Heavy metal and trace element concentrations in the blood of scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) from La Paz Bay, México.

Sharks are particularly susceptible to bioaccumulation due to their life history characteristics and trophic position within marine ecosystems. Despite this, studies of bioaccumulation cover only a small proportion of extant species. In this study we report concentrations of trace elements and heavy metals in blood samples of Sphyrna lewini for the first time.

Stratification of COVID-19 Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure for Response to High-Flow Nasal Cannula: A Retrospective Observational Study.

In patients with COVID-19, high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) are widely applied as initial treatments for moderate-to-severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. The aim of the study was to assess which respiratory supports improve 28-day mortality and to identify a predictive index of treatment response. This is a single-center retrospective observational study including 159 consecutive adult patients with COVID-19 and moderate-to-severe hypoxemic acute respiratory failure.

Echocardiography in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Era: A Single Tool for Diagnosis and Prognosis.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by multi-organ involvement, including respiratory and cardiac events. Echocardiography is widely considered the first-choice tool for the evaluation of cardiac structures and function because of its reproducibility, feasibility, easy to use at bedside, and for good cost-effectiveness. The aim of our literature review is to define the utility of echocardiography in the prediction of prognosis and mortality in COVID-19 patients with mild to critical respiratory illness, with or without known cardiovascular disease.

The COVID-19 Assessment for Survival at Admission (CASA) Index: A 12 Months Observational Study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease with a high rate of progression to critical illness. However, the stratification of patients at risk of mortality is not well defined. In this study, we aimed to define a mortality risk index to allocate patients to the appropriate intensity of care.

Evolution of Nanoparticle Protein Corona across the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Engineered nanoparticles offer the chance to improve drug transport and delivery through biological barriers, exploiting the possibility to leave the blood circulation and traverse the endothelial vascular bed, blood-brain barrier (BBB) included, to reach their target. It is known that nanoparticles gather molecules on their surface upon contact with biological fluids, forming the "protein corona", which can affect their fate and therapeutic/diagnostic performance, yet no information on the corona's evolution across the barrier has been gathered so far. Using a cellular model of the BBB and gold nanoparticles, we show that the composition of the corona undergoes dramatic quantitative and qualitative molecular modifications during passage from the "blood" to the "brain" side, while it is stable once beyond the BBB.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles trigger mitophagy in endothelial cells and perturb neuronal network activity in a size- and time-dependent manner.

Purpose: Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) are excellent candidates for biomedical applications and drug delivery to different human body areas, the brain included. Although toxicity at cellular level has been investigated, we are still far from using MSNPs in the clinic, because the mechanisms involved in the cellular responses activated by MSNPs have not yet been elucidated.

Materials And Methods: This study used an in vitro multiparametric approach to clarify relationships among size, dose, and time of exposure of MSNPs (0.

Neurocognitive effects in welders exposed to aluminium.

Objectives: Various authors who studied the effects of aluminium (Al) exposure on the neurocognitive system in the last 30 years have reached different and often contradictory conclusions. The aim of this study is to help clarify the effects that the metal causes on cognitive ability in a group of naval welders exposed to Al.

Methods: The study was performed on a sample of 86 male Al welders in a shipyard in Messina.

Columba livia as a sentinel species for the assessment of urban air genotoxicity.

This study explored the comet assay as a possible tool to assess genotoxicity in erythrocytes of Columba livia to detect genotoxic effects induced by exposure to urban air pollution. Fieldwork was conducted between June 2004 and June 2005 in the city of Milan, Italy, by sampling pigeons in different areas almost twice a week. Six air contaminants-CO, PM10, NO(2), O(3) (ozone), SO(2), and C6H6-plus polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fine particles, temperature, and ultraviolet index, were considered.

Porphyrin pattern and methemoglobin levels in Columba livia applied to assess toxicological risk by air pollution in urban areas.

The study has explored two conservative biomarkers, porphyrin pattern in guano and methemoglobin levels in blood of Columba livia, in order to assay their potential use for monitoring toxic effects induced by exposure to urban air pollution. Fieldwork was conducted between October 2003 and June 2005 in the city of Milan, Italy, by sampling the pigeons in different areas almost twice a week. Six air contaminants, CO, PM10, NO(2), O(3), SO(2), and C(6)H(6), plus polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fine particles, temperature, and UV index, were considered.

Changes induced by exposure of the human lung to glass fiber-reinforced plastic.

The inhalation of glass dusts mixed in resin, generally known as glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GRP), represents a little-studied occupational hazard. The few studies performed have highlighted nonspecific lung disorders in animals and in humans. In the present study we evaluated the alteration of the respiratory system and the pathogenic mechanisms causing the changes in a group of working men employed in different GRP processing operations and exposed to production dusts.

Influence of environmental factors on the evolution of industrial noise-induced hearing loss.

The aim of the study is to investigate how environmental factors, associated with exposure to industrial noise, affect the development of chronic noise-induced hearing loss. The study was conducted on 186 male subjects working in two bottling plants, situated respectively in a small farming community, and in a medium-sized city with significant levels of noise pollution. Levels of occupational exposure were the same for the two groups.