The cerebral cortex is a central structure in the mammalian brain that enables higher cognitive functions and intellectual skills. It is the hallmark of the mammalian nervous system with enormous complexity, consisting of a large number of neurons and glia that are diverse in morphology, molecular expression, biophysical properties, circuit connectivity and physiological function. Cortical neurons and glia are generated by neural progenitor cells during development. Ensuring the correct cell cycle kinetics, fate behavior and lineage progression of neural progenitor cells is essential to determine the number and types of neurons and glia in the cerebral cortex, which together constitute neural circuits for brain function. In this review, we discuss recent findings on mammalian cortical progenitor cell types and their lineage behaviors in generating neurons and glia, cortical evolution and expansion, and advances in brain organoid technology that allow the modeling of human cortical development under normal and disease conditions.Ibuprofen (IBU) is one of the frequently detected non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and aquatic environment. However, little is known about the effect of IBU and its biotransformation products (TPs) on different biological sludge systems and aquatic environment. The effects and toxicity of IBU and TPs on three biological sludge systems (i.e., activated sludge (AS), sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB)-enriched sludge and anaerobic methanogenic (AnM) sludge systems) and aquatic environment were comprehensively evaluated through a long-term operation of three bioreactors and a series of batch experiments. Both of the SRB-enriched sludge and AnM sludge systems were not affected under a long-term exposure to IBU, based on removing organic carbon and sulfur and producing methane. This could be attributed to the high tolerance of functional microbes in the SRB-enriched sludge (e.g., genus Desulfobacter) and AnM sludge systems (e.g., genus Candidatus Methanomethylicus) t into the toxic effects of IBU and its TPs on biological sludge systems and ecosystem.Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered to be the main sources of microplastic contaminants in the aquatic environment, and an in-depth understanding of the behavior of microplastics among the critical treatment technologies in WWTPs is urgently needed. In this paper, the characteristics and removal of microplastics in 38 WWTPs in 11 countries worldwide were reviewed. The abundance of microplastics in the influent, effluent, and sludge was compared. Then, based on existing data, the removal efficiency of microplastics in critical treatment technologies were compared by quantitative analysis. Particularly, detailed mechanisms of critical treatment technologies including primary settling treatment with flocculation, bioreactor system, advanced oxidation and membrane filtration were discussed. Thereafter, the abundance load and ecological hazard of the microplastics discharged from WWTPs into the aquatic and soil environments were summarized. The abundance of microplastics in the influent ranged from 0.28 particles L-1 to 3.14 × 104 particles L-1, while that in the effluent ranged from 0.01 particles L-1 to 2.97 × 102 particles L-1. The microplastic abundance in the sludge within the range of 4.40 × 103-2.40 × 105 particles kg-1. In addition, there are still 5.00 × 105-1.39 × 1010 microplastic particles discharged into the aquatic environment each day Moreover, among the critical treatment technologies, the quantitative analysis revealed that filter-based treatment technologies exhibited the best microplastics removal efficiency. Fibers and microplastics with large particle sizes (0.5-5 mm) were easily separated by primary settling. Polyethene and small-particle size microplastics ( less then 0.5 mm) were easily trapped by bacteria in the activated sludge of bioreactor system. The negative impact of microplastics from wastewater treatment plant was worthy of attention. Moreover, unknown transformation products of microplastics and their corresponding toxicity need in-depth research.The major purpose of human biomonitoring is the mapping and assessment of human exposure to chemicals. The European initiative HBM4EU has prioritized seven substance groups and two metals relevant for human exposure Phthalates and substitutes (1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester, DINCH), bisphenols, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), halogenated and organophosphorous flame retardants (HFRs and OPFRs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arylamines, cadmium and chromium. As a first step towards comparable European-wide data, the most suitable biomarkers, human matrices and analytical methods for each substance group or metal were selected from the scientific literature, based on a set of selection criteria. selleckchem The biomarkers included parent compounds of PFASs and HFRs in serum, of bisphenols and arylamines in urine, metabolites of phthalates, DINCH, OPFRs and PAHs in urine as well as metals in blood and urine, with a preference to measure Cr in erythrocytes representing Cr (VI) exposure. High performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was the method of choice for bisphenols, PFASs, the HFR hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), phenolic HFRs as well as the metabolites of phthalates, DINCH, OPFRs and PAHs in urine. Gas chromatographic (GC) methods were selected for the remaining compounds, e.g. GC-low resolution MS with electron capture negative ionization (ECNI) for HFRs. Both GC-MS and LC-MS/MS were suitable for arylamines. New developments towards increased applications of GC-MS/MS may offer alternatives to GC-MS or LC-MS/MS approaches, e.g. for bisphenols. The metals were best determined by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS, with the particular challenge of avoiding interferences in the Cd determination in urine. The evaluation process revealed research needs towards higher sensitivity and non-invasive sampling as well as a need for more stringent quality assurance/quality control applications and assessments.