The inter-laboratory validation study of EpiSensA for predicting skin sensitization potential.

The Epidermal Sensitization Assay (EpiSensA) is a reconstructed human epidermis (RhE)-based gene expression assay for predicting the skin sensitization potential of chemicals. Since the RhE model is covered by a stratified stratum corneum, various kinds of test chemicals, including lipophilic ones and pre-/pro-haptens, can be tested with a route of exposure akin to an in vivo assay and human exposure. This article presents the results of a formally managed validation study of the EpiSensA that was carried out by three participating laboratories.

Parasites, parasitoids, and hive products that are potentially deleterious to wild and commercially raised bumble bees ( spp.) in North America.

Bumble bees are important pollinators for a great diversity of wild and cultivated plants, and in many parts of the world certain species have been found to be in decline, gone locally extinct, or even globally extinct. A large number of symbionts live on, in, or with these social bees. We give an overview of what is known about bumble bee ecto-symbionts and parasitoids.

Endosymbionts that threaten commercially raised and wild bumble bees ( spp.).

Bumble bees ( spp.) are important pollinators for both wild and agriculturally managed plants. We give an overview of what is known about the diverse community of internal potentially deleterious bumble bee symbionts, including viruses, bacteria, protozoans, fungi, and nematodes, as well as methods for their detection, quantification, and control.

An Evidence-based rationale for a North American commercial bumble bee clean stock certification program.

The commercial production and subsequent movement of bumble bees for pollination of agricultural field and greenhouse crops is a growing industry in North America and globally. Concerns have been raised about the impacts of pathogen spillover from managed bees to wild pollinators, including from commercial bumble bees. We recommend development of a program to mitigate disease risk in commercial bumble bee production, which will in turn reduce disease stressors on wild pollinators and other insects.

Environmental exposure to metals and the development of tauopathies, synucleinopathies, and TDP-43 proteinopathies: A systematic evidence map protocol.

Background: Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are incurable and expected to increase in prevalence in the upcoming decades. Environmental exposure to metals has been suggested as a contributing factor to the development of neurodegenerative disease. This systematic evidence map will identify and characterize the epidemiological and experimental data available on the intersection of eighteen metals of environmental concern (i.

Assessing the skin irritation and sensitizing potential of concentrates of water chlorinated in the presence of iodinated X-ray contrast media.

Chemical disinfection of water provides significant public health benefits. However, disinfectants like chlorine can react with naturally occurring materials in the water to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Natural levels of iodine have been reported to be too low in some source waters to account for the levels of iodinated DBPs detected.

Where Does Honey Bee ( L.) Pollen Come from? A Study of Pollen Collected from Colonies at Ornamental Plant Nurseries.

Ornamental nursery plants are both a major agricultural industry in the U.S. and a major feature of the urban and suburban landscape.

Protocol for Initiating and Monitoring Bumble Bee Microcolonies with (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Populations of some bumble bee species are in decline, prompting the need to better understand bumble bee biology and for assessing the effects of environmental stressors on these important pollinators. Microcolonies have been successfully used for investigating a range of endpoints, including behavior, gut microbiome, nutrition, development, pathogens, and the effects of pesticide exposure on bumble bee health. Here, we present a step-by-step protocol for initiating, maintaining, and monitoring microcolonies with .

A Comparison of Pollen and Syrup Exposure Routes in Bombus impatiens (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Microcolonies: Implications for Pesticide Risk Assessment.

Bumble bees are important pollinators for both native plants and managed agricultural systems. Accumulating evidence has shown that pesticides, including neonicotinoids, can have a range of adverse effects on bumble bee health. Most laboratory studies that assess the effects of chronic neonicotinoid exposure on bumble bees use syrup as the delivery vehicle, rather than pollen.

A systematic scoping review of the methodological approaches and effects of pesticide exposure on solitary bees.

Background: Pollination services provided by solitary bees, the largest group of bees worldwide, are critical to the vitality of ecosystems and agricultural systems alike. Disconcertingly, bee populations are in decline, and while no single causative factor has been identified, pesticides are believed to play a role in downward population trends. The effects of pesticides on solitary bee species have not been previously systematically cataloged and reviewed.

Effects of the Neonicotinoid Acetamiprid in Pollen on Bombus impatiens Microcolony Development.

Honey bees and other wild bee species including bumble bees have experienced population declines in recent decades. Although many stressors are implicated in bee population declines, much attention has focused on neonicotinoid pesticides, which are widely used and known to be toxic to pollinators. One neonicotinoid, acetamiprid, has been studied very little in bumble bees, despite its use on bumble bee-pollinated crops.

