Recruitment and Retention in the National Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Change Program in Two Federally Qualified Health Centers in Rural Hawai'i.

Prediabetes disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority groups in Hawai'i. The National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle change program (National DPP LCP) decreases the risk of developing diabetes. However, enrolling and retaining participants is a challenge for program providers.

Gut Microbiota Alterations in Alzheimer's Disease: Relation with Cognitive Impairment and Mediterranean Lifestyle.

Recently, an association between dysbiosis of the gut microbiota (GMB) and the development of several diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been proposed. Dysbiosis involves changes in microbial diversity influenced by environmental factors, like diet or lifestyle. In this study, we investigated the role of GMB parameters in Spanish AD patients, assessing the impact of adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle (ML), as well as to characterize these parameters in relation to neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, emotional, and functionality parameters.

Concentrations of polychlorinated naphthalenes in food and human dietary exposure: A review of the scientific literature.

In general, for most environmental persistent organic pollutants (POPs), dietary intake is the main way of exposure. Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are a family of two-ringed aromatic compounds, which are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, being structurally similar to PCDD/Fs and PCBs. Although the production and use of PCNs were banned in the USA and Europe some decades ago, due to their persistent properties, PCNs remain still present in the environment, being able to enter the food chain.

A review of the scientific literature on experimental toxicity studies of COVID-19 vaccines, with special attention to publications in toxicology journals.

Since the reports of the first cases of COVID-19, in less than 5 years, a huge number of documents regarding that disease and the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for the infection, have been published. The tremendous number of scientific documents covers many topics on different issues directly related to COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2. The number of articles-including reviews-reporting adverse/side effects of the approved COVID-19 vaccines is considerable.

Blood levels of 21 metals and metalloids in riverside villagers of the Brazilian Amazon: A human biomonitoring study with associations with sociodemographic, dietary, and lifestyle factors.

Human biomonitoring of toxic and essential trace elements is critically important for public health protection. Amazonian riverine communities exhibit distinctive dietary patterns, heavily reliant on locally sourced fish, fruits, and vegetables. These habits may result in unique exposure profiles compared to urban populations.

Sleep and circadian rhythm alterations in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post-COVID fatigue syndrome and its association with cardiovascular risk factors: A prospective cohort study.

This study aimed to investigate circadian rhythm manifestations in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) patients (including a subpopulation of long-COVID patients) and matched healthy controls while also exploring their association with cardiovascular health variables. Thirty-one ME/CFS patients (75% females), 23 individuals diagnosed with post-COVID ME/CFS (56% females) and 31 matched healthy controls (68% females) were enrolled in this study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed using validated self-reported outcome measures.

Levels of Rare Earth Elements in Food and Human Dietary Exposure: A Review.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group consisting of the following 17 metals: Ce, Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, La, Lu, Nd, Pr, Pm, Sc, Sm, Tb, Tm, Y and Yb. In the current century, the number of applications of REEs has significantly increased. They are being used as components in high technology devices of great importance industrial/economic.

Regulatory compliance of PCDD/F emissions by a municipal solid waste incinerator. A case study in Sant Adrià de Besòs, Catalonia, Spain.

Despite incineration is an important emission source of toxic pollutants, such as heavy metals and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), it is still one of the most widely used methods for the management of municipal solid waste. The current paper summarizes the results of a 20-year follow-up study of the emissions of PCDD/Fs by a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) in Sant Adrià de Besòs (Catalonia, Spain). Samples of ambient air, soils and herbage were periodically collected near the facility and the content of PCDD/Fs was analyzed.

Molecular mechanisms of environmental pollutant-induced cartilage damage: from developmental disorders to osteoarthritis.

The objective of the present study was to review the molecular mechanisms of the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on chondrocytes and extracellular matrix (ECM). Existing data demonstrate that both heavy metals, including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As), as well as organic pollutants, including polychlorinated dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), bisphenol A, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), pesticides, and certain other organic pollutants that target cartilage ontogeny and functioning. Overall, environmental pollutants reduce chondrocyte viability through the induction apoptosis, senescence, and inflammatory response, resulting in cell death and impaired ECM production.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the visual mismatch negativity in schizophrenia.

Mismatch negativity (MMN) is an event-related potential component automatically elicited by events that violate predictions based on prior events. To elicit this component, researchers use stimulus repetition to induce predictions, and the MMN is obtained by subtracting the brain response to rare or unpredicted stimuli from that of frequent stimuli. Under the Predictive Processing framework, one increasingly popular interpretation of the mismatch response postulates that MMN represents a prediction error.

