Post-exposure Period Research Articles

Association Between Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusion and Acute Lung Injury in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Self- Matched Longitudinal Study

Objective: One serious morbidity of packed red blood cell (pRBC) transfusion in very low birth weight infants (VLBW) is acute lung injury (ALI). This study aimed to determine the association between pRBC transfusion and changes in the level of respiratory support within 6 hours after transfusion (post-transfusion respiratory decompensation, PTRD) in VLBW infants. Additionally, this study assessed the possible association of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) with transfusions within the first 7 days of life and identified risk factors for PTRD.Material and Methods: This historical, time-based, self-matched cohort study was conducted on VLBW infants that received their first pRBC transfusion. ALI during the exposure period (0-6 hours after transfusion, PTRD) was compared with ALI occurrences in the pre- and post-exposure periods. Associations were evaluated using mixed effects logistic regression. Results: Five hundred and ten VLBW infants receiving pRBC transfusion were enrolled in the study. Twenty-six percent (132/510) of infants developed PTRD, compared with 17% and 9% developing ALI in pre- and post-exposure periods, respectively. Mixed-effects logistic regression indicated an increased risk during the exposure period compared with non-exposure periods [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.59 (1.22, 2.36) p-value=0.002, and 3.90 (2.62, 5.82) p-value<0.001, respectively]. Early, first pRBC transfusion within the first 7 days of life was not associated with BPD [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.90 (0.26, 1.32) p-value=0.600]. Conclusion: First, pRBC transfusions were associated with PTRD in VLBW infants. BPD was not associated with transfusion within 7 days of life. Further studies should prospectively focus on the causal relationships leading to PTRD.

The functional activity of the brain in patients with occupational chronic mercury intoxication against background of the treatment of insomnia disorders

Introduction. In patients with chronic mercury intoxication, insomnia disorders are much more common than in the general population. Persistent emotional disorders in combination with severe sleep disturbances may contribute to the progression of cognitive dysfunction in patients in the late post-exposure period of chronic mercury intoxication. The purpose of the study was to analyze the trend in electroencephalography indices and study cognitive evoked potentials in patients with occupational chronic mercury intoxication to optimize the treatment of insomnia. Materials and methods. Two groups of 30 patients with occupational chronic mercury intoxication, who worked at the enterprises of Usolyekhimprom LLC and Sayanskhimplast OJSC, were examined. In the first group of patients received the first treatment option, the average age was 56±0.71 years, in the second group, cases received the second treatment regimen, were of 57.1±3 years. Before and after treatment, there were carried out neurophysiological studies including polysomnography, electroencephalography, and a study of cognitive evoked potentials P300. Results. After the implementation of the treatment regimen in the first group, positive changes in the main indices of polysomnography were revealed as follows: decrease in the time of falling asleep and time of wakefulness in the bed, increase in total sleep time and the representation of delta sleep, increase in the sleep efficiency index, etc., electroencephalography (decrease in the delta index – rhythm and an increase in the alpha rhythm index), and cognitive evoked potentials (decreased latency and increased P300 amplitude). In the second group, there were registered positive alterations only in three neurophysiological indices: a decrease in the latent period of the 1st stage of sleep, a decline in the delta rhythm index and a fall in P300 latency. Limitations. The results cannot be generalized to workers as the group included only men. Conclusion. According to neurophysiological studies, improvement in polysomnography parameters during the treatment of insomnia in patients in the late post-contact period of chronic mercury intoxication was accompanied by an improvement in concentration and an increase in the rate of psychomotor response.

Risk of falls or fall-related injuries associated with potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults with dementia.

Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are prevalent in older adults with dementia and subsequent falls or fall-related injuries. The present study determined the risk of falls or fall-related injuries associated with PIM use in older adults with dementia. The National Health Insurance Service-Elderly Cohort Database 2.0 (NHIS-ECDB2.0) was used for this self-controlled case series (SCCS) study. This study included 1430 participants who went through exposure and non-exposure periods of PIM application among patients with dementia and experienced outcome events of falls or fall-related injuries between January 2016 and December 2019. The incidence of falls or fall-related injuries during the exposure and post-exposure periods was compared with that during the non-exposure period. Beers Criteria were used to define PIMs in patients with dementia. Negative binomial regression was conducted. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was used to determine the risk of falls or fall-related injuries. During the exposure periods in which falls or fall-related injuries occurred, the mean number of PIMs among patients with dementia was 3.76 (SD = 2.99), and the most commonly used PIMs among patients with dementia were first-generation antihistamines (n = 283; 59.1%). Compared to the non-exposure period, the adjusted IRR during the exposure period was 1.57 (95% CI = 1.39-1.76). The risk of falls or fall-related injuries was increased when PIM use in patients with dementia was initiated (1-14days: IRR = 2.76, 95% CI = 2.31-3.28; 15-28days: IRR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.48-2.56; ≥ 29days: IRR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.01-1.35). Especially, an increased risk of falls or fall-related injuries was associated with greater PIM use among patients with dementia. Among older adults with dementia, PIMs significantly increase the risk of falls and fall-related injuries. Therefore, strategies should be developed to manage PIM prescriptions in patients with dementia to prevent falls.

Performance assessment of firefighter protective clothing under different thermal environments: Impact of the variation of thickness in inter-layer airgap and microclimate

Personal protective equipment for firefighters can effectively prevent skin burns and ensure firefighters' safety. Considering a variety of fire environments faced by a firefighter, the present study is devoted to showing the role of the inter-layer fabric airgap and its variation in thickness on skin burns under high intensity heat flux. The present numerical model is formulated by considering a coupled conduction and radiation heat interaction in the porous fabric medium and the Pennes bioheat transfer model for the multi-layered skin. The study considers the effect of variation in airgap thickness, variation in heat transfer coefficient, and duration of exposure on the thermal damage of the firefighter's skin subjected to different harsh thermal environments. The results found that increasing the thickness of AG1 and AG2 does not yield a significant impact during the exposure time. Conversely, AG3 and AG4 lead to considerable temperature reductions at the basal layer, with AG3 causing a decrease of 2.6 °C to 2.9 °C and AG4 causing a decrease of 11.9 °C to 17.0 °C under all exposure conditions. Additionally, when the heat transfer coefficient increases during post-exposure, temperature drops of 9.17 °C to 10.72 °C, 9.81 °C to 11.46 °C, 10.0 °C to 11.64 °C, and 8.68 °C to 10.07 °C are observed for AG1, AG2, AG3, and AG4, respectively, across all exposure conditions. However, both the airgaps have a substantial effect on thermal protection during the post exposure period. In addition, the nature of the variation of stored and transmitted energy in fabric assembly shows an opposite trend during both the exposure and post exposure period in contrast to the third and fourth airgaps for all the considered thermal environments.

Mutagenicity evaluation of methyl tertiary- butyl ether in multiple tissues of transgenic rats following whole body inhalation exposure.

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) is used as a component of motor vehicle fuel to enhance combustion efficiency and to reduce emissions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Although MTBE was largely negative in the in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity studies, isolated reports of positive findings along with the observation of tumors in the rat cancer bioassays raised concern for its in vivo mutagenic potential. To investigate this, transgenic male Big Blue Fischer 344 rats were exposed to 0 (negative control), 400, 1000, and 3000 ppm MTBE via whole body inhalation for 28 consecutive days, 6 h/day. Mutant frequencies (MF) at the cII locus of the transgene in the nasal epithelium (portal of entry tissue), liver (site of primary metabolism), bone marrow (rapidly proliferating tissue), and kidney (tumor target) were analyzed (5 rats/exposure group) following a 3-day post-exposure manifestation period. MTBE did not induce a mutagenic response in any of the tissues investigated. The adequacy of the experimental conditions to detect induced mutations was confirmed by utilizing tissue samples from animals treated with the known mutagen ethyl nitrosourea. These data provide support to the conclusion that MTBE is not an in vivo mutagen and male rat kidney tumors are not likely the result of a mutagenic mode of action.

Effects of sublethal methylmercury and food stress on songbird energetic performance: metabolic rates, molt and feather quality.

