Determination of highly hazardous pesticides in fruits and vegetables in the Maya region of southeast of Mexico.

Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) have been identified as substances with severe adverse effects, including carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, and reproductive toxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables from Hopelchén to provide evidence for policy recommendations on pesticide regulation. A total of 25 samples were collected and analyzed using the QuEChERS method with GC-MS/MS and LC-MS techniques.

Toxicological and environmental risks of enalapril and their possible transformation products generated under phototransformation reactions.

Pharmaceutical active compounds (PACs) in the concentration range of hundreds of ng/L to μg/L have been identified in urban surface water, groundwater, and agricultural land where they cause various health risks. These pollutants are classified as emerging and cannot be efficiently removed by conventional wastewater treatment processes. The use of nano-enabled photocatalysts in the removal of pharmaceuticals in aquatic systems has recently received research attention owing to their enhanced properties and effectiveness.

Assessment of photo electro-Fenton and solar photo electro-Fenton processes for the efficient degradation of asulam herbicide.

The degradation of asulam herbicide by photo electro-Fenton (PEF) and solar photo electro-Fenton (SPEF) processes was studied using an undivided electrochemical BDD/carbon-felt cell to generate HO continuously. A central composite design combined with response surface methodology was applied to determine the optimal operating conditions of current intensity = 0.30 A, [Fe] = 0.

The situation of chlorpyrifos in Mexico: a case study in environmental samples and aquatic organisms.

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most commonly used organophosphate pesticides. Because CPF was described as a toxic compound without safe levels of exposure for children, certain countries in Latin America and the European Union have banned or restricted its use; however, in Mexico it is used very frequently. The aim of this study was to describe the current situation of CPF in Mexico, as well as its use, commercialization, and presence in soil, water, and aquatic organisms in an agricultural region of Mexico.

TiON Thin Film Sputtered on a Fiber Ball Lens as Saturable Absorber for Passive Q-Switched Generation of a Single-Tunable/Dual-Wavelength Er-Yb Double Clad Fiber Laser.

The use of titanium oxynitride (TiON) thin films as a saturable absorber (SA) element for generation of passive Q-switched (PQS) laser pulses, from a linear cavity Er-Yb double-clad fiber (EYDCF) laser, is demonstrated. Additionally, the deposition of the material as a thin film covering a fiber micro-ball lens (MBL) structure is reported for the first time. The TiON coating is deposited by a direct current (DC) magnetron-sputtering technique.

Environmental Levels, Sources, and Cancer Risk Assessment of PAHs Associated with PM and TSP in Monterrey Metropolitan Area.

In this work, the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in total suspended particles and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM) was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition, a sequential chemical analysis of C-rich particles was performed through the parallel coupling of micro-Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with X-ray scattering detection.

Pesticide residues in orange fruit from citrus orchards in Nuevo Leon State, Mexico.

Some international organisations established maximum residue limits (MRLs) in food to protect human health. Mexico lacks regulations in this matter, affecting national and international trade from agroindustry. The aim of this study was to diagnose pesticide residues in oranges from Nuevo Leon, México, in citrus orchards.

Environmental exposure to arsenic and chromium in children is associated with kidney injury molecule-1.

Environmental hazards from natural or anthropological sources are widespread, especially in the north-central region of Mexico. Children represent a susceptible population due to their unique routes of exposure and special vulnerabilities. In this study we evaluated the association of exposure to environmental kidney toxicants with kidney injury biomarkers in children living in San Luis Potosi (SLP), Mexico.

Boron and Coumaphos Residues in Hive Materials Following Treatments for the Control of Aethina tumida Murray.

In the search of alternatives for controlling Aethina tumida Murray, we recently proposed the BAA trap which uses boric acid and an attractant which mimics the process of fermentation caused by Kodamaea ohmeri in the hive. This yeast is excreted in the feces of A. tumida causing the fermentation of pollen and honey of infested hives and releasing compounds that function as aggregation pheromones to A.

