Use of natural history museum ungulate specimen hair as biomarkers for environmental trace element contamination.

This study reports the first use of natural history museum ungulate specimens' (common fallow deer, bontebok, Arabian oryx, impala, Dall's sheep, water buffalo, and yak) hair as biomarkers for the determination of environmental trace element contamination and public exposure risk factor assessment. Morphological characteristics of the hair, like diameter and protein structure, were determined using optical microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy, respectively. The levels of thirty-nine (39) elements, sixteen (16) rare earth elements (REEs), and selected isotope ratios (Cr/Cr, Nd/Nd, Sm/Sm, Yb/Yb, Pb/Pb, and Pb/Pb) in the hair samples were determined by ICP-MS analysis.

Cytosolic Ribosomal Protein Haploinsufficiency affects Mitochondrial Morphology and Respiration.

The interplay between ribosomal protein composition and mitochondrial function is essential for sustaining energy homeostasis. Precise stoichiometric production of ribosomal proteins is crucial to maximize protein synthesis efficiency while reducing the energy costs to the cell. However, the impact of this balance on mitochondrial ATP generation, morphology and function remains unclear.

Evaluating binding and interaction of selected pesticides with serum albumin proteins by Raman, 1H NMR, mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics simulation.

Addressing the acute pesticide poisoning and toxicity to humans, is a global challenge of top priority. Serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein, capable of binding with herbicide and pesticide residues. This study reports multifaceted approaches for in-depth and robust investigation of the molecular interactions of selected pesticides, including propanil (PPL), bromoxynil (BXL), metolachlor (MLR) and glyphosate (GPE) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) proteins using experimental (Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, native mass spectrometry and high field H NMR), molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and principal component analysis (PCA).

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevention of internalizing disorders in early childhood.

Introduction: Internalizing problems comprise a significant amount of the mental health difficulties experienced during childhood. Implementing prevention programs during early childhood may prevent internalizing problems. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of both targeted and universal prevention programs in preventing internalizing problems for children aged 3- to 5-years and their parents.

Rapid screening and multicomponent quantifications of active components of oral syrup over-the-counter medications by Raman and UV-visible spectroscopy and multivariate regression analysis.

Over-the-counter medications (OTCMs) are frequently recommended as a first-line treatment for common ailments, diseases, and illnesses. Oral liquid dosage forms are advantageous for rapid absorption with no dissolution time and are easier for pediatric and geriatric consumers to swallow. The production of these medicines by pharmaceutical industry makes them readily available to the public.

Safety of integrated preventive chemotherapy for neglected tropical diseases.

Background: Preventive chemotherapy (PC) is a central strategy for control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Increased emphasis has been given to "integration" of NTD programs within health systems and coadministration of NTD drugs offers significant programmatic benefits. Guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) reflects current evidence for safe drug coadministration and highlights measures to prevent choking of young children during PC.

Environmental contaminants in coastal populations: Comparisons with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and resident dolphins.

Background: People living in coastal communities are at risk for exposure to environmental hazards, including legacy chemicals. We can use databases such as NHANES to assess whether contaminants in coastal communities are present in higher levels than in the United States overall. We can use information from studies of local animal populations to assess which of these contaminants could have been transferred to people from their shared environment.

Success in changing stuttering attitudes: A retrospective analysis of 29 intervention studies.

Background: Against the backdrop of hundreds of studies documenting negative stereotypes and stigma held by the public regarding people who stutter, a substantial number of investigations have attempted to improve public attitudes and measure their results with a standard instrument, the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S). Although the majority of interventions have been moderately to quite successful, a substantial minority have been unsuccessful.

Purpose: This study sought to determine what properties of interventions and demographic variables were predictive of least to most successful interventions.

Preventing Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Self-Administered Version of Project CHOICES with College Students and Nonstudents.

Background: Alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEPs) are a preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities for which many women are at risk. The initial 5-session Project CHOICES intervention was found to prevent AEPs. In the ensuing decade, there have been several additional CHOICES-like studies.

Rapid establishment of the European Bank for induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (EBiSC) - the Hot Start experience.

A fast track "Hot Start" process was implemented to launch the European Bank for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (EBiSC) to provide early release of a range of established control and disease linked human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines. Established practice amongst consortium members was surveyed to arrive at harmonised and publically accessible Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs) for tissue procurement, bio-sample tracking, iPSC expansion, cryopreservation, qualification and distribution to the research community. These were implemented to create a quality managed foundational collection of lines and associated data made available for distribution.

Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera - aculeates (Apoidea, Chrysidoidea and Vespoidea).

Background: The checklist of British and Irish aculeate Hymenoptera (Apoidea, Chrysidoidea and Vespoidea) is revised. Species distribution is summarised for all species at the level of country (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Isle of Man).

New Information: The 601 native species represent an increase of 25 on the 1978 checklist, comprising mostly new discoveries.

How territoriality and host-tree taxa determine the structure of ant mosaics.

Very large colonies of territorially dominant arboreal ants (TDAAs), whose territories are distributed in a mosaic pattern in the canopies of many tropical rainforests and tree crop plantations, have a generally positive impact on their host trees. We studied the canopy of an old Gabonese rainforest (ca 4.25 ha sampled, corresponding to 206 "large" trees) at a stage just preceding forest maturity (the Caesalpinioideae dominated; the Burseraceae were abundant).

Cyanobacteria and algae blooms: Review of health and environmental data from the Harmful Algal Bloom-Related Illness Surveillance System (HABISS) 2007-2011.

Algae and cyanobacteria are present in all aquatic environments. We do not have a good sense of the extent of human and animal exposures to cyanobacteria or their toxins, nor do we understand the public health impacts from acute exposures associated with recreational activities or chronic exposures associated with drinking water. We describe the Harmful Algal Bloom-related Illness Surveillance System (HABISS) and summarize the collected reports describing bloom events and associated adverse human and animal health events.

The Madagascan endemic myrmicine ants related to Eutetramorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): taxonomy of the genera Eutetramorium Emery, Malagidris nom. n., Myrmisaraka gen. n., Royidris gen. n., and Vitsika gen. n.

The monophyletic group of myrmicine ant genera related to Eutetramorium is described and its taxonomy is documented. The group is endemic in Madagascar and contains five genera: Eutetramorium Emery, 1899 (3 species, 1 of which is new); Malagidris nom. n.

Orthonasal and retronasal but not oral-cavity-only discrimination of vapor-phase fatty acids.

Discrimination of vapor-phase linoleic, oleic, and stearic fatty acids was studied using triangle tests. For each trial, 2 of the 3 modified odorant delivery containers (MODCs) had the same content and 1 was different. Contents were either mineral oil-diluted linoleic or oleic acids, with mineral oil in the other MODC (blanks) or undiluted stearic acid with NaCl in the other MODC (blanks).

Preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the United States.

Design: A randomized controlled trial (2002-2005; data analyzed 2005-2006) of a brief motivational intervention to reduce the risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy (AEP) in preconceptional women by focusing on both risk drinking and ineffective contraception use.

Setting/participants: A total of 830 nonpregnant women, aged 18-44 years, and currently at risk for an AEP were recruited in six diverse settings in Florida, Texas, and Virginia.

Combination tetrathiomolybdate and radiation therapy in a mouse model of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To assess the effect of combining tetrathiomolybdate therapy and radiation treatment (RT) on tumor growth in the mouse head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) model.

Design: One million HNSCC cells were injected subcutaneously into the flanks of C3H/HeJ mice and the tumors grown to an average of 301 mm3 (day 0). Mice were randomized into 4 groups: (a) no therapy, (b) tetrathiomolybdate alone, (c) RT alone, or (d) tetrathiomolybdate + RT.

Nursing education and implications for left ventricular assist device destination therapy.

The HeartMate VE Left Ventricular Assist Device (vented electric abdominally positioned pulsatile blood pump; Thoratec Corp., Pleasanton, CA), approved as a permanent support, or destination therapy, by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2002 and Medicare in 2003, is now a potential therapy for numerous patients. Postimplantation nursing care is crucial to the success of left ventricular support device therapy and long-term recipient outcome.

Metallic taste and retronasal smell.

A series of experiments investigated the nature of metallic taste reports and whether they can be attributed to the development of a retronasal smell. Two studies showed that the metallic sensation reports following oral stimulation with solutions of FeSO4 were reduced to baseline when the nose was occluded. No such reduction was seen for CuSO4 or ZnSO4, which were more bitter and astringent, respectively, and less metallic.

Subsite specificities of granzyme M: a study of inhibitors and newly synthesized thiobenzyl ester substrates.

Granzyme M is a member of a family of granule serine proteases that participate in target cell death initiated by cytotoxic lymphocytes. The enzyme is almost exclusively expressed in NK cell types. Granzyme M cleaves at the carboxy side of amino acids with long, hydrophobic side chains like Met, Leu, and Nle.