Evaluation of the validity of a perfluorooctane sulfonic acid exposure reconstruction using a measured serum concentration among workers with a wide range of exposure.

Background: Studies among workers with a wide range of exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances inform risk assessments. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, was recently examined in relation to mortality and cancer incidence in an occupationally exposed population by Alexander et al. in 2024.

Occurrence of COVID-19 and serum - and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A case-control study among workers with a wide range of exposures.

- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of synthetic chemicals; some are present in most humans in developed countries. Some studies suggest that certain PFAS may have immunotoxic effects in humans, which could put individuals with high levels of exposure at increased risk for infectious diseases such as COVID-19. We conducted a case-control study to examine the association between COVID-19 diagnosis and PFAS serum concentrations among employees and retirees from two 3 M facilities, one of which historically generated perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS).

An investigation of 3M Cordova, IL production worker's per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances biomonitoring results and mortality experience.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a wide-ranging group of chemicals that have been used in a variety of polymer and surfactant applications. While 3M Cordova, Illinois was not one of 3M's primary manufacturing facilities for the legacy long-chain PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS), it has been a major manufacturing site for short-chain PFAS (compounds that are or may degrade to PFBS or PFBA). The purpose of this research focused on: 1) an analysis of biomonitoring data of employees and retirees, and 2) an analysis of the cohort mortality of workers from 1970 to 2018.

Environmental DNA reveals the genetic diversity and population structure of an invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has been established as a noninvasive and efficient approach to sample genetic material from aquatic environments. Although most commonly used to determine species presence and measure biodiversity, eDNA approaches also hold great potential to obtain population-level genetic information from water samples. In this study, we sequenced a panel of multiallelic microsatellite markers from filtered water and fish tissue samples to uncover patterns of intraspecific diversity in the freshwater Round Goby () across their invaded range in the Laurentian Great Lakes region.

Detecting and analysing intraspecific genetic variation with eDNA: From population genetics to species abundance.

Advancements in environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches have allowed for rapid and efficient species detections in diverse environments. Although most eDNA research is focused on leveraging genetic diversity to identify taxa, some recent studies have explored the potential for these approaches to detect within-species genetic variation, allowing for population genetic assessments and abundance estimates from environmental samples. However, we currently lack a framework outlining the key considerations specific to generating, analysing and applying eDNA data for these two purposes.

Environment and shipping drive environmental DNA beta-diversity among commercial ports.

The spread of nonindigenous species by shipping is a large and growing global problem that harms coastal ecosystems and economies and may blur coastal biogeographical patterns. This study coupled eukaryotic environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding with dissimilarity regression to test the hypothesis that ship-borne species spread homogenizes port communities. We first collected and metabarcoded water samples from ports in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.

Mortality among mine and mill workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica.

Background: Millions of workers are potentially exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) which has been associated with several diseases. We updated the mortality experience of a cohort of 2,650 mine and mill workers at four manufacturing facilities to assess cause-specific mortality risks associated with estimated cumulative RCS exposure.

Methods: Study eligibility was defined as any employee who had ≥1 year of service by 2000, with work history experience available from 1945 through 2004.

Antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines among workers with a wide range of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of synthetic chemicals; some are present in most humans in developed countries. Several studies have shown associations between certain PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and reduced antibody concentration after vaccination against diseases such as Tetanus. Recent studies have reported associations between COVID-19 occurrence and exposure to certain types of PFAS.

The potential for floral evolution in response to competing selection pressures following the loss of hawkmoth pollination in Ruellia humilis.

Premise: In the absence of hawkmoth pollinators, chasmogamous (CH) flowers of Ruellia humilis self-pollinate by two secondary mechanisms. Other floral visitors might exert selection on CH floral traits to restore outcrossing, but at the same time preferential predation of CH seeds generates selection to increase the allocation of resources to cleistogamous (CL) flowers.

Methods: To assess the potential for an evolutionary response to these competing selection pressures, we estimated additive genetic variances ( ) and covariances for 14 reproductive traits and three fitness components in a Missouri population lacking hawkmoth pollinators.

Nuclear eDNA estimates population allele frequencies and abundance in experimental mesocosms and field samples.

Advances in environmental DNA (eDNA) methodologies have led to improvements in the ability to detect species and communities in aquatic environments, yet the majority of studies emphasize biological diversity at the species level by targeting variable sites within the mitochondrial genome. Here, we demonstrate that eDNA approaches also have the capacity to detect intraspecific diversity in the nuclear genome, allowing for assessments of population-level allele frequencies and estimates of the number of genetic contributors in an eDNA sample. Using a panel of microsatellite loci developed for the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), we tested the similarity between eDNA-based and individual tissue-based estimates of allele frequencies from experimental mesocosms and in a field-based trial.

