SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance in the Czech Republic: Spatial and temporal differences in SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations and relationship to clinical data and wastewater parameters.

This study presents the results of systematic wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and basic wastewater parameters from four different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Czech Republic over the 2020-2022 epidemic. Two-step reverse-transcription quantitative PCR targeting genes encoding the N and Nsp12 proteins was employed to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA loading in 420 wastewater samples. The results obtained were used to evaluate the potential of wastewater analysis for describing the epidemiological situation in cities of different sizes and determining temporal differences based on the prevailing SARS-CoV-2 variant.

Occupational Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Lung Cancer Risk: Results from a Pooled Analysis of Case-Control Studies (SYNERGY).

Background: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) occurs widely in occupational settings. We investigated the association between occupational exposure to PAH and lung cancer risk and joint effects with smoking within the SYNERGY project.

Methods: We pooled 14 case-control studies with information on lifetime occupational and smoking histories conducted between 1985 and 2010 in Europe and Canada.

Using wastewater-based epidemiology as a potential instrument for the prediction and control of COVID-19 disease outbreaks.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a significant number of cracks in the current vigilance techniques that stand to minimise outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2. There is a serious inadequacy of the testing capacity of healthcare systems worldwide, which can be attributed to the lack of appropriate testing and monitoring methods for a disease such as COVID-19. The current tools in use for COVID-19 surveillance are either expensive, not applicable to large populations or yield results after the outbreak has already occurred.

Oral health in a context of public health: prevention-related issue.

This publication analyses current literary knowledge on selected topics in the fields of oral health and pathology, with a particular emphasis on the potential roles of the oral microbiome and preventative approaches to oral afflictions. An important association with floral dysbiosis has been documented in important oral conditions, sometimes as a predisposing factor and at other times as a result thereof. However, much remains to be elucidated regarding the specific mechanisms at play, as well as their meaning in clinical practice.

Principles of evidence-based medicine: from Robert Kochs postulates to a current EBM concept.

The aim of the article is to describe the development of the principles of medicine based on the evidence (EBM) based on postulates of Robert Koch, Nobel prize winner, protagonist of the "Golden Age" medical bacteriology, founder of a concept of modern microbiology and infectology. Kochs work led to the discovery of a causal relationship between exposure to a specific pathogen and disease on the example of identifying the cause of anthrax - Bacillus anthracis, a disease whose symptoms vary depending on the mode of transmission (gastrointestinal ingestion, cutaneous form on contact and pulmonary manifestations when inhaled). Tuberculosis caused by Kochs bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, yet still affecting 1.

Differences in risk factors for molecular subtypes of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

The ccA and ccB molecular subtypes of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have well-characterized prognostic relevance. However, it is not known whether they possess distinct etiologies. We investigated the relationships between these subtypes and RCC risk factors within a case-control study conducted in Eastern Europe.

NATO and evidence-based military and disaster medicine: case for Vigorous Warrior Live Exercise Series.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the premier and only security alliance uniting 30 countries and growing with many partner states in the provision of collective security and against threats posed by conflict and natural disasters. Security of countries and communities is increasingly threatened by a broad spectrum of unconventional types of war and disease threats - from hybrid and asymmetric to multi-domain and peer-to-peer/near-peer conflict. The NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine (MILMED COE) is the centre of gravity for medical best practices and promotion of medical doctrine across the NATO alliance.

Occurrence of acrylamide in selected food products.

Objective: Acrylamide is a toxic compound found in occupational and non-occupational environment. It originates from industrial use, technological processes in construction as well as food production, water purification, and laboratory use. Adverse effects including neurotoxicity, probably carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, teratogenicity, and reproductive toxicity were reported in many studies.

Psychosomatic and psychosocial aspects of health risks perception rising from living and occupational settings.

Psychosocial aspects may be of paramount importance in perceiving potential health risks. This is especially true when our knowledge of the real health implications of human exposure to the environmental risk factor is incomplete, or the intensity of this exposure is in the range of doubts as to possible biological effects. The most serious feature of these situations, particularly among psychologically labile individuals, is the presence of often severe neuropsychic and psychosomatic problems.

Lung cancer risk in painters: results from the SYNERGY pooled case-control study consortium.

Objectives: We evaluated the risk of lung cancer associated with ever working as a painter, duration of employment and type of painter by histological subtype as well as joint effects with smoking, within the SYNERGY project.

Methods: Data were pooled from 16 participating case-control studies conducted internationally. Detailed individual occupational and smoking histories were available for 19 369 lung cancer cases (684 ever employed as painters) and 23 674 age-matched and sex-matched controls (532 painters).