Organisms regularly adjust their physiology and energy balance in response to predictable seasonal environmental changes. Stressors and contaminants have the potential to disrupt these critical seasonal transitions. No studies have investigated how simultaneous exposure to the ubiquitous toxin methylmercury (MeHg) and food stress affects birds' physiological performance across seasons. We quantified several aspects of energetic performance in song sparrows, Melospiza melodia, exposed or not to unpredictable food stress and MeHg in a 2×2 experimental design, over 3 months during the breeding season, followed by 3 months post-exposure. Birds exposed to food stress had reduced basal metabolic rate and non-significant higher factorial metabolic scope during the exposure period, and had a greater increase in lean mass throughout most of the experimental period. Birds exposed to MeHg had increased molt duration, and increased mass:length ratio of some of their primary feathers. Birds exposed to the combined food stress and MeHg treatment often had responses similar to the stress-only or MeHg-only exposure groups, suggesting these treatments affected physiological performance through different mechanisms and resulted in compensatory or independent effects. Because the MeHg and stress variables were selected in candidate models with a ΔAICc lower than 2 but the 95% confidence interval of these variables overlapped zero, we found weak support for MeHg effects on all measures except basal metabolic rate, and for food stress effects on maximum metabolic rate, factorial metabolic scope and feather mass:length ratio. This suggests that MeHg and food stress effects on these measures are statistically identified but not simple and/or were too weak to be detected via linear regression. Overall, combined exposure to ecologically relevant MeHg and unpredictable food stress during the breeding season does not appear to induce extra energetic costs for songbirds in the post-exposure period. However, MeHg effects on molt duration could carry over across multiple annual cycle stages.

Does roundup® affect worker bees (Apis mellifera) that inhabit areas of high agrochemical pressure?

Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) find wide application in conventional agroecosystems due to their effective mode of action. The impact of herbicides on bees may be underestimated due to the scarcity of studies assessing various exposure routes to GBHs, including contact and ingestion of contaminated food. This study evaluated the survival, food consumption, and body weight of honey bee populations in three different locations, characterized by different degrees of exposure to GBHs. In bioassays, honey bees were exposed to diets containing sucrose solutions infused with glyphosate, with dosages ranging from 0 to 14 mg (a.i./bee). During the experiment, the honey bee population had a period of exposure (6 h) to the syrup infused with glyphosate. Mortality counts and feeder weight measurements were performed to assess the effects. A significant reduction in syrup intake was observed in all three bee populations during the Roundup® exposure phase, leading to a decrease in GBH intake. Notably, the decrease in syrup consumption emerged as the main factor contributing to the lower body weight observed among honey bees from low- and high-impact locations, persisting into the post-exposure period. Overall, the results demonstrate that honey bees in the high-impact region are more sensitive to Roundup®. However, studies using biochemical biomarkers are still necessary to unravel how glyphosate interferes with the acquisition and expenditure of energy during periods of exposure of honey bees and which physiological changes allow them to adapt to inhabited places with high agricultural pressure.

Acute toxicity and sublethal effects of phenol on hematological parameters of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus

Phenol is an aromatic chemical commonly found in domestic and industrial effluents that represents a worldwide concern in toxicology. When it reaches aquatic environments, significant damage in fishes is observed. The first aim of this study was to investigate the acute toxicity levels of phenol in Ictalurus punctatus and Piaractus mesopotamicus. The second objective was to evaluate the hematological parameters of I. punctatus and P. mesopotamicus after 96 hours exposure to sublethal concentration of phenol (10% of 96-hour LC50) and after post-exposure recovery period of 7 days. The main hypothesis of the study was that even sublethal phenol concentration could cause hematological alterations in fish. For 96-hour LC50 tests, both fish species were exposed to several phenol concentrations (in the range between 5 and 50 mg L-1) and the mortality were recorded after 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. Phenol was notably more toxic to I. punctatus than P. mesopotamicus and the 96-hour LC50 values were 15.08 and 32.56 mg L-1, respectively. Sublethal exposure to phenol in P. mesopotamicus resulted in significant higher hematocrit level (Ht), hemoglobin content (Hb) and red blood cell count (RBC) in comparison with control group. In I. punctatus, Ht, Hb and RBC remained constant after 96-hour sublethal exposure. However, after the recovery period of 7 days a significant increase of RBC followed by reduction in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were observed in I. punctatus. The sublethal responses to phenol revealed erythropoeisis in I. punctatus and respiratory distress in P. mesopotamicus. P. mesopotamicus presented excessive skin and gills mucus throughout the 96-hour LC50 tests. Acute toxicity tests and hematological responses after exposure to sublethal phenol concentration could be successfully used as a biomarker of stress in fish and may be applicable to investigate others toxic agents.

