Exposure assessment to fine and ultrafine particulate matter during welding activity in the maintenance shop of a steelmaking factory.

Unlabelled: Welding fumes are a main source of occupational exposure to particulate matter (PM), besides gases and ultraviolet radiations, that involves millions of operators worldwide and is related to several health effects, including lung cancer. Our study aims to evaluate the exposure to fine and ultrafine airborne particulate in welding operators working in a steel making factory.In October 2019, air monitoring was performed for four days in five different welding scenarios and in the external area of a steelmaking factory to assess the exposure to airborne particles, ultrafine (UFP) particulate and inhalable fraction, during welding activities.

Prolonging neutrophil room temperature storage with clinically-approved solutions: Implications for granulocyte transfusion.

Introduction: Granulocyte concentrates (GC) are leukocyte preparations enriched in neutrophils that can potentially save neutropenic patients from life-threatening, antimicrobial-resistant infections. The main challenge of GC transfusions is preserving the viability and antimicrobial activity of neutrophils beyond 24 h to reduce the logistical burden on collection centers and increase the availability of this cell therapy. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore extending the ex vivo viability and antimicrobial activity of GC neutrophils up to 72 h with a unique combination of the clinically-approved additives Plasma-Lyte, SAGM, AS-3 and Alburex.

Automated Speech Analysis in Bipolar Disorder: The CALIBER Study Protocol and Preliminary Results.

: Bipolar disorder (BD) involves significant mood and energy shifts reflected in speech patterns. Detecting these patterns is crucial for diagnosis and monitoring, currently assessed subjectively. Advances in natural language processing offer opportunities to objectively analyze them.

Size-segregated content of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in airborne particles emitted by indoor sources.

Indoor air quality is negatively affected by the emission of different combustion sources releasing airborne particles and related particle-bound toxic compounds (e.g., heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).