Randomized controlled trial of propranolol on social communication and anxiety in children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Rationale: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired social communication and is also frequently characterized by co-occurring anxiety. Propranolol is widely utilized to treat performance and public speaking anxiety. Single-dose psychopharmacological challenge studies suggested benefits using propranolol for verbal tasks and social interaction.

Human Papillomavirus Infection and Oropharyngeal and Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Causal Relationship?

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. The risk of being infected at least once in a lifetime among both men and women is estimated to be 50%. Although the majority of HPV infections are asymptomatic and improve within 2 years, approximately 10% of individuals develop a persistent infection and have an increased risk of developing carcinomas.

Spatial and temporal trends of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in fish fillets and water collected from pool 2 of the Upper Mississippi River.

In 2011, poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were analyzed in surface water and fish fillet samples taken from Pool 2 of the Upper Mississippi River, a 33-mile stretch inclusive of the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota (USA) metropolitan area. Approximately 100 each of bluegill, freshwater drum, smallmouth bass, and white bass were sampled within the study area.

Bioaccumulation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in fishes from the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers, Michigan, USA.

Characterizing biological factors associated with species-specific accumulation of contaminants is one of the major focuses in ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry studies. In this study, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and non- and mono-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were analyzed in various fish species from the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers (12 fish species; n=314 individuals), Michigan, USA. Due to their migratory habits, greater delta(13)C stable isotope values were found in walleye and white sucker among 12 fish species.

Chronic effects of polychlorinated dibenzofurans on mink in laboratory and field environments.

Mink are often used as a sentinel species in ecological risk assessments of chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) that cause toxicity mediated through the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor. Considerable toxicological information is available on the effects of PCBs and PCDDs on mink, but limited toxicological information is available for PCDFs. Thus, exposure concentrations at which adverse effects occur could not be determined reliably for complex mixtures in which PCDFs dominate the total calculated concentration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalent (TEQ).

Toxicity reference values for mink exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents (TEQs).

Dietary and tissue residue-based toxicity reference values (TRVs) were derived for mink from the published results of studies in which mink were exposed to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), biphenyls (PCBs), or related compounds. Because the primary mechanism of toxic action at the least concentration for these compounds is related to activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), TRVs were described on the basis of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents (TEQ). Each published study was critically reviewed for its usefulness in deriving a TRV based on the following criteria: (1) close relatedness of the test species to the wildlife receptor of concern (only mink studies were reviewed in this paper); (2) chronic duration of exposure which included sensitive life stages to evaluate potential developmental and reproductive effects; (3) measurement of ecologically relevant endpoints; (4) availability of congener-specific data to calculate TEQ concentrations; and (5) minimal impact of co-contaminants.

Effects of repeated exposure to malathion on growth, food consumption, and locomotor performance of the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis).

Effects of repeated pollutant exposure on growth, locomotor performance, and behavior have rarely been evaluated in reptiles. We administered three doses of malathion (2.0, 20, or 100mg/kg body weight) to western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) over an 81day period.

Accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls from floodplain soils by passerine birds.

Eggs, nestlings, and adults of the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) and house wren (Troglodytes aedon) were collected at a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated site and a reference location on the Kalamazoo River (MI, USA). Eggs and nestlings of eastern bluebirds at the more contaminated location contained concentrations of 8.3 and 1.

Effect of acute exposure to malathion and lead on sprint performance of the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis).

There are few ecotoxicological studies involving reptiles, despite the fact that anthropogenic pollutants have been identified as a major threat to reptile populations worldwide. Particularly lacking are effects-based studies in reptiles exposed to known concentrations of contaminants. We hypothesized that acute exposure to neurotoxic metals and pesticides could influence locomotor performance of reptiles.