Publications by authors named "Foerster C"

Ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), and deoxynivalenol (DON) are mycotoxins whose exposure is associated with various adverse health effects, including cancer and renal disorders, estrogenic effects, and immunosuppressive and gastrointestinal disorders, respectively. Infants (<2 years) are the most vulnerable group to mycotoxins, representing a unique combination of restricted food consumption types, low body weight, lower ability to eliminate toxins, and more future years to accumulate toxins. This study aimed to estimate the infant́s exposure to OTA, DON, and ZEN due to the consumption of milk formula and baby cereals in Chile.

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  • Sweet syndrome is a rare skin condition characterized by fever and an increase in neutrophils, often triggered by infections, certain medications, or occasionally, sunlight exposure.
  • A case study details a 50-year-old woman who developed a painful rash after experiencing upper respiratory symptoms, using ibuprofen, and having significant sun exposure, along with symptoms like chills and nausea.
  • Diagnosis included lab tests showing elevated inflammatory markers and a skin biopsy revealing neutrophilic infiltration, with treatment via steroids leading to substantial improvement, suggesting sunlight could be a rare trigger for the syndrome.
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  • Epidemiological studies link pesticide exposure to negative health effects, but research in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is limited, prompting a scoping review to identify knowledge gaps and research needs.
  • The review found 233 relevant studies from 16 countries, primarily focusing on genotoxicity and neurobehavioral outcomes, with a significant portion conducted on farmworkers and children.
  • Results suggest harmful effects from pesticides like organophosphates, but methodological weaknesses in the analyses call for improved research methods to draw stronger conclusions on health impacts in LAC populations.*
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The metastatic spread of cancer is achieved by the haematogenous dissemination of circulating tumour cells (CTCs). Generally, however, the temporal dynamics that dictate the generation of metastasis-competent CTCs are largely uncharacterized, and it is often assumed that CTCs are constantly shed from growing tumours or are shed as a consequence of mechanical insults. Here we observe a striking and unexpected pattern of CTC generation dynamics in both patients with breast cancer and mouse models, highlighting that most spontaneous CTC intravasation events occur during sleep.

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We assessed the occurrence of aflatoxin M (AFM) in urine in a sample of the MAUCO population-based cohort (n = 120) using an enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) kit specially designed for the analysis of AFM in urine. We found AFM in the urine of 59% of the participants (> limit of detection), with 12% of the samples being over the limit of quantification. The mean of the quantifiable samples was 0.

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Mycotoxins are unavoidable contaminants produced by fungi in food, especially grains. This study aimed to measure the occurrence and levels of total aflatoxins (AFs); ochratoxin A (OTA); zearalenone (ZEN); fumonisins B1, B2, and B3 (FUM); deoxynivalenol (DON); and T-2/HT-2 toxins in the four most commonly consumed breakfast cereals in Chile and to assess mycotoxin exposure and risk in children aged 2 to 13 years due to cereal consumption. In this study, a total of 110 batches with three subsamples of the four brands were sampled in supermarkets from November 2019 to June 2021.

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Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), and deoxynivalenol (DON) are frequent mycotoxins that may cause carcinogenic, mutagenic, estrogenic, or gastrointestinal effects. The aim of this study was to assess the exposure to and risk from AFB1, OTA, ZEN, and DON in 172 participants of the Maule Cohort (MAUCO) by a biomarker analysis in urine and to associate their exposure with food consumption and occupation. Mycotoxins in the first morning urine were analyzed by solid-phase extraction and quantified by Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with a mass-mass detector.

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Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that resist biochemical degradation, moving long distances across the atmosphere before deposition occurs. Our goal was to provide up-to-date data on the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo--dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in breast milk from Chilean women and to estimate the exposure of infants due to breast milk consumption. In Chile, we conducted a cross-sectional study based on methodologies proposed by the WHO, with a sample of 30 women recruited from three defined areas: 10 from the Arica Region (urban; Arica and Parinacota Region), 10 from Coltauco (rural; O'Higgins Region), and 10 from Molina (40% rural; Maule Region).

