Noxious Consequences Research Articles

Potential Global Distribution of the Invasive Mosquito Aedes koreicus under a Changing Climate.

Invasive alien species are a growing threat to natural systems, the economy, and human health. Active surveillance and responses that readily suppress newly established colonies are effective actions to mitigate the noxious consequences of biological invasions. Aedes (Hulecoeteomyia) koreicus (Edwards), a mosquito species native to East Asia, has spread to parts of Europe and Central Asia since 2008. In the last decade, Ae. koreicus has been shown to be a competent vector for chikungunya virus and Dirofilaria immitis. However, information about the current and potential distribution of Ae. koreicus is limited. Therefore, to understand the changes in their global distribution and to contribute to the monitoring and control of Ae. koreicus, in this study, the MaxEnt model was used to predict and analyze the current suitable distribution area of Ae. koreicus in the world to provide effective information.

An agonist of CXCR4 induces a rapid recovery from the neurotoxic effects of Vipera ammodytes and Vipera aspis venoms.

People bitten by Alpine vipers are usually treated with antivenom antisera to prevent the noxious consequences caused by the injected venom. However, this treatment suffers from a number of drawbacks and additional therapies are necessary. The venoms of Vipera ammodytes and of Vipera aspis are neurotoxic and cause muscle paralysis by inducing neurodegeneration of motor axon terminals because they contain a presynaptic acting sPLA2 neurotoxin. We have recently found that any type of damage to motor axons is followed by the expression and activation of the intercellular signaling axis consisting of the CXCR4 receptor present on the membrane of the axon stump and of its ligand, the chemokine CXCL12 released by activated terminal Schwann cells. We show here that also V. ammodytes and V. aspis venoms cause the expression of the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis. We also show that a small molecule agonist of CXCR4, dubbed NUCC-390, induces a rapid regeneration of the motor axon terminal with functional recovery of the neuromuscular junction. These findings qualify NUCC-390 as a promising novel therapeutics capable of improving the recovery from the paralysis caused by the snakebite of the two neurotoxic Alpine vipers.

Effects of fact‐checking warning labels and social endorsement cues on climate change fake news credibility and engagement on social media

AbstractOnline fake news can have noxious consequences. Social media platforms are experimenting with different interventions to curb fake news' spread, often employing them simultaneously. However, research investigating the interaction of these interventions is limited. Here, we use the heuristic‐systematic model of information processing (HSM) as a theoretical framework to jointly test two interventions against fake news that are implemented at scale by social media platforms: (1) adding warning labels from fact checkers to initiate systematic processing and (2) removing social endorsement cues (e.g., engagement counts) to reduce the influence of this heuristic cue. Moreover, we accounted for dispositions previously found to affect a person's response to fake news through motivated reasoning or cognitive style. An online experiment in Germany (N = 571) confirmed that warning labels reduced the perceived credibility of a fake news post exaggerating the consequences of climate change. Warning labels also lowered the (self‐reported) likelihood to amplify fake news. Removing social endorsement cues did not have an effect. In line with research on motivated reasoning, left‐leaning individuals perceived the climate fake news to be more credible and reported a higher likelihood to amplify it. Supporting research on cognitive style, participants with lower educational levels and a less analytic thinking style also reported a higher likelihood of amplification. Elaboration likelihood was associated only with age, involvement, and political leaning, but not affected by warning labels. Our findings contribute to the mounting evidence for the effectiveness of warning labels while questioning their relevance for systematic processing.

Bisphenols A, F, S and AF trigger apoptosis and/or endoplasmic reticulum stress in human endometrial stromal cells

Disruption of non-differentiated endometrial stromal cells could have noxious consequences in female reproduction, impairing endometrial remodelling and implantation. Following the classification of bisphenol A (BPA) as an endocrine disrupting chemical, it started to be gradually withdrawn from the market, being substituted by structural analogues, whose effects in human health are not fully understood. This work used a telomerase-immortalized human endometrial stromal cell line (St-T1b) to study the effects of BPA and its three most commercialized structural analogues (ranked: bisphenols S, F and AF) on endometrial stromal cells to understand their effects on female reproductive function. Bisphenols showed dissimilar effects. All four compounds generated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In addition, bisphenols A, F and AF induced apoptosis through different mechanisms, with bisphenol AF causing cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. Bisphenol AF decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potential and bisphenols A, F and AF produced oxidative stress.

Simulated Microgravity Subtlety Changes Monoamine Function across the Rat Brain.