Decline in the Conception Rate of Wild Japanese Monkeys after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

We examined the conception rate of wild Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) in Fukushima City that were exposed to radiation as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011. The conception rate in the year of delivery from 2009 to 2022 was estimated by dissecting individuals that were euthanized by the government for population control as a countermeasure against crop damage. To evaluate the effects of exposure, the cumulative exposure dose for each individual was calculated using the concentration of radiocesium deposited in the soil at the capture site and the concentration of radiocesium in muscle estimated from the aggregated transfer factor. There were no significant differences in conception rates across all age classes over time. In terms of conception rates by age class, there was a significant decrease post-exposure compared with pre-exposure in the age class ≥ 8 years, but no significant differences in the age class 5–7 years. The non-ovulation rate did not significantly differ between the pre- and post-exposure periods for any age class. Body fat index, which can affect fertility, was compared between the pre- and post-exposure periods, and no significant differences were found in either age class. In contrast, the median total cumulative exposure (cumulative internal exposure + cumulative external exposure) was significantly higher in the age class ≥ 8 years compared with the age class 5–7 years. These results suggest that the total cumulative exposure dose may be one of the reasons for the lower conception rate in the post-exposure period among the age class ≥ 8 years.

Claims-Based vs Agency-Reported Patient Outcomes Among Home Health Agencies, 2013-2019

Given the growth of home health agency (HHA) care, it is important to understand whether quality reporting programs, such as star ratings, are associated with improved patient outcomes. To assess the immediate and long-term association of the introduction of HHA star ratings with patient-level quality outcomes, comparing claims-based and agency-reported measures. This cross-sectional study used Medicare HHA claims and agency-reported assessments to identify sequential patient episodes (ie, spells) among US adults with traditional Medicare who received HHA care (2013-2019). An interrupted time series (ITS) model was used to measure changes in trends and levels before and after the introduction of star ratings. Statistical analysis was performed from November 2022 to September 2023. The exposure was the introduction of HHA star ratings. The postexposure period was set as starting January 1, 2016, to account for the period when both star ratings (quality of patient care and patient satisfaction rating) were publicly reported. The main outcomes included claims-based hospitalization measures (both during the patient spell and 30 days after HHA discharge) and agency-reported functional measures, such as improvement in ambulation, bathing, and bed transferring. There was also a measure to capture timely initiation of care among post-acute care HHA users, defined as HHA care initiated within 2 days of inpatient discharge. This study identified 22 958 847 patient spells to compare annual changes over time; 9 750 689 patient spells were included during the pre-star ratings period from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015 (6 067 113 [62.2%] female; 1 100 145 [11.3%] Black, 512 487 [5.3%] Hispanic, 7 845 197 [80.5%] White; 2 656 124 [27.2%] dual eligible; mean [SD] patient spell duration, 70.9 [124.9] days; mean [SD] age, 77.4 [12.0] years); 13 208 158 patient spells were included during the post-star ratings period from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2019 (8 104 69 [61.4%] female; 1 385 180 [10.5%] Black, 675 536 [5.1%] Hispanic, 10 664 239 [80.7%] White; 3 318 113 [25.1%] dual eligible; mean [SD] patient spell duration, 65.3 [96.2] days; mean [SD] age, 77.7 [11.6] years). Results from the ITS models found that the introduction of star ratings was associated with an acceleration in the mean [SE] hospitalization rate during the spell (0.39% [0.05%] per year) alongside functional improvements in ambulation (2.40% [0.29%] per year), bed transferring (3.95% [0.48%] per year) and bathing (2.34% [0.19%] per year) (P < .001). This occurred alongside a 1.21% (0.12%) per year reduction in timely initiation of care (P < .001). This cross-sectional study found an observed improvement in agency-reported functional measures, which contrasted with slower increases in more objective measures such as hospitalization rates and declines in timely initiation of care. These findings suggest a complex picture of HHA quality of care after the introduction of star ratings.