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In the last 25 years, Chile has had an expanding role as an agro-export country in the global economy, with efficient rates of productivity in the region, based on the technological development of agriculture, with of large monocultures whose productivity depends on the intensive application of agrochemicals. This form of agriculture has also lacked efficient regulations and surveillance, so it is difficult to estimate the real magnitude of the exposed population and its effects on health in the short or long term. This systematic review compiles the epidemiological evidence generated from studies conducted in several regions of Chile regarding pesticide exposure and health effects.

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Caligidosis and Piscirickettsiosis are currently the most important sanitary challenges for the Chilean salmon industry. Caligidosis is caused by the ectoparasite, Caligus rogercresseyi and Piscirickettsiosis is caused by the intracellular bacterium, Piscirickettsia salmonis. Both diseases are highly prevalent and widely distributed in farming areas in Chile.

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The aims of this study were to analyse the occurrence of aflatoxins, aflatoxin M1 (AFM), fumonisins, ochratoxin A (OTA), patulin (PAT), zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in foodstuffs consumed in Chile between 2008 and 2017 and to estimate the contribution of main contaminated foodstuff in human exposure by the probable daily intake (PDI) estimation. In 9 years of surveillance, 2020 food samples were analysed with an occurrence of 18.2% and with 2.

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Objective: Amiodarone is commonly used in the treatment of stable ventricular tachycardia (VT), but its efficacy has not been empirically examined in the prehospital setting. The objective of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of amiodarone administered by paramedics to patients with stable VT.

Methods: Patient records from Victoria, Australia between 1 May 2007 and 30 June 2017 were examined retrospectively.

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Objective: Paramedicine is often dependent on physician medical directors and their associated programs for direction and oversight. A positive relationship between paramedics and their oversight physicians promotes safety and quality care while a strained or ineffective one may threaten these goals. The objective of this study was to explore and understand the professional relationship between paramedics and physician medical oversight as viewed by front-line paramedics.

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Persistent polyclonal B lymphocytosis (PPBL) is a benign hematological disorder characterized by a selective expansion of circulating polyclonal marginal zone (MZ)-like B cells. Previous reports demonstrated that cases of PPBL showed poor activation, proliferation and survival of B cells in vitro, yet the underlying defect remains unknown. Here we report for the first time an attenuated activation of the canonical NF-κB (nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway after CD40 stimulation.

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Background: Maule Cohort (MAUCO), a Chilean cohort study, seeks to analyze the natural history of chronic diseases in the agricultural county of Molina (40,000 inhabitants) in the Maule Region, Chile. Molina´s population is of particular interest because in the last few decades it changed from being undernourished to suffering excess caloric intake, and it currently has the highest national rates of cardiovascular diseases, stomach cancer and gallbladder cancer. Between 2009 and 2011 Molina´s poverty rate dropped from 24.

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Chronic aflatoxin exposure has long been related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, its association with gallbladder cancer (GBC) was postulated. Here we present the data supporting this hypothesis in Chile, the country with the highest GBC mortality worldwide with age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) of 10.

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Objective: Large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) is the standard surgical treatment for cervical dysplasia. The optimal way to achieve local hemostasis in women undergoing LLETZ is unknown.

Materials And Methods: In a prospective, randomized trial, we compared spray coagulation and forced coagulation in women undergoing LLETZ in a 1:1 ratio.

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A novel, promising strategy for cancer diagnosis and therapy is the use of a pretargeting approach. For this purpose, the non-natural DNA/RNA analogues Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) are ideal candidates as recognition units due to their high metabolic stability and lack of unspecific accumulation. In the pretargeting approach, an unlabeled, highly specific antibody-PNA conjugate has sufficient time to target a tumor before administration of a small fast-clearing radiolabeled complementary PNA that hybridizes with the antibody-PNA conjugate at the tumor site.

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