Study design, size, and adequate exposure data as the crucial aspects in cancer risk assessment and implementation of the precautionary principle.

Traditional approaches and study design in cancer epidemiology have not been very successful in identifying and evaluating adequately the potential risk and/or protective factors associated with the disease. The main reasons for the failure are often due the small study sample size, and inadequate exposure information. In this paper, issues and approaches relevant to these two challenges are discussed.

Risk of exposure to acrylamide.

Objectives: Acrylamide is a toxic compound that can be found it both occupational and non-occupational environments. This study focuses on its sources and health effects of its exposure.

Methods: Adverse effects of acrylamide, especially carcinogenic, genotoxic, and teratogenic were reported in many studies conducted on animals.

The presence of fine and ultrafine particulate matter in the work environment.

This study presents the results of pilot measurement, where the exposure of fine and ultrafine particulate matter was monitored. The measurement was performed in welding workplace, where these particles are produced unintentionally. The measurement consisted of collecting information and measuring the concentration of particles in the workplace, where data collection was focused only on inhalation exposure.

Health aspects of exposure to emissions from burning coal of high beryllium content: interactions with the immune system.

Beryllium has an impact on the human health of professionally or non-occupationally exposed people. Current evidence suggests that beryllium acts as a hapten with limited antigenic properties and is presented by antigen presenting cells to CD4 T cells, which possess specific antigen receptors. The immunological changes in humoral immunoreactivity were considered biomarkers of beryllium exposure.

Diesel Engine Exhaust Exposure, Smoking, and Lung Cancer Subtype Risks. A Pooled Exposure-Response Analysis of 14 Case-Control Studies.

Although the carcinogenicity of diesel engine exhaust has been demonstrated in multiple studies, little is known regarding exposure-response relationships associated with different exposure subgroups and different lung cancer subtypes. We expanded on a previous pooled case-control analysis on diesel engine exhaust and lung cancer by including three additional studies and quantitative exposure assessment to evaluate lung cancer and subtype risks associated with occupational exposure to diesel exhaust characterized by elemental carbon (EC) concentrations. We used a quantitative EC job-exposure matrix for exposure assessment.

Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposure, Smoking, and Lung Cancer Subtype Risks. A Pooled Analysis of Case-Control Studies.

Millions of workers around the world are exposed to respirable crystalline silica. Although silica is a confirmed human lung carcinogen, little is known regarding the cancer risks associated with low levels of exposure and risks by cancer subtype. However, little is known regarding the disease risks associated with low levels of exposure and risks by cancer subtype.

Added value of human biomonitoring in assessment of general population exposure to xenobiotics.

Human biomonitoring (HBM) has a wide range of applications and long tradition both in health care and the field of public health. Its major advantage is the integration of all exposure routes and sources. Since HBM information is an integrated exposure finding it offers the opportunity to trace and mimic a realistic exposure scenario.

The influence of obesity-related factors in the etiology of renal cell carcinoma-A mendelian randomization study.

Background: Several obesity-related factors have been associated with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but it is unclear which individual factors directly influence risk. We addressed this question using genetic markers as proxies for putative risk factors and evaluated their relation to RCC risk in a mendelian randomization (MR) framework. This methodology limits bias due to confounding and is not affected by reverse causation.

A horizontal transmission of genetic information and its importance for development of antibiotics resistance.

Genetic information is transmitted among organisms through two pathways - vertically from generation to generation (from parents to progeny) and horizontally (laterally) by direct exchange of genetic material across species barriers. These are primarily prokaryotes, in which the exchange of genes or whole gene segments by horizontal transmission is quite common. They can dynamically and in a relatively short time generate highly diverse genomes, which does not allow the vertical transmission.

Retrospective assessment of specific effects of exposure of workers to PCBs in Slovakia.

Introduction And Objective: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been used commercially since 1929 as dielectric and insulating non-flammable substances, additives for paints, etc. In Slovakia, 60 chemical production workers highly exposed to PCBs (mainly to Delor 103) were studied with duration of exposure ranging from 3 months to 19 years.

Material And Methods: Clinical examinations of skin, skin histology and laboratory tests concerning lipid metabolism, iron metabolism and levels of copper provided comparisons with a control group of healthy individuals and/or the upper limits of normal values.

Fish and fish products as risk factors of mercury exposure.

Introduction: Mercury is ubiquitous in the biosphere, occurring in the air, water, land, and soil, as well as in living organisms. Excessive exposure to mercury is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects including damage to the central nervous system and the kidneys. Mercury exists in many different forms in the environment which produce various patterns of toxicity.