Personal care products: an emerging threat to the marine bivalve Ruditapes philippinarum

In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in understanding the behavior of personal care products (PCPs) in the aquatic environment. In this regard, the aim of this study is to estimate the accumulation and effects of four PCPs within the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The PCPs selected were triclosan, OTNE, benzophenone-3, and octocrylene. A progressive uptake was observed and maximum concentrations in tissues were reached at the end of the exposure phase, up to levels of 0.68 µg g−1, 24 µg g−1, 0.81 µg g−1, and 1.52 µg g−1 for OTNE, BP-3, OC, and TCS, respectively. After the PCP post-exposure period, the removal percentages were higher than 65%. The estimated logarithm bioconcentration factor ranged from 3.34 to 2.93, in concordance with the lipophobicity of each substance. No lethal effects were found although significant changes were observed for ethoxyresorufin O-demethylase activity, glutathione S-transferase activity, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage.

Association between immune checkpoint inhibitors and heart failure hospitalizations: a population-based self-controlled case series

Abstract Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a common treatment for many cancers. Though with proven anti-oncogenic effects, they are associated with cardiotoxicity. Specifically, some suggested that ICIs were associated with the diagnosis of heart failure (HF). However, the effects of ICIs on HF hospitalizations (HFH) have remained unexplored. Purpose To explore possible associations between of ICI use and HFH. Methods This self-controlled case series (SCCS) included patients with cancer who received any ICI within 1/1/2014-31/12/2020 in a prospectively recorded, population-based database from a developed Asian city. Those without HFH between one year before the first-ever ICI prescription (baseline period) to 31/12/2021 were excluded as SCCS only requires cases and evaluates effects in paired, pre-post comparisons. Exposure periods included contiguous ICI prescriptions and the following 180 days. Post-exposure periods were periods not described above, until death, end of follow-up (31/12/2021), or having reached three years after ICI initiation, whichever earlier; follow-up was restricted to three years to limit the potential for time-varying confounders. The study design is summarized by Figure 1A. Fixed-effects conditional Poisson regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of HFH during and after ICI exposure, compared to baseline. Multivariable adjustments were not applicable as the paired, pre-post comparisons in SCCS inherently adjust for time-invariant confounders. Results Of the 3684 identified ICI users, 19 had HF during the study period (median age 75 [interquartile range 68-84] years; 16 (84.2%) males; median follow-up 525 [274.5-967] days). HFH occurred to nine during baseline, eight during exposure, and four during post-exposure. Cohort-level HFH rates were low (4.1, 2.9, and 2.3 hospitalizations per 1000-person-years during baseline, exposure, and post-exposure, respectively). Compared to baseline, HFH rates were not different in days 1-180 (IRR 0.75 [95% confidence interval 0.27, 2.07], p = 0.574), days 181-366 (IRR 1.22 [0.31, 4.69], p = 0.777), or days ≥367 (IRR 0.37 [0.04, 3.66], p = 0.399) of exposure, nor post-exposure (IRR 1.28 [0.33, 4.98], p = 0.722). One patient had HF-related mortality; excluding her produced consistent results (IRR for exposure days 1-180: 0.75 [0.27, 2.07], p = 0.574; days 181-366: 1.30 [0.33, 5.09], p = 0.704; days ≥367: 0.43 [0.04, 4.45], p = 0.480; post-exposure: 0.91 [0.22, 3.82], p = 0.902). Meanwhile, six had follow-up &amp;lt;1 year; excluding them produced consistent results (IRR for exposure days 1-180: 1.22 [0.29, 5.10], p = 0.785; days 181-366: 1.66 [0.38, 7.18], p = 0.496; days ≥367: 1.23 [0.30, 5.01], p = 0.775; post-exposure: 1.60 [0.38, 6.84], p = 0.524). Conclusions ICIs are probably not associated with significantly different HFH rates in Asian patients with cancer. HFH may be rare in these ICI users.Figure 1

Assessment of the utility of the novel Phenion® full thickness human skin model for detecting the skin irritation potential of antimicrobial cleaning products

