Nanomaterials and security in occupational and forensic medicine: insights from nanotoxicology.

Nanoenergetics are defined as a class of nanomaterials that possess the ability to release energy in certain situations. These properties have been studied and deepened in recent years, so much so that nanoenergetics have been introduced into the use of the weapons industry, among others. It is therefore an emerging reality that deserves attention with regard to potential harmful effects on human and environmental health.

Genomic surveillance and vaccine response to the dominant SARS-CoV-2 XBB lineage in Rio Grande do Sul.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by novel viral variants, posing challenges to global public health. Recombination, a viral evolution mechanism, is implicated in SARS-CoV-2's ongoing evolution. The XBB recombinant lineage, known for evading antibody-mediated immunity, exhibits higher transmissibility without increased disease severity.

Too old to be a diversity hire: Choice bundling shown to increase gender-diverse hiring decisions fails to increase age diversity.

Past research has shown that people are more likely to make the decision to hire candidates whose gender would increase group diversity when making multiple hiring choices in a bundle (i.e., when selecting multiple team members simultaneously) compared to making choices in isolation (i.

Pipeline validation for the identification of antimicrobial-resistant genes in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Antimicrobial-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is a global threat to healthcare and an important cause of nosocomial infections. Antimicrobial resistance causes prolonged treatment periods, high mortality rates, and economic impacts. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) has been used in laboratory diagnosis, but there is limited evidence about pipeline validation to parse generated data.

COVID-19, Coronavirus Vaccines, and Possible Association with Lipschütz Vulvar Ulcer: A Systematic Review.

Lipschütz genital ulcer is a self-limited, non-sexually acquired disorder characterized by the sudden onset of a few ulcers. A primary Epstein-Barr virus infection is currently considered the most recognized cause. Recent reports document cases temporally related with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or immunization against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

A pipeline for testing drug mechanism of action and combination therapies: From microarray data to simulations via Linear-In-Flux-Expressions: Testing four-drug combinations for tuberculosis treatment.

Computational methods are becoming commonly used in many areas of medical research. Recently, the modeling of biological mechanisms associated with disease pathophysiology have benefited from approaches such as Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (briefly QSP) and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetics (briefly PBPK). These methodologies show the potential to enhance, if not substitute animal models.

Transcriptional landscape of TRPV1, TRPA1, TRPV4, and TRPM8 channels throughout human tissues.

Aims: This article aims to analyze the baseline distribution of TRPA1, TRPV1, TRPV4, and TRPM8 channels in human systems at the transcriptional level.

Main Methods: Using the RNA-seq dataset from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) gene database, we investigated and compared the transcriptional levels of TRPV1, TRPA1, TRPV4 and TRPM8 found in 95 human subjects representing 33 different tissues to determine the tissue specificity of all protein-coding genes.

Key Finding: In this study, we observed higher transcriptional levels for TRPV1 (duodenum), TRPA1 (Urinary bladder), TRPV4 (Kidney) and TRPM8 (Prostate) compared to the other TRPs.

Chalcogenium-AZT Derivatives: A Plausible Strategy To Tackle The RT-Inhibitors-Related Oxidative Stress While Maintaining Their Anti- HIV Properties.

Background: This study presents the synthesis and multi-target behavior of the new 5'-hydroxy-3-(chalcogenyl-triazoyl)-thymidine and the biological evaluation of these compounds as antioxidant and anti-HIV agents.

Objective: Antiretroviral therapy induces oxidative stress. Based on this, this manuscript's main objective is to prepare compounds that combine anti-HIV and antioxidant activities.

Pulmonologist-Administered Balanced Propofol Analgosedation during Interventional Procedures: An Italian Real-Life Study on Comfort and Safety.

Propofol-based sedation provides faster recovery than midazolam-based regimens with similar safety and comfort during video flexible bronchoscope (VFB) procedures. Pulmonologist-administered propofol "balanced" analgosedation (PAP-BAS) is still debated in Italy. In this real-life study, PAP-BAS safety and comfort during VFB procedures were investigated.

Managing public transit during a pandemic: The trade-off between safety and mobility.

During a pandemic such as COVID-19, managing public transit effectively becomes a critical policy decision. On the one hand, efficient transportation plays a pivotal role in enabling the movement of essential workers and keeping the economy moving. On the other hand, public transit can be a vector for disease propagation due to travelers' proximity within shared and enclosed spaces.

A Unified Model for Entrainment by Circadian Clocks: Dynamic Circadian Integrated Response Characteristic (dCiRC).

Circadian rhythms are ubiquitous and are observed in all biological kingdoms. In nature, their primary characteristic or phenotype is the phase of entrainment. There are two main hypotheses related to how circadian clocks entrain, parametric and non-parametric models.

Blue light exposure in the workplace: a case study of nail salons.

Fluorescent or LED nail lamps are used in manicure and pedicure salons to cure nail coatings. These are UV sources, but with significant blue light emissions. Most of the literature emphasizes skin damage and cancer risk from UV exposure rather than blue light-induced damage to visual photoreceptors.