Microgravity, one of the conditions faced by astronauts during spaceflights, triggers brain adaptive responses that could have noxious consequences on behaviors. Although monoaminergic systems, which include noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT), are widespread neuromodulatory systems involved in adaptive behaviors, the influence of microgravity on these systems is poorly documented. Using a model of simulated microgravity (SMG) during a short period in Long Evans male rats, we studied the distribution of monoamines in thirty brain regions belonging to vegetative, mood, motor, and cognitive networks. SMG modified NA and/or DA tissue contents along some brain regions belonging to the vestibular/motor systems (inferior olive, red nucleus, cerebellum, somatosensorily cortex, substantia nigra, and shell of the nucleus accumbens). DA and 5-HT contents were reduced in the prelimbic cortex, the only brain area exhibiting changes for 5-HT content. However, the number of correlations of one index of the 5-HT metabolism (ratio of metabolite and 5-HT) alone or in interaction with the DA metabolism was dramatically increased between brain regions. It is suggested that SMG, by mobilizing vestibular/motor systems, promotes in these systems early, restricted changes of NA and DA functions that are associated with a high reorganization of monoaminergic systems, notably 5-HT.

Sex dependent effect of maternal e-nicotine on F1 Drosophila development and airways

E-cigarettes are heavily advertised as healthier alternative to common tobacco cigarettes, leading more and more women to switch from regular cigarettes to ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery system) during pregnancy. While the noxious consequences of tobacco smoking during pregnancy on the offspring health are well-described, information on the long-term consequences due to maternal use of e-cigarettes do not exist so far. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how maternal e-nicotine influences offspring development from earliest life until adulthood. To this end, virgin female Drosophila melanogaster flies were exposed to nicotine vapor (8 µg nicotine) once per hour for a total of eight times. Following the last exposure, e-nicotine or sham exposed females were mated with non-exposed males. The F1-generation was then analyzed for viability, growth and airway structure. We demonstrate that maternal exposure to e-nicotine not only leads to reduced maternal fertility, but also negatively affects size and weight, as well as tracheal development of the F1-generation, lasting from embryonic stage until adulthood. These results not only underline the need for studies investigating the effects of maternal vaping on offspring health, but also propose our established model for analyzing molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways mediating these intergenerational changes.

Blueberry Consumption Challenges Hepatic Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Elicits Transcriptomics Reprogramming in Healthy Wistar Rats.

An emergent trend of blueberries’ (BB) “prophylactic” consumption, due to their phytochemicals’ richness and well-known health-promoting claims, is widely scaled-up. However, the benefits arising from BB indiscriminate intake remains puzzling based on incongruent preclinical and human data. To provide a more in-depth elucidation and support towards a healthier and safer consumption, we conducted a translation-minded experimental study in healthy Wistar rats that consumed BB in a juice form (25 g/kg body weight (BW)/day; 14 weeks’ protocol). Particular attention was paid to the physiological adaptations succeeding in the gut and liver tissues regarding the acknowledged BB-induced metabolic benefits. Systemically, BB boosted serum antioxidant activity and repressed the circulating levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB) ketone bodies and 3-HB/acetoacetate ratio. Moreover, BB elicited increased fecal succinic acid levels without major changes on gut microbiota (GM) composition and gut ultra-structural organization. Remarkably, an accentuated hepatic mitochondrial bioenergetic challenge, ensuing metabolic transcriptomic reprogramming along with a concerted anti-inflammatory pre-conditioning, was clearly detected upon long-term consumption of BB phytochemicals. Altogether, the results disclosed herein portray a quiescent mitochondrial-related metabolomics and hint for a unified adaptive response to this nutritional challenge. The beneficial or noxious consequences arising from this dietary trend should be carefully interpreted and necessarily claims future research.

The noxious consequences of innovation: what do we know?

ABSTRACT In spite of being considered an undisputed engine of growth, innovation can have noxious consequences for society and the environment. Using bibliometric techniques (i.e. bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis), we conduct a review of the extant research on the noxious impacts of innovation. Although this is a relatively recent field of enquiry, we identified five strands of scholarly research, which, based on their focus, we have labelled: (A) Work-related consequences of technology acceptance; (B) Unsustainable transitions; (C) Innovation and growth downside effects; (D) The dangers of emerging technologies and (E) Open innovation’s dark side. We discuss the core ideas and research agendas in these research strands and the intellectual antecedents of each sub-community, and conclude by suggesting avenues for future research.