The skin is a potential route of exposure to antimicrobial cleaning products (ACP). Skin irritation, reversible damage to the skin, is an endpoint for protecting consumers and operators accidently exposed to these complex mixtures. To assess skin irritation of 24 ACP formulations, a new protocol was developed and adapted from OECD Test Guideline No. 439 with EpiDerm™ (epidermis model) replaced by Phenion® FT (full thickness tissue, including epidermis and dermis) as the test system. A full thickness tissue was utilized to provide a more human in vivo-like model. Formulations were applied to Phenion® FT and cell viability measured by MTT reduction after a 15-min exposure and 42 h post exposure period. A prediction model was applied, and results compared with in vivo rabbit skin irritation data. Concordance between in vivo and in vitro was demonstrated to be suitable (i.e., sensitivity 78%, specificity 83%, and accuracy 79%) using this modified OECD Test Guideline No. 439 method with a 70% cell viability selected as the most reasonable cut off for discriminating non-irritants (EPA Class IV). These results were considered suitable to develop a draft IATA i.e., with any ACP formulation identified as EPA Category IV in this test. The method will be further refined to distinguish irritant categories.

An increased risk for ischemic stroke in the short-term period following COVID-19 infection

Abstract Background The association disclosed between COVID-19 infection and ischemic stroke (IS) raises concern. The exact risk periods, which were not consistent between studies, require further investigation. Methods We linked between two national databases: the national COVID-19 database and the Israeli National Stroke Registry. The self-controlled case series method was used to estimate the association between COVID-19 infection and a first IS. The study population included all Israeli residents who had both a first IS event and a first COVID-19 diagnosis during 2020. The date of the PCR test served to define the day of exposure, and the 28 days following it were categorized into three risk periods: days 1-7, 8-14, and 15-28. A relative incidence (RI) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated based on the incidence rate of events in a post-exposure period, compared to the incidence rate in a control period. Results From 01-January-2020 to 31-December-2020, 308,015 Israelis aged 18+ were diagnosed with COVID-19 and 9,535 were diagnosed with a first IS. Linking between the two databases, 555 persons had both diagnoses during 2020. The mean age of the study population was 71.5±13.7, 55.1% were males, 77.8% had hypertension, 73.7% had hyperlipidemia, 51.9% had diabetes, 28.5% had ischemic heart disease and 25.6% had atrial fibrillation. Comparing between the risk period and the control period, we found a very similar distribution of the cardiovascular risk factors. The risk for an acute IS was 3.3-fold higher in the first week following COVID-19 diagnosis, compared with a control period (RI = 3.3; 95% CI 2.3-4.6). The RI among males (RI = 4.5; 95% CI 2.9-6.8) was 2.2-fold higher compared to females. The increased risk did not last beyond the first week following exposure. Conclusions Physicians should be aware of the elevated risk for IS among patients experiencing COVID-19, particularly among men with high burden of cardiovascular risk factors. Key messages • Risk for an ischemic stroke is elevated in COVID-19 patients upon infection. • This finding was particularly evident in men with cardiovascular risk factors.

The state of lipid metabolism indicators and the system of peroxidation — antioxidant protection in aluminum production workers with occupational bronchopulmonary pathology

Introduction. In aluminum production workers, the most common occupational pathology is bronchopulmonary diseases, which are characterized by the formation of comorbid pathologies. Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary and cardiovascular pathologies.&#x0D; The study aims to research the indicators of oxidative metabolism and antioxidant protection in aluminum production workers with occupational bronchopulmonary pathology (OBPP) during work and post-contact period.&#x0D; Materials and methods. During the study, on the basis of the therapeutic department of the clinic at East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research, scientists examined 130 patients — workers of aluminum production, with an established professional diagnosis of the bronchopulmonary system both during work and in the post-contact period. The authors have analyzed the indicators of oxidative stress, lipid metabolism and the concentration of antibodies to oxidized low-density lipoproteins.&#x0D; Results. In patients with OBPP, decreased superoxide dismutase activity was more common during work than in the post-exposure period. About 60% of the examined patients had elevated cholesterol levels, almost 40% had higher reference values of the atherogenicity index and the content of antibodies to oxidized low-density lipoproteins. Cholesterol levels in high-density lipoproteins in individuals with OBPP in the long-term period were lower than in individuals with the same pathology during the work period.&#x0D; Conclusion. The depletion of antioxidant protection in workers in the post-contact period of the OBPP, the researchers noted in the form of a decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase in every third person examined, which can lead to the formation of endothelial dysfunction. An increase in the fractions of atherogenic cholesterol is accompanied by a significant increase in the occurrence of a reduced level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which has anti-atherogenic properties.&#x0D; Ethics. The examination of patients met ethical standards in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of the World Association "Ethical Principles of Conducting Scientific Medical Research with Human Participation", as amended in 2000 and the "Rules of Clinical Practice in the Russian Federation", approved by Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 266 of 06/19/2003. All the surveyed signed an informed consent to participate in the study. The protocol of the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the East Siberian Institute of Medical and Environmental Research (Protocol No. 6 of 10.03.2020).