DDE and PCB 153 independently induce aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Recent studies have demonstrated that compounds inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines enhance AhR expression. The aim of this study was 2-fold: (1) to determine if two pro-inflammatory compounds, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexa-chlorobiphenyl (PCB 153), independently affect AhR gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC); and (2) if affected, to determine whether the mechanism involved was due to AhR activation or to a pro-inflammatory effect of the chemicals. PBMC isolated from healthy individuals were incubated in the presence of DDE (10 µg/ml) and PCB 153 (20 ng/ml) over time and AhR and CYP1A1 expression was assessed with a real-time PCR technique.

Analysis of Th1, Th17 and regulatory T cells in tuberculosis case contacts.

We have hypothesized that individuals infected with Mycobacteriumtuberculosis that exhibit different patterns of immune reactivity in serial interferon (IFN)-γ release assays (IGRA's) correspond to different status within the immune spectrum of latent tuberculosis (TB). Accordingly, we analyzed the possible association between the consistent results (negative or positive) in an IGRA test and relevant immune parameters, mainly the levels of Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes and T regulatory (Treg) cells in the peripheral blood of TB case contacts. We found that individuals with a persistently positive IGRA showed increased levels of Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes upon in vitro stimulation with MTB antigens.

DDT, DDE, and 1-hydroxypyrene levels in children (in blood and urine samples) from Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the DDT, DDE, and 1-hydroxypyrene exposure levels of children living in communities located in southeastern Mexico. The study communities were Lacanja and Victoria in Chiapas state and Ventanilla in Oaxaca state. Children living in Lacanja had total blood DDT levels (mean ± SD, 29,039.

p,p'-DDE, a DDT metabolite, induces proinflammatory molecules in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells "in vitro".

In a recent study, our group demonstrated that when peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated "in vitro" with p,p'-DDE, a DDT metabolite, an antioxidant response and biomarkers of inflammation were induced at the mRNA level, indicating a proinflammatory state. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the induction of proinflammatory molecules at the protein level in PBMCs exposed to p,p'-DDE "in vitro". The main finding was that "in vitro" exposure to p,p'-DDE enhanced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) at the protein level in PBMCs.

Antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of Justicia spicigera Schltdl (Acanthaceae).

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Medicinal plants are an important source of antitumor compounds. This study evaluated the acute toxicity in vitro and in vivo, as well as the cytotoxic, antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of ethanolic extracts of Justicia spicigera leaves (JSE).

Materials And Methods: The in vitro and in vivo toxicity of JSE was evaluated with comet assay in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and acute toxicity in mice, according to the Lorke procedure, respectively.

Effect of polychlorinated biphenyls 118 and 153 on Th1/Th2 cells differentiation.

The objective of this study was evaluate the effect of coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) 118-congener (PCB like-dioxin) and noncoplanar PCB 153-congener (PCB no like-dioxin) on differentiation of humans T-CD4+ lymphocytes into Th1 or Th2 subpopulations. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from healthy volunteers (aged 25-30 years); T-CD4+ lymphocytes were separated from PBMC. Then, the differentiation of T-CD4+ cells into Th1 or Th2 subpopulation was performed and the intracellular cytokines analyses were assessed.

Variability in DDT-induced apoptosis in Mexican indigenous populations.

Context: In previous studies, we showed that DDT and its metabolites are able to induce apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) "in vitro" and "in vivo", by a mechanism involving oxidative stress.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the mechanism by which DDT induces apoptosis in PBMC in children exposed to DDT and its metabolites.

Materials And Methods: Eligibility criteria included children who: (1) have lived in the selected community since birth, (2) were between 6 and 14 years of age at the time of the study, (3) had not been exposed to medicaments or tobacco smoke, and (4) had had no infectious diseases in the month prior to the study.

Assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls and mercury levels in soil and biological samples from San Felipe, Nuevo Mercurio, Zacatecas, Mexico.

The aim of this work was to evaluate contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls and mercury in soil, and to assess exposure level to both contaminants in children living in San Felipe, Nuevo Mercurio, Zacatecas, Mexico. We found soil levels of total polychlorinated biphenyls ranging from non detectable (nd) to 190 μg/kg. Mercury soil levels ranged from 8.