Toxicological profile of Amanita virosa - A narrative review.

Mushrooms account for a part of human diet due to their exquisite taste and protein content as well as their promising health effects unveiled by scientific research. Toxic and non-toxic mushrooms frequently share considerable morphological similarities, which mislead the collectors/consumers, resulting in mycotoxicity. Numerous mushroom species are considered "poisonous" as they produce dangerous toxins. For instance, members of the genus Amanita, especially A. phalloides, A. virosa and A. verna, are responsible for severe and even life-threatening noxious consequences. Globally, mushroom poisoning is a crucial healthcare issue as it leads to a considerable number of deaths annually. However, no definite antidote has been introduced to treat this poisoning. The present article discusses the characteristics of A. virosa in terms of epidemiology, mechanisms of toxicity, poisoning features and management.

Neuroscience and the Social Powers of Narrative: How Stories Configure Our Brains

Stories are important instruments for configuring our cognitive and social worlds, but they do not necessarily make us more caring or less aggressive and self-involved. The ability to tell and follow a story requires cognitive capacities that are basic to the neurobiology of mental functioning, and so it would stand to reason that our experiences with sto ries would draw on and re-shape patterns of interaction that extend beyond the immediate experience of reading or listening to a narrative. Our intuitive, bodily-based ability to understand the actions of other peo ple is fundamental to social relations, including the circuit between the representation of a configured action emplotted in a narrative and the reader’s or listener’s activity of following the story as we assimilate its patterns into the figures that shape our worlds. The activity of following a narrative can have a variety of beneficial or potentially noxious social consequences, either promoting the shared intentionality that neurobio logically oriented cultural anthropologists identify as a unique human capacity supporting culturally productive collaboration, or habitualizing and thereby naturalizing particular patterns of perception into rigid ideo logical constructs. The doubling of “me” and “not-me” in narrative acts of identification may promote the “we-intentionality” that makes socially beneficial cooperation possible, or it can set off mimetic conflict and vari ous contagion effects. Neuroscience cannot predict what the social conse quences of narrative will be, but it can identify the brain- and body-based processes through which (for better or worse) stories exercise social power.

Prevalencia de patologías relacionadas con el asbesto crisotilo en trabajadores de una empresa de productos de crisotilo-cemento

Introducción: en Manizales opera una fábrica de productos de fibrocemento que emplea, desde el inicio de sus operaciones, fibras de asbesto crisotilo bajo condiciones de higiene industrial controladas.Objetivo: estudiar la prevalencia de las patologías relacionadas con la exposición a las fibras de crisotilo en el aire en la totalidad de la población activa al 31 de diciembre de 2012, la historia de exposición acumulada a fibras, la antigüedad en la empresa y la historia de tabaquismo.Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal en el que se compararon los resultados de las radiografías de tórax acorde con la clasificación Internacional de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo de radiografías de Neumoconiosis con las características etarias, de antigüedad en la empresa, de consumo de tabaco y de exposición acumulada.Resultados: en todos los trabajadores se determinó ausencia de patología pulmonar o pleural relacionada con la exposición a material particulado.Se encontró una población con edad promedio de 41 años, antigüedad promedio de 12 años, exposición acumulada a fibras promedio de 1,33 fibras/cc/años, y bajo consumo activo de tabaco.Al comparar los resultados de este estudio con otros similares disponibles en la literatura, se encontró que lo descrito por otros se replica en esta empresa.Conclusión: no puede descartarse la posibilidad de mantener trabajadores libres de las consecuencias nocivas para su salud por la exposición a las fibras de crisotilo auque se apliquen las medidas de higiene industrial recomendadas.

From aflatoxin to technopathogenology

The paper describes the intellectual relationship between the study of a spontaneous carcinogen, aflatoxin and other carcinogens produced by the human mind. Aflatoxin, though apparently a natural phenomenon, is a phenomenon more technical than natural. It resembles substances produced by human intervention so as to obtain a positive effect, but later appears as unexpectedly noxious to human beings. It is thus a technopathogeny: an error or defect intrinsic to the technique and having noxious consequences for human health. Technopathogenology is proposed as a specific science to study the technopathogeny phenomenon.