Protocol for Temperature Toxicity Investigation on Whitefly &lt;i&gt;Bemisia tabaci&lt;/i&gt; (Gennadius)

A cost-effective laboratory protocol was perfected for investigating temperature toxicity against whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) on tomato. Understanding temperature toxicity relationship will aid in strategization of pest management. The experiments conducted to develop the current protocol used B. tabaci Asia II-1 as test insect. Essentially this protocol consist of three steps which are: (1) Temperature incubation of test insects: includes three hour starvation period and temperature treatment of B. tabaci; (2) Preparatory steps of leaf-dip bioassay: suggests use of agar cube method (reduces agar usage by 70%) to maintain green and turgid test leaves during post-exposure period of bioassay; (3) Release of temperature treated insects and mortality counting: test insect release, securing petri plates, recording observations, etc. all are deliberated in detail. This protocol facilitates economical, convenient and easy-to-handle experimentation to study temperature toxicity relationship in B. tabaci.

Risk of Thrombosis Following the First Dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccine in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study.

The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine is associated with vaccine-induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT). Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) under hemodialysis are at elevated risk of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, which shares similar mechanisms with VITT. We aimed to examine the risk of VITT after the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine using a self-controlled case series analysis (SCCS) in the hemodialyzed ESRD population. Drawing from the largest multi-center electronic medical records database in Taiwan, we identified adult patients, with or without hemodialysis, between 1st December, 2020, and 31st December, 2021, who received a first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and had an outcome of thrombocytopenia, venous thrombosis, or arterial thrombosis. We calculated the incident rate ratios (IRRs) of outcomes in different periods at risk, compared to periods not at risk. We identified 59 hemodialysis patients and 41 non-dialysis patients with an outcome. The SCCS analyses showed, for the hemodialysis group, a significantly increased risk of outcomes during the period 31 to 60 days post-exposure to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (IRR: 2.823; 95% CI: 1.423-5.600). However, in non-dialysis patients there was no increase in risks during any of the post-exposure risk periods. For ESRD patients under hemodialysis, the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine was associated with a 2.8-fold increase in risk of thrombosis.

Self-healing demonstration in imidacloprid toxicity with multibiomarkers and biologic pathways

Imidacloprid (IMI) pesticide has significant environmental and ecotoxicological pollution effects. Also, its high potential to enter the aquatic environment reveals the importance of early evaluation of the toxic effects of this compound. This study aimed to evaluate organ responses that can be associated with outcomes at higher levels of biological organization in fish. In this respect, the toxicity mechanism and recovery response process of IMI in rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss)’ s different tissues (blood, brain, gill and liver) were analyzed with important biomarkers [(hematological indices (RBC, WBC, Hg, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC), antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GPx, GSH), MDA, DNA damage (8-OHdG), apoptosis (caspase 3), AChE, TNF α, interleukin 6, Nrf-2, NF-kB activities, histopathological and immunofluorescence analyses (NeuN, BDNF, JNK and Nop10]. Exposure to different concentrations of IMI caused a decrease in RBC, WBC, Hg and Hct levels in O. mykiss. The effect of the same application on brain, gill and liver tissues was determined as inhibitions in antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT and GPx) and GSH level, inductions on MDA level, DNA damage, caspase-3, TNF α, IL- 6, Nrf-2 and NF-kB activities. As a result of three tissues’ histopathological examination; the degeneration, necrosis and hyperemia in the brain and liver, adhesion, desquamation and inflammation in the lamellar epitheliums has been determined in company with stress-induced responses inducing DNA damage. In the reflection of this situation on histomap results, increases were recorded in BDNF and NeuN levels. In the recovery response, tissue damage profile and detoxification process were differentiated according to dose and marker, and it manifested itself with moderate and mild symptoms. These findings revealed that IMI-mediated oxidative stress was effective in the Nrf-2/GSH/NF-kB pathways, showing strong hemato/hepato, and neurotoxic effects. It has become clear that the severity of the effects caused by IMI exposure is felt more in the brain and liver tissues, and that such contaminants should be taken into account in the risk assessment. During the post-exposure recovery period (after 15 days), AChE activity increased by 21% at high-dose administration. The recovery period was effective in regulating the oxidant/antioxidant balance of the organism by exhibiting serious induction/inhibition in each tissue and biomarker performance.