Hydrology induces intraspecific variation in freshwater fish morphology under contemporary and future climate scenarios.

Predicting future changes in habitat-associated species traits is an important step in understanding the ecological and evolutionary consequences of environmental change. However, models projecting phenotypic responses to future climate change typically assume populations will respond similarly across the range of a species, while local adaptation and spatial variation in environmental changes are rarely considered. In this study, among-population phenotypic variability was coupled with geographic variation in anticipated hydrologic changes to examine patterns of population-level phenotypic changes expected under future climatic change.

Genetic and environmental integration of the hawkmoth pollination syndrome in Ruellia humilis (Acanthaceae).

Background And Aims: The serial homology of floral structures has made it difficult to assess the relative contributions of selection and constraint to floral integration. The interpretation of floral integration may also be clouded by the tacit, but largely untested, assumption that genetic and environmental perturbations affect trait correlations in similar ways. In this study, estimates of both the genetic and environmental correlations between components of the hawkmoth pollination syndrome are presented for chasmogamous flowers of Ruellia humilis , including two levels of control for serial homology.

Evaluation of Serum Lipid, Thyroid, and Hepatic Clinical Chemistries in Association With Serum Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in Cynomolgus Monkeys After Oral Dosing With Potassium PFOS.

An oral dose study with perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was undertaken to identify potential associations between serum PFOS and changes in serum clinical chemistry parameters in purpose-bred young adult cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). In this study, control group (n = 6/sex) was sham-dosed with vehicle (0.5% Tween 20 and 5% ethanol in water), low-dose group (n = 6/sex) received 1 single K+PFOS dose (9 mg/kg), and high-dose group (n = 4-6/sex) received 3 separate K+ PFOS doses (11-17.

Evaluation of a cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program at a workplace medical clinic.

The Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program (CVRRP) was implemented in the 3M Medical Clinic in December 2009. The goal of the CVRRP was to evaluate 3M employees at risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and address any related modifiable risk factors with appropriate intervention strategies through clinic visits with a 3M nurse practitioner or physician and, if needed, a registered dietitian and/or exercise professional. Data for the first 100 participants were analyzed to initially assess the effectiveness of the program.

Cohort mortality study of roofing granule mine and mill workers. Part II. Epidemiologic analysis, 1945-2004.

The mortality of 2650 employees (93.4% males) in the mine and mill production of roofing granules at four plants was examined between 1945 and 2004. Hypotheses focused on diseases associated with exposure to silica: nonmalignant respiratory disease, lung cancer, and nonmalignant renal disease.

Long-term clinical outcomes following treatment of actinic keratosis with imiquimod 5% cream.

Background: The results from four phase III, randomized, vehicle-controlled studies showed that imiquimod 5% cream (imiquimod) was safe and effective in the treatment of actinic keratosis (AK). Patients applied imiquimod or vehicle cream to AK lesions on the face or balding scalp, dosing three times per week or two times per week for 16 weeks.

Objective: To obtain long-term safety follow-up data and estimate AK recurrence in patients who completely cleared their AK lesions in the treatment area at the 8-week post-treatment visit in the phase III studies.

Efficacy of topical 5% imiquimod cream for the treatment of nodular basal cell carcinoma: comparison of dosing regimens.

Objective: To establish a safe and efficacious dosing regimen for the treatment of primary nodular basal cell carcinoma (BCC) using 5% imiquimod cream.

Design: Two phase 2 studies were conducted: a 6-week, randomized, open-label, dose-response study evaluating 4 dosing regimens and a 12-week, randomized, vehicle-controlled, double-blind, dose-response study evaluating 4 dosing regimens.

Setting: Twenty-four public and private dermatology clinics in Australia and New Zealand (6-week study) and the United States (12-week study) participated.

Imiquimod 5% cream for the treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma: a double-blind, randomized, vehicle-controlled study.

Background: Imiquimod 5% cream may provide an effective nonsurgical treatment for superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC) based on results of previous studies.

Objective: The objective of this phase II dose-response study was to explore various dosing regimens using imiquimod 5% cream for sBCC to find the most effective frequency of dosing with tolerable side effects.

Methods: Patients (n = 128) were dosed twice daily, once daily, 5 times a week, or 3 times a week in this 12-week, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study.