Tidal airway closure in asthma and COPD

Functional closure of small airways can occur during tidal breathing above functional residual capacity (FRC) both in asthma and COPD patients, especially during exacerbations. Such event has several noxious consequences on gas exchange, airway hyperresponsiveness and mechanical stress and strain within lung tissue and airway wall, mostly due to increase in ventilation heterogeneity. The availability of simple functional tests based on sequential measurements of lung volumes (i.e.: FRC), by plethysmography and dilutional techniques may reveal and monitor easily tidal airway closure that can be and should be treated with the aim of abolishing or at least reducing this dangerous condition.

First assessment of potential distribution and dispersal capacity of the emerging invasive mosquito Aedes koreicus in Northeast Italy.

BackgroundInvasive alien species represent a growing threat for natural systems, economy and human health. Active surveillance and responses that readily suppress newly established colonies are effective actions to mitigate the noxious consequences of biological invasions. However, when an exotic species establishes a viable population in a new area, predicting its potential spread is the most effective way to implement adequate control actions. Emerging invasive species, despite monitoring efforts, are poorly known in terms of behaviour and capacity to adapt to the new invaded range. Therefore, tools that provide information on their spread by maximising the available data, are critical.MethodsWe apply three different approaches to model the potential distribution of an emerging invasive mosquito, Aedes koreicus, in Northeast Italy: 1) an automatic statistical approach based on information theory, 2) a statistical approach integrated with prior knowledge, and 3) a GIS physiology-based approach. Each approach possessed benefits and limitations, and the required ecological information increases on a scale from 1 to 3. We validated the model outputs using the only other known invaded area in Europe. Finally, we applied a road network analysis to the suitability surface with the highest prediction power to highlight those areas with the highest likelihood of invasion.ResultsThe GIS physiological-based model had the highest prediction power. It showed that localities currently occupied by Aedes koreicus represent only a small fraction of the potentially suitable area. Furthermore, the modelled niche included areas as high as 1500 m a.s.l., only partially overlapping with Aedes albopictus distribution.ConclusionsThe simulated spread indicated that all of the suitable portion of the study area is at risk of invasion in a relatively short period of time if no control policies are implemented. Stochastic events may further boost the invasion process, whereas competition with Aedes albopictus may limit it. According to our analysis, some of the major cities in the study area may have already been invaded. Further monitoring is needed to confirm this finding. The developed models and maps represent valuable tools to inform policies aimed at eradicating or mitigating Aedes koreicus invasion in Northeast Italy and Central Europe.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1340-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Why Liver Cancer is so Highly Refractory to Chemotherapy?

In contrast to important advances in early diagnosis of primary liver cancer, both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and the curative alternatives available to treat these patients, the pharmacological strategies used in adjuvant chemotherapy and in advanced tumors are poorly effective, whereas similar regimes result in much better outcome in other types of cancer. The reason for the marked refractoriness of liver cancer to antitumor drugs, even the newest inhibitors of receptors with tyrosine kinase activity (TKI), is the participation in the overall multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype of very different mechanisms that are yet poorly understood. This justifies the effort that is being carried out to obtain a complete picture of the question, which will allow us to identify the precise genetic fingerprint accounting for the MDR phenotype present in each tumor at each moment, from diagnosis to the end of treatment. This information shall be valuable to prevent unnecessary use of pharmacological regimes without expected beneficial effect but with potential noxious consequences. Finally, a better understanding of the molecular bases of the problem is also required to develop novel strategies aimed to fight HCC and CCA chemoresistance.

Estrogen receptor agonists for attenuation of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Recent results from laboratory investigations and clinical trials indicate important roles for estrogen receptor (ER) agonists in protecting the central nervous system (CNS) from noxious consequences of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Neurodegenerative processes in several CNS disorders including spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are associated with activation of microglia and astrocytes, which drive the resident neuroinflammatory response. During neurodegenerative processes, activated microglia and astrocytes cause deleterious effects on surrounding neurons. The inhibitory activity of ER agonists on microglia activation might be a beneficial therapeutic option for delaying the onset or progression of neurodegenerative injuries and diseases. Recent studies suggest that ER agonists can provide neuroprotection by modulation of cell survival mechanisms, synaptic reorganization, regenerative responses to axonal injury, and neurogenesis process. The anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective actions of ER agonists are mediated mainly via two ERs known as ERα and ERβ. Although some studies have suggested that ER agonists may be deleterious to some neuronal populations, the potential clinical benefits of ER agonists for augmenting cognitive function may triumph over the associated side effects. Also, understanding the modulatory activities of ER agonists on inflammatory pathways will possibly lead to the development of selective anti-inflammatory molecules with neuroprotective roles in different CNS disorders such as SCI, MS, PD, and AD in humans. Future studies should be concentrated on finding the most plausible molecular pathways for enhancing protective functions of ER agonists in treating neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative injuries and diseases in the CNS.