Glyphosate affects larval gut microbiota and metamorphosis of honey bees with differences between rearing procedures

The honey bee Apis mellifera is a sentinel species of the pollinator community which is exposed to a wide variety of pesticides. In the last half-century, the pesticide most applied worldwide has been the herbicide glyphosate (GLY) used for weed control and with microbiocide effects. After its application in crops, the GLY residues have been detected in flowers visited by honey bees as well as in the stored food of their hives. Therefore, the honey bee brood can ingest the herbicide during larval development. Recent studies proved that GLY has detrimental effects on adult honey bees and other insects associated with the disturbance of their gut microbiota. GLY induces changes in the growth, metabolism and survival of honey bees and stingless bees reared in vitro. However, the effect of GLY on larval microbiota is unknown so far and there are few studies with an in-hive exposure to GLY. For these reasons, this study aims to determine whether GLY induces dysbiosis in honey bee larvae and affects their metamorphosis during the exposure period (pre-defecation) and the post-exposure period. Furthermore, we assessed this herbicide in vitro and in the hive to compare its effects on different rearing procedures. Finally, we tested the pigment BLUE1 as an indirect exposure marker to detect and estimate the in-hive intake concentration of GLY. Our results indicate that the intake of field-relevant concentrations of GLY induced a slowdown in growth with dysbiosis in the larval gut microbiota followed by late effects on their metamorphosis such as teratogenesis and mortality of newly emerged bees. Nevertheless, brood from the same colonies expressed different signs of toxicity depending on the rearing procedure and in a dose-dependent manner.

An Increased Risk for Ischemic Stroke in the Short-Term Period following COVID-19 Infection: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Introduction: The association disclosed between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and ischemic stroke (IS) raises concern. The exact risk periods, which were not consistent between studies, require further investigation. Methods: We linked two national databases: the COVID-19 database and the Israeli National Stroke Registry. The self-controlled case series method was used to estimate the association between COVID-19 infection and a first IS. The study population included all Israeli residents who had both a first IS event and a first COVID-19 diagnosis during 2020. The date of the PCR test served to define the day of exposure, and the 28 days following it were categorized into three risk periods: days 1–7, 8–14, and 15–28. A relative incidence (RI) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated based on the incidence rate of events in a post-exposure period, compared to the incidence rate in a control period. Results: From January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, 308,015 Israelis aged 18+ were diagnosed with COVID-19 and 9,535 were diagnosed with a first IS. Linking the two databases, 555 persons had both diagnoses during 2020. The mean age of the study population was 71.5 ± 13.7, 55.1% were males, 77.8% had hypertension, 73.7% had hyperlipidemia, 51.9% had diabetes, and 28.5% had ischemic heart disease. Comparing the risk period and the control period, we found a very similar distribution of the cardiovascular risk factors. The risk for an acute IS was 3.3-fold higher in the first week following COVID-19 diagnosis, compared with a control period (RI = 3.3; 95% CI: 2.3–4.6). The RI among males (RI = 4.5; 95% CI: 2.9–6.8) was 2.2-fold higher compared to females. The increased risk did not last beyond the first week following exposure. Conclusion: Physicians should be aware of the elevated risk for IS among patients experiencing COVID-19, particularly among men with high burden of cardiovascular risk factors.