Recent development of nanotechnology has reshaped the landscape of modern science and technology, while in the meantime raised concerns about the adverse effects of nanomaterials on biological systems and the environment. [1,2] Owing to their mutual interaction, carbon-based nanomaterials readily aggregate and are not considered potential contaminants in the liquid phase. [3] However, when discharged into the environment, the hydrophobicity of nanomaterials can be averted through their interaction with natural organic matter (NOM), [4] a heterogeneous mixture of decomposed animals and plants and a major pollutant carrier [5] in nature. Consequently, mobile NOM-modified nanomaterials may pose a threat to ecological terrestrial species through further physical, chemical, and biological processes.The impact of nanomaterials on high plants has scantly been examined in the current literature. Among the studies available, [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] none have used major food crops or carbon nanoparticles (a major class of nanomaterials) for their evaluations. Although both enhanced and inhibited growth have been reported for vegetations exposed to nanomaterials at various developmental stages, [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] including seed germina-tion, root growth, and photosynthesis, fundamental questions remain regarding the uptake, accumulation, translocation, and transmission of nanomaterials in plant cells and tissues, and the impact of these processes on plant reproduction. [13] Here, we provide the first evidence on the uptake, accumulation, and generational transmission of NOM-suspended carbon nanoparticles in rice plants, the staple food crops of over half the world's population. The data presented in this Communication suggest the potential impact of nanomaterial exposure on plant development and the food chain, and prompt further investigation into the genetic consequences through plantnanomaterial interactions.NOM in freshwater ecosystems ususally has a concentration between 1-100 mg L À1 . [14] To mimic the natural ecosystems we formed a NOM solution of 100 mg L À1 in Milli-Q water and suspended fullerene C 70 and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in the NOM. Using a Zetasizer (S90, Malvern Instruments) we identified three hydrodynamic diameters of 1.19 (major), 17.99, and 722.10 nm for C 70 -NOM and one major hydrodynamic diameter of 239.70 nm for MWNT-NOM (see Supporting Information, Sections 1C and 1D). The nonspecific assembly of NOM with C 70 or MWNTs is believed to be a dynamic equilibrium process [4] with the hydrophobic moieties of the NOM interacting and p-stacking with the hydrophobic carbon nanoparticle surfaces.Newly harvested rice seeds were incubated in Petri dishes that contained 15 mL of different concentrations of C 70 -NOM and MWNT-NOM in rice germination buffer. After germination at 25 AE 1 8C for 2 weeks the seedlings were transplanted to soil in big pots and grown in a green house to maturity without addition of nanoparticles. For each sample concentration, 5 pots of plants were maintained f...

Sleep duration and sleep quality are important predictors of risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). One potential link between sleep health and CVD is through lifestyle factors such as diet. To clarify the association between diet and sleep, we assessed the associations of sleep duration and insomnia symptoms with current Mediterranean-style diet (aMed) and with historical changes in aMed score. Actigraphy-measured sleep duration and self-reported insomnia symptoms categorized as insomnia with short sleep (<6 hr/night), insomnia without short sleep, no insomnia with short sleep, and no insomnia or short sleep were obtained from 2068 individuals who also had dietary intake data. A 10-point aMed score, derived from a self-report food frequency questionnaire, was collected concurrently with the sleep assessment and 10 years before. Compared with individuals who currently reported a low aMed score, those with a moderate-high aMed score were more likely to sleep 6-7 vs. <6 hr/night (p < 0.01) and less likely to report insomnia symptoms occurring with short sleep (vs. no insomnia or short sleep alone; p < 0.05). An increase in aMed score over the preceding 10 years was not associated with sleep duration or insomnia symptoms. However, compared with those with decreasing aMed score, individuals with an unchanging score reported fewer insomnia symptoms (p ≤ 0.01). These results suggest that a Mediterranean-style diet is associated with adequate sleep duration, less insomnia symptoms, and less likely to have insomnia accompanied by short sleep. Further research should identify possible mediators through which diet may promote adequate sleep duration and reduce the risk of insomnia.

Study Objectives The bases for sex disparities in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is poorly understood. We quantified the influences of event definitions, sleep-state, and body position on apnea–hypopnea indices (AHIs) in men and women, and evaluated sex differences in pathophysiological endotypes. Methods Polysomnography (PSG) data were analyzed from 2057 participants from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. Alternative AHIs were compared using various desaturation and arousal criteria. Endotypes (loop gain, airway collapsibility, arousal threshold) were derived using breath-by-breath analysis of PSG signals. Regression models estimated the extent to which endotypes explained sex differences in AHI. Results The sample (mean 68.5 ± 9.2 years) included 54% women. OSA (AHI4P ≥15/h, defined by events with ≥4% desaturations) was found in 41.1% men and 21.8% women. Compared to AHI4P, male/female AHI ratios decreased by 5%–10% when using 3%-desaturation and/or arousal criteria; p &lt; 0.05. REM-OSA (REM-AHI ≥15/h) was similar in men and women regardless of event desaturation criteria. REM-AHI4P ≥15/h was observed in 57% of men and women each. In NREM, AHI4P in men was 2.49 (CI95: 2.25, 2.76) of that in women. Women demonstrated lower loop gain, less airway collapsibility, and lower arousal threshold in NREM (ps &lt; 0.0005). Endotypes explained 30% of the relative sex differences in NREM-AHI4P. Conclusions There are significant sex differences in NREM-AHI levels and in physiological endotypes. Physiological endotypes explained a significant portion of the relative sex differences in NREM-AHI. Definitions that use 4%-desaturation criteria under-estimate AHI in women. Combining NREM and REM events obscures OSA prevalence in REM in women.

Carbon-based nanomaterials possess unique structural, mechanical, and electronic properties that are exploited in numerous applications. The fate of nanomaterials in living systems and in the environment is largely unknown, though there is a reason for concern. Here it is shown how the interaction of fullerene with natural phenolic acid induces cell contraction. This phenomenon has a general applicability to carbon-based nanomaterials interacting with natural amphiphiles. Atomistic simulations reveal that the self-assembly of C(70)-gallic acid (GA) favors aggregation. Confocal fluorescence microscopy shows that C(70)-GA complexes translocate across the membranes of HT-29 cells and enter nuclear membranes. Confocal imaging further reveals the real-time uptake of C(70)-GA and the consequent contraction of the cell membranes. This contraction is attributed to the aggregation of nanoparticles into microsized particles promoted by cell surfaces, a new physical mechanism for deciphering nanotoxicity.