Impact of 1-Year Supplementation with High-Rich Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) on Clinical Variables and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial.

A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study was conducted to assess the effect of dietary supplementation with high-rich docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (Tridocosahexanoin-AOX 70%) at 50 mg/kg/day in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) as compared with placebo. The duration of supplementation was 12 months. A total of 22 patients were included, with 11 in the DHA group and 11 in the placebo group.

Association of circulating biomarkers with illness severity measures differentiates myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post-COVID-19 condition: a prospective pilot cohort study.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that autonomic dysfunction and persistent systemic inflammation are common clinical features in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID. However, there is limited knowledge regarding their potential association with circulating biomarkers and illness severity in these conditions.

Methods: This single-site, prospective, cross-sectional, pilot cohort study aimed to distinguish between the two patient populations by using self-reported outcome measures and circulating biomarkers of endothelial function and systemic inflammation status.

Non-linear transcriptional responses to gradual modulation of transcription factor dosage.

Genomic loci associated with common traits and diseases are typically non-coding and likely impact gene expression, sometimes coinciding with rare loss-of-function variants in the target gene. However, our understanding of how gradual changes in gene dosage affect molecular, cellular, and organismal traits is currently limited. To address this gap, we induced gradual changes in gene expression of four genes using CRISPR activation and inactivation.

Human exposure to elements through consumption of raw and cooked fish in an urban region of the central Brazilian Amazon biome: Health risks.

Fish is an important source of animal protein for local communities in the Amazon basin, whose food safety must be assured. However, certain potential toxicants elements, can bioaccumulate in fish species, which inhabit anthropogenically polluted waters, ultimately posing a risk to human health. In the present study, the concentrations of nine elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in raw and cooked samples of eight fish species consumed in Santarém (northern Brazil, Amazon biome).

Routine results of an algorithm for managing the production of blood components.

Background And Objectives: The variability in the number of donations together with a growing demand for platelet concentrates and plasma-derived medicines make us seek solutions aimed at optimizing the processing of blood. Some mathematical models to improve efficiencies in blood banking have been published. The goal of this work is to validate and evaluate an algorithm's impact in the production of blood components in the Blood and Tissues Bank of Aragon (BTBA).

Specifying cellular context of transcription factor regulons for exploring context-specific gene regulation programs.

Understanding the role of transcription and transcription factors in cellular identity and disease, such as cancer and autoimmunity, is essential. However, comprehensive data resources for cell line-specific transcription factor-to-target gene annotations are currently limited. To address this, we developed a straightforward method to define regulons that capture the cell-specific aspects of TF binding and transcript expression levels.

Divergent effects of the antiretroviral drugs, dolutegravir, tenofovir alafenamide, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, on human adipocyte function.

Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has been associated with increased body weight accompanied by metabolic alterations in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). To gain insight into the combined effects of cART components on adipocyte dysfunction, we assessed whether and how treatment of human adipocytes with dolutegravir (DTG) and the nucleotide-analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), alone and in combination, altered biological processes related to adipose tissue dysfunction. DTG, TAF, and TDF were applied to human Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS) adipose cells during differentiation (day 10) and ensuing differentiation (day 14).

Mitofusin-2 induced by exercise modifies lipid droplet-mitochondria communication, promoting fatty acid oxidation in male mice with NAFLD.

Background And Aim: The excessive accumulation of lipid droplets (LDs) is a defining characteristic of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The interaction between LDs and mitochondria is functionally important for lipid metabolism homeostasis. Exercise improves NAFLD, but it is not known if it has an effect on hepatic LD-mitochondria interactions.

Air concentrations of trace elements in a municipality under the influence of Tarragona petrochemical complex: Human health risks.

One of the largest petrochemical complexes of southern Europe is located in Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain). Despite environmental monitoring is routinely conducted in the area, the long-term occurrence of airborne trace elements has been poorly investigated. In the present study, the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and vanadium (V) were analysed in air samples collected in El Morell, a town potentially impacted by the petrochemical.

A review of the epidemiological and laboratory evidence of the role of aluminum exposure in pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.

The objective of the present study was to review the epidemiological and laboratory evidence on the role of aluminum (Al) exposure in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Epidemiological data demonstrated an increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including hypertension and atherosclerosis in occupationally exposed subjects and hemodialysis patients. In addition, Al body burden was found to be elevated in patients with coronary heart disease, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.