History and Future Perspectives on the Discipline of Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Modeling and Its Applications.

Mathematical biology and pharmacology models have a long and rich history in the fields of medicine and physiology, impacting our understanding of disease mechanisms and the development of novel therapeutics. With an increased focus on the pharmacology application of system models and the advances in data science spanning mechanistic and empirical approaches, there is a significant opportunity and promise to leverage these advancements to enhance the development and application of the systems pharmacology field. In this paper, we will review milestones in the evolution of mathematical biology and pharmacology models, highlight some of the gaps and challenges in developing and applying systems pharmacology models, and provide a vision for an integrated strategy that leverages advances in adjacent fields to overcome these challenges.

Development of a rapid electrophoretic assay for genomic DNA damage quantification.

Accuracy, sensitivity, simplicity, reproducibility, and low-cost are desirable requirements for genotoxicity assessment techniques. Here we describe a simple electrophoretic assay for genomic DNA lesions quantification (EAsy-GeL) based on subjecting DNA samples to rapid unwinding/renaturation treatments and neutral agarose gel electrophoresis. The experiments performed in this work involved different biological samples exposed to increasing environmental-simulated doses of ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation, such as Escherichia coli, human leukocytes, and isolated human genomic DNA.

A Two-Step Model of Human Entrainment: A Quantitative Study of Circadian Period and Phase of Entrainment.

One of the essential characteristics of an authentic circadian clock is that the free-running period sustains an approximately 24-hour cycle. When organisms are exposed to an external stimulus, the endogenous oscillators synchronize to the cycling environment signal in a process known as entrainment. These environmental cues perform an important role in resetting the phase and period of the circadian clock.

Quantitative analyses of EGFR localization and trafficking dynamics in the follicular epithelium.

To bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative analyses of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in tissues, we generated an sfGFP-tagged EGF receptor (EGFR-sfGFP) in The homozygous fly appears similar to wild type with EGFR expression and activation patterns that are consistent with previous reports in the ovary, early embryo, and imaginal discs. Using ELISA, we quantified an average of 1100, 6200 and 2500 receptors per follicle cell (FC) at stages 8/9, 10 and ≥11 of oogenesis, respectively. Interestingly, the spatial localization of the EGFR to the apical side of the FCs at early stages depended on the TGFα-like ligand Gurken.

Transcriptomic and Proteomic Tools in the Study of Hg Toxicity: What Is Missing?

Mercury is a hazardous substance that has unique neurodevelopmental toxic effects in humans. However, the precise sequence of molecular events that culminate in Hg-induced neuropathology is still unknown. Though the omics studies have been generating an enormous amount of new data about Hg toxicity, our ability to interpret such a large quantity of information is still limited.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new antioxidant and antiproliferative chalcogenobiotin derivatives for bladder carcinoma treatment.

Approximately 90% of bladder carcinomas are of the urothelial carcinoma type, which are characterized by high rates of recurrence and predisposition to progress to invasive tumors, representing one of the most costly neoplasms for health systems. Intravesical chemotherapy is a standard for the treatment of non-invasive bladder cancer. However, chemotherapy is usually aggressive and cytotoxic, which increases the death rates caused by cancer.

Habitat-Specific Clock Variation and Its Consequence on Reproductive Fitness.

The circadian clock controls daily activities at the cellular and organismic level, allowing an organism to anticipate incoming stresses and to use resources accordingly. The circadian clock has therefore been considered a fitness trait in multiple organisms. However, the mechanism of how circadian clock variation influences organismal reproductive fitness is still not well understood.

Simultaneous exposure to vinylcyclohexene and methylmercury in Drosophila melanogaster: biochemical and molecular analyses.

Background: Exposure to vinylcyclohexene (VCH) and methylmercury (MeHg) can induce oxidative stress and gene modulation. Several studies have been evaluating the effects of VCH and MeHg, but little is known about interactive effects between them. This work aimed to assess the exposure and co-exposure effects of MeHg and VCH on oxidative stress and gene modulation in Drosophila melanogaster.

High level of methylmercury exposure causes persisted toxicity in Nauphoeta cinerea.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxicant abundantly present in the environment. The long-term effects of MeHg have been investigated in rodents, yet data on the long-term or persisted toxicity of MeHg in invertebrates is scanty. Here, we examined the acute, intermediate, and chronic effects upon dietary administration of MeHg in nymphs of Nauphoeta cinerea.

Work hazards and workers' mental health: an investigation based on the fifth European Working Conditions Survey.

Background: Workplace hazards are a significant source of health impairment for workers and of financial losses for firms. EU directives on workers' health and safety standards significantly contributed to reduce reported occupational injuries, yet the incidence and prevalence of work-related mental illness is still very high.

Objectives: We investigated the association between work-related hazards and individuals' perceived mental health.