Should the Clitoris become a Vestigial Organ by Personal ‘Psychological Clitoridectomy’? A Critical Examination of the Literature

Should the Clitoris become a Vestigial Organ by Personal ‘Psychological Clitoridectomy’? A Critical Examination of the Literature An extensive series of papers by Brody and co-workers using questionnaires have correlated penile vaginal intercourse (PVI) and clitoral stimulation with various female functions and malfunctions. A major claim is that only PVI ‘competently performed and sensitively experienced’ leading to orgasm is ‘associated with, and in some cases, causes processes associated with better psychological and physical functioning’. Clitoral stimulation to orgasm per se or to facilitate orgasm even during PVI, however, is not beneficial to women’s, psychological, interpersonal or behavioural health and can lead to ‘noxious consequences’. Recently, as correlations are no guarantee of causation, independent studies have not confirmed some of their claims.

Translational Fear Inhibition Models as Indices of Trauma-related Psychopathology

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition that arises from exposure to a traumatic event such as combat exposure, a vehicular accident, or an act of violence. The symptom clusters of PTSD include hyperarousal and re-experiencing of the traumatic event when exposed to trauma reminders, as well as avoidance of such reminders. The fear-and anxiety-related symptoms of PTSD can be conceptualized, and subsequently modeled, as the result of fear conditioning such that the traumatic event serves as an unconditioned stimulus and the environmental cues present at the time of the trauma serve as conditioned stimuli that can ultimately elicit conditioned fear responses (i.e., clinical symptoms) long after the trauma has occurred. Many of the most successful treatments for anxiety disorders such as PTSD are based on the principles of fear extinction in which the repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus, without noxious consequences, reduces the frequency and intensity of a conditioned response. In the current review, we discuss the most widely employed psychophysiological protocols that have been used to study fear processing in human populations, both psychiatrically healthy and with PTSD. Special emphasis is placed on how translational clinical research can inform clinical practices and vice versa. Keywords: Anxiety, fear, posttraumatic stress disorder, psychophysiology, translation, treatment outcome, heuristics, co-morbid PTSD, neutral cue, hyperventilation, trauma-exposed, psychophysiological measures, progesterone

17β-estradiol attenuates injury-induced microglia activation in the oculomotor nucleus

Recent studies provide increasing data indicating the prominent role of estrogens in protecting the nervous system against the noxious consequences of nerve injury. It is also clear that in the process of nerve injury and recovery not only the neurons, but the glial cells are also involved and they are important components of the protective mechanisms. In the present article the effect of 17β-estradiol on injury-induced microglia activation was studied in an animal model. Peripheral axotomy of the oculomotor neurons was achieved by the removal of the right eyeball including the extraocular muscles of ovariectomized adult mice. The time course and the extent of microglia activation was followed by the unbiased morphometric analysis of CD11b immunoreactive structures within the oculomotor nucleus. The first sign of microglia activation appeared after 24 h following injury, the maximal effect was found on the fourth day. In ovariectomized females hormone treatment (daily injection of 17β-estradiol, 5 μg/100 g b.w.) decreased significantly the microglia reaction at postoperative day 4. Our results show that microglia response to nerve injury is affected by estradiol, that is these cells may mediate some of the hormonal effects and may contribute to protective mechanisms resulting in the structural and functional recovery of the nervous system.

Interwar France and the Rural Exodus: The National Myth in Peril

AbstractInterwar France saw itself as a rural nation. The First World War, won in the muddy earth of the trenches, elevated the image of the ‘peasant soldier’ to a symbolic height. But paradoxically, it was during this period that the urban population overtook the rural. Against this backdrop, references to the noxious consequences of rural migration increased in frequency and virulence. The condemnation of rural migration was part of the celebration of a French national identity rooted in the past, the earth and other key agrarian values, such as thrift, hard work and property ownership. French peasants are perceived to be the last bearers of this value set. In other European countries too, the same ideological debate was at play. In Italy and Germany, in particular, the regimes were faced with a similar dilemma, championing a racially pure, rural, identity rooted in the past, whilst embracing a modernising revolution. Their parallel attempts at aligning these two ideas are richly suggestive.