The Importance of Males to Bumble Bee ( Species) Nest Development and Colony Viability.

Bumble bee population declines over the last decade have stimulated strong interest in determining causative factors and necessary conservation measures. Research attention has largely been directed toward bumble bee worker and queen health and their contributions to population stability, while male bees (i.e.

Physiological responses to cisplatin using a mouse hypersensitivity model.

: The physiological mechanisms underlying the development of respiratory hypersensitivity to cisplatin (CDDP) are not well-understood. It has been suggested that these reactions are likely the result of type I hypersensitivity, but other explanations are plausible and the potential for CDDP to induce type I hypersensitivity responses has not been directly evaluated in an animal model. : To investigate CDDP hypersensitivity, mice were topically sensitized through application of CDDP before being challenged by oropharyngeal aspiration (OPA) with CDDP.

Bombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Microcolonies as a Tool for Biological Understanding and Pesticide Risk Assessment.

Bumble bees provide valuable pollination services to many wild and agricultural plants. Populations of some bumble bee species are in decline, prompting the need to better understand bumble bee biology and to develop methodologies for assessing the effects of environmental stressors on these bees. Use of bumble bee microcolonies as an experimental tool is steadily increasing.

Cross-reactivity between halogenated platinum salts in an immediate-type respiratory hypersensitivity model.

Halogenated platinum salts can trigger the development of occupational asthma. Until recently, laboratory research into the development and manifestation of platinum hypersensitivity responses were hindered by the lack of an animal model suitable for assessing the functional consequences of allergic sensitization. We employed a newly developed mouse model to assess the potential allergenicity of ammonium tetrachloroplatinate (ATCP), compare the relative potency of ATCP and another platinum salt, ammonium hexachloroplatinate (AHCP) and assess potential cross-reactivity.

Workshop on Pesticide Exposure Assessment Paradigm for Non-Apis Bees: Foundation and Summaries.

Current pesticide risk assessment practices use the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., as a surrogate to characterize the likelihood of chemical exposure of a candidate pesticide for all bee species. Bees make up a diverse insect group that provides critical pollination services to both managed and wild ecosystems.

Comparison of Pesticide Exposure in Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae): Implications for Risk Assessments.

To date, regulatory pesticide risk assessments have relied on the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) as a surrogate test species for estimating the risk of pesticide exposure to all bee species. However, honey bees and non-Apis bees may differ in their susceptibility and exposure to pesticides.

Skin sensitization testing needs and data uses by US regulatory and research agencies.

United States regulatory and research agencies may rely upon skin sensitization test data to assess the sensitization hazards associated with dermal exposure to chemicals and products. These data are evaluated to ensure that such substances will not cause unreasonable adverse effects to human health when used appropriately. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Food and Drug Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the US Department of Defense are member agencies of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM).

Use of the LLNA:BrdU-ELISA for Skin Sensitization Hazard Assessment.

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) continues to be an occupational and environmental health issue. Consequently, there is a need to employ predictive tests to reduce the incidence of skin sensitization leading to clinical manifestations of ACD. For more than a decade, the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) has been the method of choice for the identification of skin sensitizers.

Prediction of skin sensitization potency using machine learning approaches.

The replacement of animal use in testing for regulatory classification of skin sensitizers is a priority for US federal agencies that use data from such testing. Machine learning models that classify substances as sensitizers or non-sensitizers without using animal data have been developed and evaluated. Because some regulatory agencies require that sensitizers be further classified into potency categories, we developed statistical models to predict skin sensitization potency for murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) and human outcomes.

Multivariate models for prediction of human skin sensitization hazard.

One of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Method's (ICCVAM) top priorities is the development and evaluation of non-animal approaches to identify potential skin sensitizers. The complexity of biological events necessary to produce skin sensitization suggests that no single alternative method will replace the currently accepted animal tests. ICCVAM is evaluating an integrated approach to testing and assessment based on the adverse outcome pathway for skin sensitization that uses machine learning approaches to predict human skin sensitization hazard.

Integrated decision strategies for skin sensitization hazard.

One of the top priorities of the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) is the identification and evaluation of non-animal alternatives for skin sensitization testing. Although skin sensitization is a complex process, the key biological events of the process have been well characterized in an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Accordingly, ICCVAM is working to develop integrated decision strategies based on the AOP using in vitro, in chemico and in silico information.