stratospheric ozone. Multiple facets of this study examine key questions regarding the amount of bromine reaching the stratosphere following emission of nPB. Our most significant findings from this study for the purposes of short-lived replacement compound ozone effects are summarized as follows. The degradation of nPB produces a significant quantity of bromoacetone which increases the amount of bromine transported to the stratosphere due to nPB. However, much of that effect is not due to bromoacetone itself, but instead to inorganic bromine which is produced from tropospheric oxidation of nPB, bromoacetone, and other degradation products and is transported above the dry and wet deposition processes of the model. The MOZART2 nPB results indicate a minimal correction of the two-dimensional results in order to derive our final results: an nPB chemical lifetime of 19 days and an Ozone Depletion Potential range of 0.033 to 0.040 for assumed global emissions over landmasses, 19 days and 0.021 to 0.028, respectively, for assumed emissions in the industrialized regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and 9 days and 0.087 to 0.105, respectively, for assumed emission in tropical Southeast Asia.

Abstract  Vapor-liquid equilibrium at 101.3 kPa has been determined for the ternary system acetonitrile + methyl acetate + propyl bromide. The data were correlated by the Redlich-Kister and Wisniak-Tamir equations, and the appropriate parameters are reported. The activity coefficients of the ternary system can be predicted from those of the pertinent binary systems. No ternary azeotrope is present.